Life Skills
Test Lab
Life Skills
NOTICE
These test lab requirements are available for Scouts until June 30, 2026. At that time, these requirements will disappear and the surveys will be closed. Learn more About the Test Lab.
Life Skills Overview
The Life Skills Badge helps Scouts develop a variety of practical skills that are essential for independent living and personal growth. It covers areas such as health, household management, finance, social interactions, employment readiness, and transportation. Scouts learn how to maintain their physical and mental well-being, manage personal finances, care for their living spaces, communicate effectively with others, explore career options, and safely navigate transportation systems. By completing the requirements, Scouts gain valuable tools for responsible decision-making and become better prepared to take on adult responsibilities.
life skills REQUIREMENTS
1. Health. Do the following:
- Describe the steps to make a doctor’s appointment. Steps to make a doctor’s appointment
- Locate the hospital or urgent care center closest to your home.
- Explain what health insurance is and why it is important to have. Health Insurance Basics
- Identify 5 ways to practice medication safety at home. Medication Safety and Your Health
- Describe what information should be included in your personal health record and create one for yourself. Personal Health Records
- Identify 5 everyday situations where first aid would be required and what to do when first aid is needed. Got Safety
2. Household. Do the following:
- Explain the steps required to do laundry. With your parent or guardian’s permission, wash and dry one load of laundry. How to Do Laundry
- Explain the steps required to iron clothes. With your parent or guardian’s permission, demonstrate how to iron two different articles of clothing. Ironing 101: Everything You Need to Know About Ironing Clothes
- Demonstrate your knowledge of sewing by sewing a patch or button on a shirt or pair of pants. YouTube: How to Sew a Button by Hand
- Explain the importance of maintaining a clean household. Describe why it is important to control clutter. Demonstrate your knowledge by cleaning your bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. Essential Home Maintenance
- Demonstrate how to set a casual dining table and a formal dining table. How to Set a Table: Basic, Casual, and Formal Table Settings
YouTube: How to Sew On your Badges
Cleaning at Home
How to Set a Formal Dinner Table, According to Etiquette Experts
3. Money. Do the following:
- Explain what is required to open a bank account and compare the differences between a traditional bank, an online bank, and a credit union. What Do You Need To Open A Bank Account?
- Explain the importance of saving money. Top 3 Reasons to Save Money Starting Today
- Explain what online bill pay is and compare the pros and cons of paying your bills online. How to Use Online Bill Pay: Simplify Your Monthly Payments
- Describe how a credit card works, the reasons to get a credit card, the costs you may incur by using a credit card, and how to use a credit card effectively. Credit Cards 101
4. Social. Do the following:
- Demonstrate how to properly introduce yourself in a social situation. How to Introduce Yourself in Any Situation
- Explain what social etiquette means and how to practice it. What Is Social Etiquette?
- Explain what it means to set personal boundaries and what to do when those boundaries are crossed. 10 Steps to Set Healthy Boundaries
- Create a list of similarities and differences of the members of a group you are involved with (troop, school club, sports team, etc.). Share this list with your counselor and describe how these similarities and differences affect the group.
- Explain how equity is different from equality. Describe a situation that might exist in school, sports, an extra-curricular activity or Scouting that could result in inequity.
- Give six examples of appropriate table manners Top Table Manners Tips For Kids.
5. Self-Care. Do the following:
- Explain what self-respect means and how you can demonstrate it. 20 Ways to Respect Yourself and Why It Matters
- Explain to your counselor what might cause stress and how to manage it. Stress Management
- Explain the importance of good personal hygiene and give examples of how to practice it. The Importance Of Good Hygiene
- Explain the benefits of exercise and demonstrate three types of exercise found in the fitness section of your Scouts BSA handbook.
6. Employment. Do THREE of the following:
- Create a resume and review it with your counselor. How To Make a Comprehensive Resume (With Examples)
- Write a cover letter for a job posting and review it with your counselor. How To Write a Cover Letter (With Examples and Tips)
- Describe how to make a great impression during a job interview and give 5 examples of questions that you would ask during an interview. How To Make a Great Impression in a Job Interview: 20 Tips
- Explain why it is essential to write professional emails. Write a professional email thanking someone for interviewing you for a job. Share your email with your counselor. How To Write a Professional Email (With Tips and Examples)
- Demonstrate how to leave a professional voicemail message. How to Leave the Perfect Voicemail Message
- Explain how posts to social media can affect you when applying for a job.
Career Coach Tips: 36 Questions To Ask in a Job Interview
7. Transportation. Do TWO of the following:
- Explain what to do if you are involved in a car accident.
What to do after a car accident: a step-by-step guide - Describe the steps on jumpstarting a car battery.
How to Jump-Start a Car in 6 Steps - Explain the benefits of regular car maintenance.
The Benefits of Regular Car Maintenance - Compare the differences between leasing versus buying a new car.
Leasing vs. Buying a New Car - On a map of your community or using an electronic device, locate and point out the public transportation infrastructure. Plan how to get to a friend’s home or shopping center from your house. Explain the route and cost of the roundtrip to your counselor.
8. Complete the survey below to complete the test lab requirements
About The Test Lab
Scouts can complete these requirements in order to provide feedback and receive a certificate
You decide if this activity becomes an official Merit Badge of Scouting America. By filling out the survey, you vote for or against this becoming a Merit Badge. You can also suggest changes to make the merit badge more engaging. The fate of this potential merit badge rests in your hands. Come back and complete the survey after you finish the requirements to make your voice heard and to get your certificate of completion.
