Navy Enlisted Occupation Classification System

The Navy Enlisted Rating Structure is used for classifying enlisted personnel, identifying personnel qualifications, and reporting personnel requirements and resources. It also provides the framework for enlisted career development through paths of advancement from paygrades E-1 (recruit) through E-9 (master chief petty officer). For ACE purposes, there are two main types of occupational classifications in the Enlisted Rating Structure:

• General Rates (Apprenticeships) — Identifications assigned to personnel at paygrades E-1, E-2, and E-3. There are six general rates: Airman, Constructionman, Dentalman, Fireman, Hospitalman, and Seaman. Each general rate involves the performance of entry-level tasks and leads to one or more ratings.
• Ratings — Broad enlisted occupations that encompass similar duties and functions and that, in most instances, provide paths of advancement and career development for personnel from paygrades E-4 (petty officer third class) to E-9 (master chief petty officer). The relationships between petty officer designations and paygrades are shown below. A complete list of ratings and the occupational fields to which they belong is included as Appendix B. Ratings require performance of routine tasks at the lower paygrades and more difficult tasks at progressively higher paygrades.

Petty officer classifications

Paygrade

	Petty Officer Third Class (PO3)	E-4
	Petty Officer Second Class (PO2)	E-5
	Petty Officer First Class (PO1)	E-6
	Chief Petty Officer (CPO)	E-7
	Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)	E-8
	Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)	E-9

General rates and ratings are organized in career patterns. A career pattern provides the normal path of advancement from recruit (paygrade E-1) to master chief petty officer (paygrade E-9). An example of a career pattern is shown below.

General rate: Airman (AN)

Paygrade

	Airman Recruit	E-1
	Airman Apprentice	E-2
	Airman	E-3

Rating: Air Controlman (AC)

	Air Controlman Third Class (AC3)	E-4
	Air Controlman Second Class (AC2)	E-5
	Air Controlman First Class (AC1)	E-6
	Chief Air Controlman (ACC)	E-7
	Senior Chief Air Controlman (ACCS)	E-8
	Master Chief Air Controlman (ACCM)	E-9

To supplement occupational information contained in the Navy Enlisted Rating Structure and to provide the necessary requirements for general rates and ratings, the Navy applies naval standards and occupational standards. Naval standards are tasks essential to the overall effectiveness of enlisted personnel in the performance of their duties. They include standards pertaining to military requirements, professional development, and naval tradition. Occupational standards identify the minimum tasks required for proficiency in general rates and ratings and provide the basis for the development of training and advancement requirements and of personnel policies and procedures. For both naval standards and occupational standards, each higher paygrade represents more complex duties, increased skills, and greater responsibility. Proficiency in a higher paygrade includes the ability to perform the tasks and meet the standards required for the preceding paygrades, as well as those required for the higher paygrade.

In addition to the Enlisted Rating Structure, the Navy Enlisted Occupational Classification System includes two other subsystems: The Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) Structure and Special Qualifications. The NEC Structure supplements the Enlisted Rating Structure by identifying skills requiring more specific identification than that provided by general rates and ratings and that are not rating-wide requirements. Special Qualifications identify highly specialized occupational entities that cross several occupational areas and define the requirements of these areas. Selected NECs have been evaluated by ACE.

The Navy Enlisted Evaluation and Advancement System

The Navy regularly evaluates the occupational proficiency of its men and women. In fact, the demonstration of occupational proficiency is directly linked to the advancement system. Only those individuals who have (1) demonstrated that they can perform the tasks required for the next higher paygrade, (2) completed the appropriate correspondence and/or residence courses for the next higher paygrade, (3) served a minimum length of time in their paygrade and in the service, and (4) been recommended by their commanding officer are allowed to take the advancement examination.

One of the primary advancement processes is the Navy-wide written examination for paygrades E-4 through E-7 of each rating. It is a 150-item multiple-choice test that is based on the occupational standards and tasks for each paygrade of a given rating. In addition, the applicable military/leadership examination must also be passed by the candidates. Personnel are not advanced in their rating until they have demonstrated that they are proficient in the next higher paygrade of the rating.

Examinations for Petty Officer Third Class, Petty Officer Second Class, and Petty Officer First Class (paygrades E-4, E-5, and E-6) are administered semiannually. For Chief Petty Officer (E-7), the examination is administered annually and determines whether the person's military record will be screened by the Chief Petty Officer Selection Board. This selection board, which meets annually, ultimately determines a person's advancement to paygrade E-7. Promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) and Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) is through the Senior/Master Chief Petty Officer Selection Board, which meets annually. Examinations for paygrade E-3 are administered by unit commanding officers when the individual has demonstrated readiness to take it. Written examinations are not used for paygrade E-2. Make-up tests are made available for personnel who cannot take the test on the specified date because of extenuating circumstances.

A final multiple score is computed for each individual who takes the Navy-wide advancement examination. The final multiple score is composed of the following factors:

Factor

E-4/5

E-6

E-7

	Written Examination Score	80	80	80
	Performance Examination Score	70	92	52
	Number of Years in Service	30	34	—
	Number of Years in Paygrade	30	34	—
	Medals and Awards	10	12	—
	Passed-but-not-advanced (PNA) Points	10	12	—
	TOTAL	230	264	132

The last factor included above, PNA points, applies to those individuals who passed the previous written examination and demonstrated they were qualified for advancement but were not advanced. This situation occurs when there is a scarcity of openings for advancement in a paygrade of a given rating and a person's final multiple score is not high enough for him or her to compete successfully with others in that paygrade, or an opening is not available.

Subject-matter specialists confirm the content validity of the tests in the course of conducting evaluations.