MARCH 2016 (CYCLE 231) NAVY-WIDE PETTY OFFICER (E4-E6) ADVANCEMENT EXAMINATIONS FOR USN, FULL TIME SUPPORT, AND CANVASSER RECRUITER SAILORS:

UNCLASSIFIED//
ROUTINE
R 261816Z OCT 15
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC
BT
UNCLAS

NAVADMIN 252/15

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/OCT//

SUBJ/MARCH 2016 (CYCLE 231) NAVY-WIDE PETTY OFFICER (E4-E6) ADVANCEMENT 
EXAMINATIONS FOR USN, FULL TIME SUPPORT, AND CANVASSER RECRUITER SAILORS//

REF/A/DOC/BUPERS/2NOV07//
REF/B/MSG/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/052044ZMAR13//
REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/252221ZJUN10//
REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/131544ZDEC07//
NARR/ REF A IS BUPERSINST 1430.16F, ADVANCEMENT MANUAL FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL 
OF THE U.S. NAVY AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE.  REF B IS ALNAV 015/13, PERSONNEL 
SECURITY INVESTIGATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS. REF C IS NAVADMIN 215/10, 
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND ADVANCEMENT GUIDANCE FOR INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE 
SAILORS.  REF D IS NAVADMIN 336/07, ADMINISTRATION OF THE NAVY-WIDE 
ADVANCEMENT EXAM FOR SAILORS IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND THE HORN OF AFRICA.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN announces the March 2016 (cycle 231) Navy-wide 
advancement examination (NWAE) for advancement in rate of U.S. Navy (USN), 
full time support and canvasser recruiter Sailors.
    a.  Exam dates are:
         E6 - 3 March 2016
         E5 - 10 March 2016
         E4 - 17 March 2016
    b.  In addition to the requirements of reference (a), chapter 6, 
educational services officers (ESO) must also follow the pre-exam 
requirements in the exam verbatim located at https://prod.neas.netc.navy.mil 
or visit https://www.nko.navy.mil under the career management link, select 
Navy Advancement Center/ Command Info/Command Advancement Resources.

2.  Eligibility Requirements.  Advancement candidate eligibility requirements 
are found in reference (a), chapter 2, with the following information 
specific only to cycle 231:
    a.  The terminal eligibility date used to compute time-in-rate (TIR) is 
1 July 2016.
    b.  The minimum TIR date must be on or before:
        E6 - 1 July 2013
        E5 - 1 July 2015
        E4 - 1 January 2016
    c.  E6 candidate TIR requirements for Early Promote Sailors can be waived 
for one year with commanding officer (CO)/officer in charge approval.
    d.  High year tenure (HYT) date or approved HYT waiver must be effective 
1 July 2016 or later.
    e.  Candidates in a rating requiring a security clearance must have a 
favorable investigation adjudication issued by the Department of Defense 
Consolidated Adjudication Facility or have a CO's interim clearance granted 
before 1 March 2016.  Once Sailors have a clearance they must maintain that 
clearance eligibility.  If for any reason a clearance is denied or revoked, 
an exam will not be authorized until a new clearance is granted.  Sailors in 
the following ratings must, at minimum, maintain continuous security 
clearance eligibility for this cycle:  AC, AE, AG, AO, ATI, ATO, AWF, AWO, 
AWR, AWS, AWV, AZ, CTI, CTM, CTN, CTR, CTT, EOD, ET, FC, FT, GM, HT, IC, IS, 
IT, ITS, LN, MA, MC, MN, MT, ND, OS, QM, SB, SO, STG, STS, and YN, as well as 
all nuclear and submarine ratings. Refer to reference (b), for additional 
guidance.
    f.  Change-of-rate must be approved and retention approvals must be 
completed before the candidate's scheduled exam date.  This includes 
approvals from Navy Personnel Command, "A" schools, Career Waypoints (CWAY), 
etc.
    g.  Compute performance mark average (PMA) using all evaluations in the 
candidate's current rank with an ending date that falls within the following 
time periods:
        E4 exam - 1 June 2015 to 29 February 2016
        E5 exam - 1 December 2014 to 29 February 2016
        E6 exam - 1 March 2013 to 29 February 2016
    h.  For additional guidance on computing PMA, refer to reference (a), 
chapter 3.  For PMA guidance for individual augmentee (IA) Sailors refer to 
reference (c).
    i.  CWAY:  Sailors who have received a "Denied Final - Active" from CWAY 
as of the December 2015 application rack and stack (results released in 
January 2016) are ineligible and shall not be administered the cycle 231 
NWAE.

