The Council shall select skill categories for competitions according to the following principles:
1. Skill categories that have been held in the WorldSkills Competitions and Vocational skills competition of International Abilympics.
2. Skill categories required for national economic construction
3. Skill categories beneficial to the improvement of living standard of the people
4. Skill categories in Chinese traditional culture
5. Skill categories for which skill certification has been carried out

The scope of skills categories for the competitions shall be defined by the Council.

The frequency of carrying out the skill competitions is as follows:
1. The National Skills Competition shall be held once a year.
2. The National Skills Competition for the physically and mentally challenged shall be held every other year.
3. The Competition for Selecting Competitors of the National Team for the World Skills Competition shall be combined in the National Skills Competition; The Competition for Selecting Competitors of the National Team for the Vocational Skills Competition of the International Abilympics shall be combined with the National Skills Competition for the physically and mentally challenged.
If the National Skills Competition or the National Skills Competition for the physically and mentally challenged is to be cancelled for some reasons, the Council shall make a declaration within the first 3 months of the year.

If any skill category has only 3competitors or 3 teams participating in the competition, the skill category shall be changed to a demonstration; if any skill category has only 2 competitors or 2 teams participating in the competition, the skill category shall be cancelled

Many of the skill competitions adopt tools, gauges and related devices stipulated by the test for assembly, inspection or manufacturing into finished products or provision of services.