Spring 2019 Petty Officer Advancement Quotas Released
E4-E6 Quotas Announced
22 May 2019
Navy released the spring 2019 petty officer advancement quotas for more than 23,000 active-duty, Full Time Support (FTS) and Selected Reserve (SELRES) Sailors to advance to E-4, E-5 and E-6, May 22.
There are multiple paths to advancement and the Navy-wide Advancement Exam (NWAE) is just one part of the overall advancement opportunity for eligible Sailors. There are four scheduled opportunities for petty officer advancement: Spring and Fall NWAE cycles and two Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) seasons, which align with the NWAE cycles.
Previously, for active-duty and FTS Sailors, the advancement opportunity percentage released for each NWAE was based solely on the percentage of test-takers who passed the exam for their rate. This method of calculation is not an accurate method to depict advancement opportunity because the two MAP seasons and other paths to advancement are not factored in to the formula previously used.
The new method of calculating the advancement opportunity reflects the total advancement opportunity for the entire paygrade, to include MAP, Selective Training and Reenlistment Program (STAR), accelerated advancements and Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks obligated service (PACT OBLISERV), instead of solely reflecting the advancement percentage of those Sailors who passed the exam. This new calculation applies only to active duty and FTS. It does not apply to the SELRES advancement opportunity calculation.
As an example, using E-6 advancement opportunity: the published advancement opportunity for E-5 Sailors in the previous cycle showed that 14.09% of those who passed the exam advanced to E-6. The new metric shows that 7.95% of all eligible E-5 Sailors advanced to E-6 during this advancement cycle, to include MAP Season One advancements.
This spring, active-duty petty officers in all ratings and paygrades will see advancement opportunities. Total advancements this season will equal 20,226 compared to the previous cycle when total advancements equaled 18,795.
Overall advancement opportunities for FTS E-5 and E-6 have increased and the E-4 opportunity remains steady.
For SELRES, advancement opportunity will continue to be based on the number of Sailors who passed the advancement exam.
Active duty NWAE advancement opportunities and quotas by pay grade are:
E-4: Advancement opportunity decreased from 38.04 percent last cycle to 32.77 percent (-5.27 percentage point change) this cycle, with 5,594 quotas.
E-5: Advancement opportunity decreased from 23.56 percent last cycle to 17.99 percent (-5.57 percentage point change) this cycle, with 6,399 quotas.
E-6: Advancement opportunity decreased from 14.09 percent last cycle to 11.57 percent (-2.52 percentage point change) this cycle, with 3,017 quotas.
Additionally, 5,216 Active Duty Sailors were advanced via MAP or other path of advancement this cycle.
FTS NWAE advancement opportunities and quotas by pay grade are:
E-4: Advancement opportunity decreased from 75.00 percent last cycle to 74.30 percent (-0.07 percentage points change) this cycle, with 159 quotas.
E-5: Advancement opportunity increased from 28.73 percent last cycle to 34.14 percent (+5.41 percentage points change) this cycle, with 227 quotas.
E-6: Advancement opportunity increased from 10.51 percent last cycle to 11.96 percent (+1.45 percentage points change) this cycle, with 129 quotas.
Additionally, 116 FTS Sailors advanced via MAP or other path of advancement this cycle.
SELRES advancement opportunities and quotas by pay grade are:
E-4: Advancement opportunity increased from 68.75 percent last cycle to 79.44 percent this cycle, with 703 quotas. A limited number of test passers resulted in the increase of advancement opportunity.
E-5: Advancement opportunity decreased from 36.76 last cycle to 36.43 percent this cycle, with 1054 quotas. However, advancement opportunity remains above the 5-year average of 34.30 percent.
E-6: Advancement opportunity decreased from 21.52 last cycle to 19.79 percent this cycle, with 770 quotas. However, advancement opportunity remains above the 5-year average of 19.04 percent.
Command triads will be notified via BUPERS Online (BOL) of their Sailors' advancement results May 23, at approximately 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Individual Sailor advancement notifications will be posted on BOL, Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS) and an advancement listing will be posted on
All Hands Magazine at May 24, at approximately 11 a.m. EDT.
Overall active duty advancement opportunity by paygrade.
Overall Full Time Support (FTS) advancement opportunity by paygrade.
Overall Selected Reserve (SELRES) advancement opportunity by paygrade.