JANUARY 2021 CYCLE 250 E-7 ACTIVE DUTY AND FULL-TIME SUPPORT NAVY-WIDE ADVANCEMENT EXAMINATION

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ROUTINE

R 261748Z OCT 20 MID200000273878U

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

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NAVADMIN 290/20

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

SUBJ/JANUARY 2021 CYCLE 250 E-7 ACTIVE DUTY AND FULL-TIME SUPPORT NAVY-WIDE 
ADVANCEMENT EXAMINATION//

REF/A/DOC/BUPERS/19SEP18//
REF/B/MSG/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/052044ZMAR13//
REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/201449ZDEC18//
REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/272057ZDEC18//
REF/E/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/161157ZJUL20//

NARR/REF A IS BUPERSINST 1430.16G, 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 312/18, ADVANCEMENT POLICY UPDATE. 
REF D IS NAVADMIN 316/18, ENLISTED ADVANCEMENT WORKSHEET. 
REF E IS NAVADMIN 201/20, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY KNOWLEDGE ELIGIBILITY EXAM 
REVISED BUSINESS RULES.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN announces the guidance for the administration of the 
January 2021 (cycle 250) E-7 Navy-wide advancement examination (NWAE) for 
Active-Duty (AD) and Full-Time Support (FTS) Sailors.  As a continued safety 
measure during the COVID-19 outbreak, exams will be administered utilizing a 
testing window from 18-29 January 2021.  This testing window will allow for 
smaller groups of test takers to ensure adequate social distancing can be 
maintained between testers at testing facilities, while maintaining the high 
standards and continued culture of learning that drive our enlisted 
advancement system.  Canvasser Recruiter (CANREC) personnel with a branch 
class of 32 and a special program indicator code of *W* (enlisted CANREC) 
will no longer take Active-Duty exams.
Commencing with the February 2021 (cycle 108) E-7 Selected Reserve
(SELRES) exams, CANREC E-6 personnel are authorized to take the SELRES exam 
for Limited Duty Officer (LDO) purposes.  The administration of the exam 
across a window and shifting CANREC Sailors to take the SELRES exam are both 
changes to reference (a).
Information pertaining to selection board criteria will be promulgated in a 
future NAVADMIN.

2.  Timeline
    a.  18-29 January 2021:  Administration of exams.
    b.  31 January 2021:  Congressionally designated combat zones and 
approved contingency operations areas (CDCZ/ACOA) evaluations used for time-
in-rate (TIR) waivers must have an ending period by this date.

3.  Eligibility requirements are found in chapter 2 of reference (a).  The 
following information is specific only to cycle 250:
    a.  The terminal eligibility date used to compute TIR is 1 January 2022.
    b.  The minimum TIR date must be on or before 1 January 2019.
    c.  TIR requirements for early promote Sailors can be waived by
1 year with the commanding officer (CO)/officer-in-charge (OIC) approval, in 
line with paragraph 214.e. of reference (a).
    d.  High-year tenure (HYT) date must be effective 1 September
2021 or later.  All HYT waivers must be approved prior to 21 January 2021.
    e.  Candidates in a rating requiring a security clearance must have a 
favorable investigation adjudication by the Department of Defense Central 
Adjudication Facility reflected properly in the Joint Personnel Adjudication 
System (JPAS) prior to 1 January 2021.
If the CO of the candidate grants an interim clearance, JPAS must be updated 
prior to 1 January 2021.  Candidates who do not meet the outlined criteria 
should not be allowed to participate in the exam.
Candidates must maintain security clearance eligibility throughout the 
advancement cycle to be eligible for advancement.  If, for any reason, a 
clearance is denied or revoked, an exam is not authorized until a new 
clearance is granted.  Ratings requiring a security clearance are AC, AE, AG, 
AO, ATI, ATO, AWF, AWO, AWR, AWS, AWV, AZ, CTI, CTM, CTN, CTR, CTT, EOD, ET, 
FC, FCA, GM, HT, IC, IS, IT, LN, MA, MC, MN, ND, OS, QM, SB, SO, STG, YN, as 
well as all nuclear and submarine ratings.  Refer to references (a) and (b) 
for additional guidance.
    f.  Naval Special Warfare (NSW) personnel.  In line with reference (a), 
the NSW alternative final multiple score will be used to determine selection 
board eligibility for special warfare operator and special warfare boat 
operator ratings.
    g.  Reporting Senior Cumulative Average Performance Mark Average (RSCA 
PMA).  RSCA PMA must be computed as outlined in reference (c), using E-6 
evaluations with the ending date that falls within the period of 1 January 
2018 to 31 December 2020.  Refer to reference
(c) and paragraph 308 of reference (a) for additional guidance.
    h.  Enlisted Advancement Worksheet (EAW).  For guidance on establishing 
EAW user roles and completing worksheets, refer to reference (d).  EAW is 
mandatory for cycle 250 and will be the authority for RSCA PMA.
    i. Professional Military Knowledge - Eligibility Exams (PMK-EE) are 
mandatory for cycle 250 and must be completed prior to 1 December 2020 in 
accordance with reference (e).

