# Create practice that resembles the work Useful practice asks learners to make the decisions the job requires. Turn an approved rule into a small, realistic situation with observable choices. Updated October 27, 2026 ## Creating realistic practice, in short Realistic practice is an exercise that puts a learner in front of the facts they would have at work and asks what they would check, say or escalate, instead of asking them to recite a policy. The lesson is for trainers and managers writing their first cases and scoring guides. Elvina drafts scenario questions from an approved rule, and you can edit any question by hand, both available now. A reviewer still decides whether an answer applies the rule or only sounds right. ## What happens on the free demo - Book 30 minutes. Pick a time with Elvina's team. The demo is free and runs on Zoom. - Show the team your goal. Bring one role or one procedure. The team shows how Elvina would handle it, using sample materials. - Agree on the next step. You leave with a plan for the first step and its price. Nothing reaches your team until you approve it. ## Start with a decision Our fictional representative receives a delivery query with an incomplete status update. Present the relevant facts and ask what they would check, explain, and escalate. Avoid asking only for the definition of a delivery policy when the actual job requires applying it under uncertainty. ## Write the assessment before the answer Choose observable criteria: uses the applicable source, asks for missing information, gives an accurate next step, and recognizes an exception. Specify what counts as an acceptable response. This lets a reviewer distinguish a correct decision from an answer that merely sounds professional. ## Add a meaningful variation Create a second case that changes one important condition, such as a delivery that falls outside the documented rule. The learner should recognize the boundary and seek the appropriate review. Repeating the same example with a different customer name provides less evidence of transfer. ## Try the exercise locally Write one ordinary case, one exception, and a short rubric using invented details. Answer both yourself, then check whether each rubric criterion can be observed. Elvina's intended content workflow should support review of such material before release; this exercise does not assume that product operation is available. ## Who this is not for, and when another tool fits ### This is not the right fit if - The job has no decisions, only steps to follow in order. - You need branching simulations or graded role-play with live actors. - The rule itself is still being decided. ### Another kind of tool may fit better - An instructional designer, for branching scenarios or a large simulation. - A one-page job aid on its own, when the task is a fixed sequence with no judgment. ## Questions **Q:** How many practice cases does one rule need? Start with two: an ordinary case and one exception that changes a single important condition. The exception shows whether the learner can spot the edge of the rule. Add more cases only where reviewers see people still getting it wrong. **Q:** Should practice be multiple choice or written answers? Either can work if each option or answer maps to a real choice on the job. Multiple choice is quicker to score, while a short written answer shows more of the reasoning. Quizzes drafted from your approved rule are available now, and you edit each question before release. **Q:** Who should write the scoring guide? The person who owns the rule writes it together with whoever will score the answers. Agree on the criteria first, then try them on two sample answers. If the two scorers disagree, the criteria need sharper wording. ## Two things you can check on this site - See a sample on the demo. [Book a demo with my team](https://calendly.com/o-dutchak-smartexpert/30min?utm_source=elvina-site&utm_medium=proof) - Every lesson, plan and quiz stays a draft until you approve it. [Check the approval step in the chat](/academy/create-practice#talk-to-elvina) Checked October 27, 2026. No launch date is committed for planned features.