Elicitation Practice Lab

In our elicitation courses, one piece of feedback comes up consistently:

“I understand the concepts — I want more opportunities to practice.”

Elicitation is a skill that improves through:

• Repetition

• Real interaction

• Reflection

• Feedback

The Elicitation Practice Lab exists to provide a safe, repeatable, and structured space to apply elicitation techniques in real conversations with other motivated participants.

Participants rotate through a series of short, structured elicitation sessions in Zoom breakout rooms.

During each session:

• Both participants are eliciting at the same time

• Each participant has their own set of pre-assigned “capture the flag” objectives

• Objectives are non-sensitive, non-invasive, and appropriate for professional conversation

• Participants do not know their partner’s objectives

• Conversations are natural and unscripted

This creates a mutual elicitation (sparring-style) environment, where participants simultaneously:

• Practice elicitation techniques

• Manage their own information disclosure

• Read conversational cues

• Maintain rapport and professionalism

Across sessions, participants practice:

• Steering conversations subtly

• Balancing curiosity with restraint

• Making and confirming inferences

• Recognizing when not to pursue a line of questioning

• Maintaining comfort and trust

• OPTIONAL 1-hour Elicitation Best Practices Session (1 hour) | This session reviews foundational elicitation concepts and sets expectations for the practice labs. It is recommended for participants who are newer to elicitation or want a refresher before the live exercises.

• Welcome & Orientation (20 minutes) | Rules, structure, scoring, and how the practice labs work. Individual flags will be distributed in advance.

• Break/Preparation (10 minutes) | Time to review flags and prepare.

• Elicitation Practice Labs (2 hours total) | Six structured, 10-minute elicitation sessions in Zoom breakout rooms, interspersed with short self-reporting periods and discussion periods, with a coffee/snack break mid-way.

• Q&A Session with CAT Chief Instructor Brian Harris (30 minutes) | A Q&A with Brian focused on elicitation practice, ethics, and real-world application.

Each participant receives three information flags:

• Easy flag (surface-level) — 1 point

• Medium flag (requires rapport) — 2 points

• Difficult flag (requires inference or indirect paths) — 3 points

All flags are:

• Non-sensitive

• Plausibly shareable in conversation

• Designed to prevent unethical or invasive behavior

Flags never involve:

• Personal identifiers

• Financial information

• Family trauma

• Health or medical details

• Anything illegal or inappropriate

Your performance will be graded, and the participant with the highest overall performance will receive a special gift from CAT.

In addition, we will recognize excellence through several superlative awards. Superlative award recipients will receive digital badges acknowledging their performance and skill development.

This lab is open to anyone interested in practicing ethical elicitation in a structured, professional environment.

Participants who have previously completed CAT’s Elicitation Toolbox Training and Covert Access Training courses will likely find this lab especially valuable, as it provides an opportunity to apply those concepts in live conversations. However, prior CAT training is not required to participate.

Because this is a practice-focused event, participants will get the most value if they already have a basic understanding of elicitation concepts. If you are newer to elicitation or would like a refresher before the event, we recommend participating in the optional one-hour Elicitation Basics course beforehand to get the most out of the experience.

This lab is best suited for participants who:

• Want hands-on practice rather than lectures

• Are comfortable engaging in unscripted, professional conversation

• Take ethical boundaries and respectful conduct seriously

To set expectations clearly, this lab is not:

• An interrogation exercise

• A role-playing game or improv session

• A place to push personal boundaries

• A substitute for full-length training

• A casual networking event

Participants are expected to conduct themselves with maturity and discretion.

• Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

• Time: 5–9 p.m. Central European Time

• Format: Live on Zoom

• Maximum Participants: 40

• Recording: The event and practice sessions WILL NOT be recorded.