Rank (skill)

Each skill is given a rank equal to the amount of skill points you spent on that skill (skill points spent on cross-class skills count only as 0.5). Your final skill score is thus given by Rank + ability modifier + misc modifiers, rounded down as usual.

It can be important to make the difference between the skill rank and the final skill score, in particular for Bards whose Perform skill must have a minimum rank to be able to perform bard songs.