Critical competencies are those that are essential for success in the role. Without these competencies, the individual would not be able to perform the core functions of the role.
Important competencies are significant but not essential for success. The individual can perform the core functions without these competencies but they help the individual perform better.
Preferred competencies are desirable but not essential. They help the individual excel but are not required for basic performance of the role.
The criticality helps determine focus areas for development, hiring and performance management. Critical competencies must be fully developed for the role while important and preferred can be further developed over time.