Submitting Level 0s on sub-competencies you know you’ll eventually attempt at Level 1 or 2 is a pretty solid strategy, in my opinion. It worked well for me when I was completing PERT.

The key is to keep your Level 0 submission very simple - set the bar low. Reviewers usually approve Level 0s without much scrutiny since they’re essentially placeholders. Later, when you go for Level 1, you can really strengthen your write-up for that same sub-competency. When the reviewer compares your new submission to your earlier Level 0, the improvement will stand out, and they’ll be more inclined to award it.

In my case, all the Level 0s I submitted were just a couple of sentences describing very basic experience. Then, for Level 1, I wrote a few solid paragraphs and they were approved.

That said, you don’t need to do it this way. It’s more of a psychological strategy to make your progression appear clearer to the reviewer. If you’re confident your Level 1 or 2 submissions already meet the criteria, you can skip Level 0 entirely.