Air Force EPR (AF Form 910/911) Guide

The Air Force EPR uses a five-point rating scale for individual performance factors. A 5 represents an exceptional performer — someone who consistently exceeds all standards. A 4 is a solid performer who meets or slightly exceeds standards. A 3 is average — meets standards but doesn't stand out. A 2 indicates problems. A 1 is the lowest, indicating failure to meet standards.

In practice, the vast majority of EPRs at E5–E7 cluster at 4s and 5s, which means the individual factor ratings have less discriminating power than the recommendation box and stratification language.

A row of 5s on individual factors means nothing without a "Definitely Promote" recommendation in the recommendation box. Boards look at the box and the push lines first.

The promotion recommendation box is the most important single field on your EPR. There are three options: Definitely Promote (DP), Promote (P), and Do Not Promote (DNP).

DP is the top tier and is quota-controlled — commanders have a limited percentage of DPs they can award. Getting a DP is a deliberate choice by leadership to push you to the front of the promotion line. A Promote (P) is competitive for some ranks but increasingly insufficient at higher grades. DNP is a career-altering event that requires immediate attention.

"Promote" sounds positive, but at TSgt and MSgt boards, a Promote recommendation is often insufficient without a stratification statement that positions you at the top of the pool.

Push lines are the narrative bullets in the "Performance Assessment" section, and they're where your written record lives. In Air Force culture, the first (top) line is the most important — it's the "push line" in the strictest sense, the one written explicitly to advocate for promotion.

A strong push line leads with scope and impact: how many people, what mission, what outcome. The second line deepens the narrative. Subsequent lines support and round out. Boards read the top line first and use it to calibrate the rest of the report.

First line: "Led 47-member maintenance team through 3,000+ sorties, achieving 98.7% MC rate — best in Wing history" → board-quality. First line: "SSgt Smith performed all assigned duties to standard" → this is a P, not a DP.

Air Force stratification works differently from Army — it's typically done in the rater's statement and the additional rater's endorsement, not in a dedicated box. The most common form is "Top X% of Y members in my organization" or "#1 of Z [grade]s I've rated."

The additional rater's stratification typically covers a broader population and carries additional weight. If both rater and additional rater stratify you, and the numbers are consistent, boards view this as particularly credible.

The additional rater provides an independent assessment that can either reinforce or soften the rater's evaluation. A strong additional rater endorsement with independent stratification ("I concur with this assessment — ranks top 5% of all NCOs in my experience") amplifies the report significantly.

An additional rater who simply concurs without adding substance ("I concur with the rating") is a missed opportunity. An additional rater who softens or hedges the rater's assessment — even subtly — signals disagreement to a board.