General Advancement Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Purpose of the Advancement Examination?

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An advancement exam provides an unbiased factor for the Final Multiple Score (FMS) algorithm and helps rank order qualified candidates for advancement consideration. All candidates who take the exam have met necessary eligibility requirements for advancement and have been recommended by their CO/OIC.

2. What Enlisted Exams are Administered by the Navy Advancement Center?

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Active Duty, Full-Time Support and Canvasser Recruiters take the Active Duty enlisted Navywide advancement examination. Navy Reserve personnel, to include all candidates serving on voluntary recall or mobilization, will take the SELRES enlisted Navy-wide advancement examination.

The exam administration schedules are:

• E6 Active Duty exams - First Thursday in March and September
• E5 Active Duty exams - Second Thursday in March and September
• E4 Active Duty exams - Third Thursday in March and September
• E7 Active Duty exams - Third Thursday in January
• E4/5/6 SELRES Exams - February and August
• E7 SELRES Exams - February

3. Am I Eligible to Take the Next Advancement Exam?

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Prior to taking an advancement exam, you must meet all eligibility requirements for the next higher paygrade. You must have met your Time-in-Rate requirement and have the promotion recommendation of your commanding officer (CO). Check box 45 on your Evaluation Report to see your CO’s recommendation for promotion.

Check the TIR requirements below. The * denotes a 1-year Early Promote (EP) Time-in-Rate waiver for E6 and E7 candidates who have been recommended by their CO for early advancement on their last EVAL. Working hard and doing your job can help you earn the EP and advance ahead of schedule.

TIR Requirements:

• E-1 to E-2 -- 9 months
• E-2 to E-3 -- 9 months
• E-3 to E-4 -- 6 months
• E-4 to E-5 --12 months
• E-5 to E-6 -- 36 months *
• E-6 to E-7 -- 36 months *
• E-7 to E-8 -- 36 months
• E-8 to E-9 -- 36 months

Chapter 2 of BUPERSINST 1430.16 (series) has specific details on eligibility requirements for advancement. Also, it is critical that your security clearance is up-to-date (if required for your rating) prior to taking the exam; many exams are invalidated due to security clearances.

Check with your division Chief Petty Officer (CPO), Command Career Counselor (CCC), or your Educational Services Officer (ESO) to see if you need to meet any additional mandatory requirements prior to taking your exam.

4. What is an Advancement Worksheet?

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Prior to participating in a Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE), ESOs are responsible for preparation of the Advancement in Rate or Change of Rating (Worksheet) NETPDC 1430/3 (Rev. 06-14) for each candidate participating in an examination advancement cycle (E4 through E7), including LDO Program candidates.

The Worksheet lists advancement eligibility factors, as well as point values for elements of the Final Multiple Score (FMS). All Sailors must verify their advancement worksheet through their Educational Services Officer (ESO). DO NOT take this lightly. This is YOUR career and you should ensure that you know what you are signing since every point counts.

5. How is Your PMA Calculated?

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Your Performance Mark Average (PMA) uses only the Promotion Recommendation block (Block 45) from evaluations in the current paygrade. Use only the evaluations that fall within the prescribed dates outlined in the applicable advancement cycle NAVADMIN.

For E4, your Education Services Officer (ESO) uses evals from the past 8 to 9 months. For E5, the past 14 to 15 months are used. For E6 and E7, the past 36 months are used. Block 45 marks are added together, then divided by the number of evaluations used in the computation.

Promotion Recommendation Point Values:

• Early Promote = 4.00
• Must Promote = 3.80
• Promotable = 3.60
• Progressing = 3.40
• Significant Problems = 2.00

Example for PO2 (E5) Participating in PO1 (E6) Exam:

- Evaluation Ending Block 45 Mark

• 16 March 15 EP = 4.00
• 15 March 15 MP = 3.80
• 14 March 15 MP = 3.80

Add 4.00 + 3.80 + 3.80 = 11.6, divide by 3 = 3.866

Round up to 3.87 = PMA

6. Exam Standard Score (SS) - What Does it Really Mean?

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The standard score (SS) is a numeric representation of how well candidates do compared to candidate peers taking the same exam. The SS range is 20 to 80, with a score of 50 representing a candidate who fell in the middle of the raw score distribution. SS changes from exam to exam since the average computations are based on the peer group at the time the particular exam is given.

There are occurrences where the highest scoring candidate does not have a SS of 80 and the lowest scoring candidate does not have a SS of 20. These occurrences are totally dependent on the peer group taking the exam.

