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Suggest a Feature →Promotion Points Explained
General information, not legal advice. For legal issues, contact Trial Defense Service (TDS) or your Legal Assistance Office.
“Your first sergeant controls who gets promoted. If you're not on their good side, you're stuck.”
Promotion to E-5 and E-6 in the Army is based on a point system — military education, civilian education, awards, APFT/ACFT score, and weapons qualification. Points are calculated objectively. Your first sergeant submits the promotion packet but cannot change your point total.
How The Point System Works
Each month, the Army sets a cutoff score for each MOS. If your total promotion points equal or exceed the cutoff, you're promoted (assuming you're on the recommended list). The cutoff varies wildly by MOS — some are 40 points, some are 798.
Maximum Points: 800
Points come from several categories:
Military Education (max 260 points):
- NCOES courses (BLC, ALC, etc.)
- Additional military courses and schools
- Correspondence courses and structured self-development
Civilian Education (max 260 points):
- College credits (semester hours converted to points)
- Technical certifications
- Degree completion bonuses
Awards and Decorations (max 165 points):
- Each award has a specific point value
- MSM (40), ARCOM (30), AAM (20), etc.
- Only count awards received during current grade and service
Military Training (max 115 points):
- ACFT score (based on most recent record)
- Weapons qualification (expert/sharpshooter/marksman)
What You Can Control
The biggest controllable category is civilian education. You can take college courses using Tuition Assistance (free while on active duty) and earn hundreds of promotion points. A few CLEP tests can add significant points quickly.
Correspondence courses through the Army's online learning systems also add up. This is often the easiest way to increase your points in the short term.
The Promotion Board
Before you can accumulate points, you need to appear before a promotion board (or be granted a waiver). The board evaluates your appearance, knowledge, and leadership potential. If you pass, you're placed on the recommended list and your points start counting.
Your leadership recommends you for the board, and yes — your chain of command has influence here. But once you're on the list, the points are objective.
Common Mistakes
1. Not tracking your ERB for accuracy 2. Not using Tuition Assistance for college credits 3. Not completing correspondence courses 4. Assuming your chain of command will put you in automatically 5. Not verifying awards are posted to your record 6. Not requesting board appearance if eligible
The MOS Factor
Some MOSs are "hard to promote" because the cutoff is consistently high. Others promote quickly. If you're in a high-cutoff MOS, the answer is simple: maximize every category. If you're in a low-cutoff MOS, even minimal effort on education and training can get you promoted quickly.
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