3.  Exam Ordering.
    a.  Deploying commands can order exams up to six months prior to the 
scheduled exam date.  Exams required prior to the TIR list opening are 
ordered via message or in the preferred message format via e-mail to 
sfly_n321_exam_order@navy.mil following the guidelines in chapter 4 and 
figure 4-1 of reference (a).  Specify in the subject line the order request 
is for early exams.  Ensure a point of contact (POC) is included in the 
message.  Refer to reference (d) for IA Sailors who are pending deployment 
to, or are deployed to and operating in a congressionally designated combat 
zone.
    b.  CTI/CTN/CTR sensitive compartmented information (SCI) exam ordering 
dates can be found on the Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS) website at 
https://prod.neas.netc.navy.mil.
        (1) ESO must verify TIR eligibility lists on the NEAS website for 
initial exam ordering.
        (2) Additional exams are ordered via message or in message format via 
e-mail to sfly_cryptologic.products@navy.mil following the guidelines of 
reference (a), chapter 4.  Commands must include their Department of Defense 
activity address code account number, POC, and the number of exams required.  
Commands requesting the forwarding of exams should include the forwarding 
command as an info addressee on the message.  The deadline for additional 
orders is 4 January 2016.  The deadline for SCI substitute exam orders is
31 March 2016.
    c.  Exam ordering for non-SCI exams begins 30 November 2015. ESO must 
verify TIR eligibility lists on the NEAS website during the following time 
periods:
        (1) Initial TIR lists will be available:
            E6 - 30 Nov 2015  3 Jan 2016
            E5 - 30 Nov 2015  10 Jan 2016
            E4 - 30 Nov 2015  17 Jan 2016
        (2) Additional TIR lists will be available:
            E6 - 4 Jan 2016  24 Jan 2016
            E5 - 11 Jan 2016  31 Jan 2016
            E4 - 18 Jan 2016  7 Feb 2016
        (3) Additional regular exams required after the TIR list has closed 
will be considered; otherwise, substitute exams will be sent. Exams required 
after the TIR lists have closed shall be ordered via message or in message 
format via e-mail to sfly_n321_exam_order@navy.mil following the 
guidelines of reference (a), chapter 4.  Ensure a POC is included in the 
message.
    d.  Commands must select the appropriate examinations (i.e. NCC/NCR, 
ATI/ATO, ET/ETV/ETR, etc.).
    e.  Substitute exams should be kept to a minimum and require 
justification as stipulated in chapter 4 of reference (a).
        (1) Naval Education and Training Professional Development and 
Technology Center (NETPDTC) is the approval authority for all substitute 
exams.  The deadline for ordering non-SCI substitute examinations is 11 April 
2016.
        (2) Recent graduates of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program training 
pipeline on transfer leave enroute to their first at-sea assignment during 
the E4/E5 examination date will have substitute examinations ordered for them 
by their ultimate duty station when dates permit exam ordering before the 
published deadline.
    f.  ESO must verify the examination order at the "View Previous Exam 
Orders" link via NEAS Web within 14 days of placing the order. If 
discrepancies are noted, contact NETPDTC.
    g.  USN candidates in the following ratings are separated into the 
following competitive groups:
        (1) CS, LS, and YN
            Group 1 - Submarine
            Group 2 - All others
        (2) CTI
            Group 1 - Middle East/North Africa
            Group 2 - East/Far East
            Group 3 - Latin/South America
            Group 4 - Eastern Europe
        (3) EMN, ETN, and MMN
            Group 1 - Submarine
            Group 2 - Surface
            Group 3  Training
        (4) FC
            Group 1 - Non-AEGIS
            Group 2 - AEGIS

4.  Exam Administration and Answer Sheet Returns.
    a.  For exam administration and answer sheet return instructions, refer 
to the exam verbatim at https://prod.neas.netc.navy.mil or visit 
https://www.nko.navy.mil; under the career management link, select Navy 
Advancement Center/Command Info/Command Advancement Resources.
    b.  ESOs must check the exam tote board on NEAS Web at
https://prod.neas.netc.navy.mil/Public/Toteboard.aspx often to ensure answer 
sheets have been received and scanned.  Answer sheets that are in error will 
not be counted until they have scanned successfully.
    c.  Substitute examinations must be administered within seven days of 
receipt.
    d.  A detailed discrepancy list will be maintained on NEAS Web. For 
guidance on correcting discrepancies, refer to reference (a), chapter 7.  In 
addition to processing discrepancy corrections via letter or message, NETPDTC 
will also accept discrepancy corrections by encrypted e-mail.

5.  Exam Results.
    a.  E4-E6 results will be provided via BUPERS On-Line to authorized 
command representatives prior to release of profile sheets.
    b.  Commands are directed to verify the examination status verification 
report for accuracy before frocking and/or advancement of E4-E6 candidates.
    c.  Individual Sailors may view/download their profile sheet on the Navy 
Knowledge Online (NKO); under the career management link, select Navy 
Advancement Center/My Advancement.

6.  Any additional information regarding this cycle will be posted on NEAS 
Web.

7.  Points of contact:
    a.  Navy Personnel Command Customer Service Center at 866-U-ASK-NPC/866-
827-5672 or via e-mail at uasknpc@navy.mil.
    b.  For SCI exam questions and orders, 850-473-5874/5867/DSN 753 or via 
e-mail at sfly_cryptologic.products@navy.mil.
    c.  For exam orders, records, and discrepancies, 850-473-6148/DSN 753 or 
via e-mail at sfly_n321_exam_order@navy.mil or 
sfly_n321_discrepanc@navy.mil.

8.  For further information (exam verbatim, reference (a), and other related 
documents), visit the NEAS website at https://prod.neas.netc.navy.mil or the 
NKO website at https://www.nko.navy.mil; under the career management link, 
select Navy Advancement Center/Command Info.

9.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, 
whichever occurs first.

10.  Released by Vice Admiral W. F. Moran, N1.//

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