In general, an SS of 80 indicates a candidate scored higher than 99% of the candidates taking the exact same exam (i.e. 99th percentile). A SS of 70 indicates candidate scored higher than 98% of all candidates, 60 indicates 84%, 50 indicates 50%, 40 indicates 16%, 30 indicates 2%, and 20 indicates 1%. It is the SS, not the raw score (number of questions answered correctly) that is a component of the Final Multiple Score (FMS). Lastly – the FMS is used to rank order candidates, using the combination of all elements: exam SS, evaluations (PMA), awards, education, PNA points and service-in-paygrade. The FMS for E7 candidates is based on only two elements – SS and PMA.

7. How Are My Award Points Used in My Final Multiple Score?

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Awards computed in the E4/5/6 Final Multiple Score (FMS) must be approved or earned prior to the day of the regularly scheduled examination. Awards with only a month/year date are presumed to have an ending date on the last day of the respective month.

The maximum award points E4/5 candidates can earn is 10 points. There is a maximum of 12 points for E6 candidates. Candidates who have served greater than 90 consecutive days in the Congressionally Designated Combat Zones and Approved Contingency Operations Areas mentioned below are authorized a two point increase to maximum award points authorized.

Always make sure your award points are correct on your exam worksheet AND your exam answer sheet.

Current list of awards and their values:

• 10 Points = Medal of Honor
• 5 Points = Navy Cross
• 4 Points = Distinguished Service Medal or Cross, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross
• 3 Points = Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (Strike/Flight), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
• 2 Points = Executive Letter of Commendation (max 1), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Gold Life Saving Medal, Greater than 90 consecutive days of service In Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, (Kuwait, Guantanamo (GTMO), Joint Task Force, 515 (USPACOM) or the Joint Force Special Task Force-Philippines (USPACOM) (Service after 24 October 2001)) (max 1)
• 1 Point = Letter of Commendation (Flag/Senior Executive Service) (max 2)

8. Pass But Not Advance (PNA) Points. I Passed the Exam But Was Not Advanced. How Are PNA Points Calculated?

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PNA (Passed Not Advanced) Points are added to your FMS for the next advancement Cycle (E4/5/6 only) if you pass the test, demonstrate superior performance and/or superior rating knowledge, but are not advanced to the next-higher paygrade. PNA Points come from two sources, your Exam Standard Score (SS) and your Performance Mark Average (PMA). You can receive up to 1.5 Points each for PMA and SS per advancement cycle for a maximum of 3.0 per cycle. Only the PNA points from the most recent five of the last six consecutive advancement cycles in the same paygrade are used, so the maximum PNA point total can only reach 15.

PNA Points for PMA are based on how you rank among your peers. Your PMA must fall within the top 25% of ranked performance mark averages to garner points. Similarly, PNA Points for SS are based on all exam standard scores where your SS must fall in the top 25% in your paygrade/rating to earn points when not advanced. PNA points will be retained for Career Intermission Program (CIP) candidates through the CIP period.

9. Education Points: How do I Get Credit for my Degree Toward Advancement?

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Sailors competing for advancement to paygrades E4 through E6 will be awarded two points for an accredited associate's degree, and four points for an accredited baccalaureate degree or above. Education points will be awarded for the highest degree held, and will increase the total overall Final Multiple Score (FMS) points. To receive Education Points, your degree must be reflected in the Joint Services Transcript (JST) (formerly SMART). Degrees can only be entered into JST that are accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education. First, verify if the college transcript is from a college/institution which is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. Verification can be done online at: Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs

Next, Sailors must have OFFICIAL transcripts sent from institution directly to the JST:

Commanding Officer
NETC
JST Operations Center N643
6490 Saufley Field Road
Pensacola, FL 32509

JST can also accept secure transcripts sent electronically directly from the academic institute to jst@doded.mil.

Sailors must contact the JST Operations Center advising time that he/she is having an official 1transcript sent to JST directly from the academic institution for the purpose of adding the degree/certification to JST/SMART. Sailors provide JST with NAME, LAST FOUR of SSN, and Email address, the institution issuing degree and degree title to jst@doded.mil. JST Operations Center will validate the transcript and enter education data into the Navy Campus Management Information System (NCMIS). NCMIS will update the JST and be used to calculate the E4 through E6 FMS. Do not include degree points in calculating award points. To allow sufficient time for the JST Operations Center to process all documents, transcripts for Sailors competing for advancement to E4 through E6 MUST be received no later than the first day of the month in which their advancement exam occurs. (i.e. Active Duty Cycle = 1 Mar and 1 Sep, SELRES Cycle = 1 Feb and 1 Aug).

10. "Whole Person Concept" - It's Not Just Your Exam Scores That Get You Advanced, It's Your Final Multiple Score (FMS)

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The Final Multiple Score (FMS) is a "Whole Person Concept" approach that considers your exam score along with other factors to ensure the right Sailors are advanced. The other factors considered for E4/5/6 are Performance Mark Average (how well you perform in your job and as a Sailor), Service in Paygrade (experience in your job), Awards (your accomplishments in your job and as a Sailor), Education Points (self-improvement through education (accredited college degrees), and PNA points (credit for doing great on previous exam cycles but not enough quotas available). For those who are CPO board eligible, the FMS is computed using Performance Mark Average and exam score only. OPNAV N132 provides advancement quotas for the Active Duty cycles and BUPERS-32 provides advancement quotas for the SELRES cycles. Some ratings in a paygrade have limitedquotas, so the Navy works hard to advance the most qualified Sailors using the Whole Person Concept.

