Methodology / Trust Tiers
Five tiers of skill credibility.
Each tier represents a distinct level of demonstrated competence. Progression is earned through evidence, not time spent on the platform.
Trust Tiers are not gamification. They are threshold indicators that tell both you and your peers how much evidence backs your skill claims. Each tier has specific evidence requirements, and each tier enables specific platform capabilities.
Tiers are derived directly from your SCI score. There is no separate application or review process. When your evidence crosses a threshold, your tier updates automatically.
Progression overview
Newcomer
0 - 99
Proven
100 - 299
Verified
35 - 54
Expert
500 - 799
Authority
800 - 1000
Newcomer
Everyone starts here. Newcomer status means you have claimed skills but not yet backed them with evidence. The system treats your claims as unverified until you complete your first session or submit accepted proof.
Evidence required
- Account created and profile completed
- Skills declared but not yet demonstrated
What it enables
- Browse and request sessions
- Submit external proofs for review
- Set up Skill Passport
Proven
You have demonstrated initial competence. The platform has enough signal to begin recommending you to learners. Your evidence pattern is forming but not yet strong enough for confident verification.
Evidence required
- At least 2 completed sessions with positive ratings
- Or 1 session plus accepted external proof
- Minimum 30-day account age
What it enables
- Appear in discovery for learners
- Receive endorsement requests
- Basic Skill Passport sharing
Verified
Verified is the credibility threshold. Users at this tier have enough multi-dimensional evidence that an employer can trust the signal. Most hiring decisions on Lemma reference Verified or higher.
Evidence required
- 5+ completed sessions with average rating above 4.0
- At least 2 peer endorsements from Proven+ users
- Evidence across at least 2 evidence types
What it enables
- Verified badge on Skill Passport
- Priority placement in matching
- Eligible for employer assessment invites
Expert
Expert tier indicates sustained, deep competence recognized by multiple credible peers. Reaching Expert requires consistent activity across multiple evidence dimensions. Your endorsements now carry meaningful weight in the credibility network.
Evidence required
- 15+ completed sessions with sustained high ratings
- Endorsements from at least 3 Verified+ users
- Evidence across at least 3 evidence types
- Active within the last 90 days
What it enables
- Expert badge and enhanced Passport display
- Endorsements carry 2x weight for recipients
- Access to advanced matching preferences
- Featured in skill-specific leaderboards
Authority
Authority is reserved for users with exceptional, multi-dimensional, sustained evidence. Fewer than 5% of active users reach this tier. Authority status requires continuous activity and clean dispute history, reflecting that trust at this level demands ongoing demonstration.
Evidence required
- 30+ completed sessions with exceptional ratings
- Endorsements from 5+ Expert/Authority users
- Evidence across all 5 evidence types
- Active within the last 60 days
- No disputed sessions in the last 180 days
What it enables
- Authority badge with distinct visual treatment
- Endorsements carry 4x weight for recipients
- Invited to contribute to skill taxonomy governance
- Featured across the platform as a trusted expert
- Eligible for Lemma partner programs
Why five tiers
Fewer tiers would be too coarse to be useful. More would create anxiety about micro-progressions. Five tiers provide enough resolution for meaningful differentiation while remaining simple to understand at a glance.
Tiers are consequences of evidence, not goals to chase.
Trust Tiers FAQ
Yes. Tiers are derived directly from your SCI score, which uses recency decay. If you stop practicing, your score gradually declines and your tier may drop. Resume activity to recover.
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