11. The NAC Rank-orders Sailors for Advancement. What Does That Mean?

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NAC uses the results from Navy-wide advancement examinations to assess knowledge at the next-higher paygrade and compute an individual Sailor's Final Multiple Score (FMS). The FMS is used to compare all Sailors in the same exam rate. NAC rank orders Sailors - the highest FMS score is the number one Sailor for advancement, second highest is number two, etc. - so the most qualified candidates are advanced given the number of vacancies (quotas) in a particular exam rate. The FMS is made up of different variables, but it's key to remember that sustained superior performance is a primary factor for advancement.

12. Your Profile Sheet - How Did You Do Compared to Your Peers?

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Profile Sheets provide candidates with information on Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) performance as compared with other candidates who took the same NWAE.

For E4 through E6 candidates the profile sheets provide:

1. Final Multiple Score (FMS) factor breakdown
2. FMS
3. Minimum FMS Required for advancement
4. Average FMS factor breakdown of candidates (peers) who advanced
5. PNA (passed not advanced) points earned from past exam cycles—applied to the candidate’s FMS for the current exam
6. PNA points earned from this exam, if listed - will apply to the candidate’s FMS for next exam
7. Exam section breakdown of candidate's raw scores and relative standings compared to all other candidates who took this exam
8. Relative standing for the whole exam compared to all other candidates who took this exam
9. Examination cycle status

For E7 candidates the profile sheets provide:

1. FMS factor breakdown
2. Candidate’s FMS
3. Minimum FMS required candidates who were selection board eligible (SBE)
4. Average FMS factor breakdown of candidates (peers) who were SBE
5. Exam section breakdown of candidate's raw scores and relative standings compared to all other candidates who took this exam
6. Relative standing for the whole exam compared to all other candidates who took this exam
7. Examination cycle status

NOTE: Some of the items above will not be shown on some Profile Sheets (e.g., for candidates who are in a fail status, have a discrepancy, or have been invalidated). Additionally, E7/8/9 profile sheets report selection board or advancement status.

Once exam results are published, profile sheets can be accessed via the link. Contact your ESO or chain of command if you cannot access your profile sheet.

13. Does the Profile Sheet Tell Me How Many Questions I Got Correct in Each Section?

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Yes. The profile sheet tells you the number of questions in each examination section and the number of questions you answered correctly in each section. It also gives you a percentile which reflects how well you did in each examination section in relation to your peers who took the exact same examination. For example: A percentile of 80% indicates that you scored higher than 80% of the candidates answering questions in the section. Percentile is not the same as percent. Percentile reflects relative standing in a peer group. Percent just gives what proportion of the items was answered correctly.

14. My Profile Sheet Says DISC. What Does This Mean?

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DISC means there is a Discrepancy with your advancement information and your Final Multiple Score cannot be calculated until this error is corrected through your ESO and the Navy Advancement Center (NAC) with supporting documentation. An uncleared discrepancy can keep an otherwise qualified Sailor from being advanced.

The most common discrepancies are:

• Performance Mark Error - this means that your Performance Mark Average is missing from your exam answer sheet or is out of range. This is the number one discrepancy.
• Insufficient Time-in-Rate - this means that your time-in-rate (TIR) is less than the required needed for the next paygrade or you have not been identified properly for Early Promote TIR waiver.
• Unmatched Name/SSN - this means that your Name/SSN translated from the DOD ID Number does not match the Enlisted Master File (EMF) created from the Navy Enlisted System (NES) or the Inactive Manpower and Personnel Management Information System (IMAPMIS).
• Wrong Path of Advancement - this means that you participated in an Navy-wide advancement examination outside your normal path of advancement.. (i.e. - a BM3 took a MA2 exam)

15. What is the Most Common Exam Discrepancy for Reservists?

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The number one discrepancy for advancement eligible Reservists is a Performance Mark Average calculation error; your ESO should be able to correctly calculate for each exam cycle. Also, NAC sees DOD ID and name errors on exam sheets - this error falls directly on the member for correction when filling out the answer sheets. Finally, some Reservists get a WPA error - Wrong Path of Advancement. Why is that? When a Reserve member is on Active Duty, information is often taken out of NSIPS/IMAPMIS. This can easily be corrected without any action required by the NAC, but commands must make the NSIPS/IMAPMIS correction locally. Check with your ESO to make sure your information is up to date!