4.  Exam Ordering.  Order exams in line with chapter 4 of reference (a).
    a.  Deploying commands and candidates departing to CDCZ/ACOA can order 
exams up to 6 months prior to the scheduled exam date.  Refer to chapter 4 
and paragraph 614 of reference (a) for additional guidance.
    b.  Regular Exams:
        (1) Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Exams.
Cryptologic-Technician Interpretive (CTI)/Cryptologic-Technician Network 
(CTN)/Cryptologic Technician-Collection (CTR) SCI exam ordering dates can be 
found on the Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS) website via MyNavy 
Portal at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/.
Select the Career and Life Events tab, Advancement and Promotion tab, Navy 
Advancement Center tab and then the Command Info for Educational Services 
Officers (ESO).  ESOs must verify initial active TIR eligibility lists on the 
NEAS website for exam ordering.
Supplemental SCI exams are ordered via preferred message formatted e-mail to 
sfly_cryptologic.products(at)navy.mil or naval message following the 
guidelines in chapter 4 of reference (a).
        (2) Non-SCI Exams.  Exam ordering for non-SCI regular exams is 
available now.  ESOs must verify TIR eligibility lists on the NEAS website 
during the following time periods:
            (a) Initial TIR lists will be available through 1 November 2020.
            (b) Supplemental TIR lists will be available from 2 November to 
29 November 2020.
        (3) Exams ordered after the TIR lists have closed shall be ordered 
using preferred message formatted e-mail to sfly_N321_exam_order(at)navy.mil 
or naval message following guidelines in chapter 4 of reference (a).  Ensure 
a point of contact is included in the submitted e-mail or message.  Orders 
submitted after supplemental TIR list closure will result in a substitute 
exam being sent.
    c.  Substitute Exams:
        (1) The deadline for ordering both SCI and non-SCI substitute exams 
is 31 January 2021.
        (2) Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center 
(NETPDC N321) is the approval authority for all substitute exams.
        (3) Substitute exams may be administered with regular exam 
administration or in line with reference (a), paragraph 606.
    d.  ESOs must verify exam orders at the *View Previous Exam
Orders* link via the NEAS website within 7-10 days of placing the order.  If 
exam order discrepancies are noted, contact the Fleet Services Branch NETPDC 
(N321), as listed on the NEAS website in the NETPDC (N321) point of contact 
table.
    e.  Exceptions to policy for exam orders will continue to be submitted in 
line with reference (a).
    f.  Candidates in the following ratings are separated into the following 
competitive groups:
        (1) CTI:
            Group 1  Middle East/North Africa
            Group 2  East/Far East
            Group 3  Latin/South America
            Group 4  Eastern Europe
        (2) EMN, ETN and MMN:
            Group 1  Submarine
            Group 2  Surface
        (3) MU:
            Group 1  Premier Band
            Group 2  Fleet Band

5.  Exam Administration and Answer Sheet Return.
    a.  AD/FTS E-7 exams will be administered using a testing window from 18-
29 January 2021.  This testing window will allow for smaller groups of test 
takers to ensure that adequate social distancing can be maintained between 
testers at testing facilities.  Administration for all substitute exams will 
follow guidelines in reference (a).
    b.  All commands should develop a plan to meet COVID-19 mitigations.  
Every effort should be made to ensure appropriate COVID-19 mitigation 
measures are in place, to include, but not limited to, face coverings, 
adequate social distancing, available hand sanitizer, medical (questionnaire) 
screenings and temperature checks.
    c.  To the maximum extent practicable, exams for the same ratings should 
be administered on the same day.  Sailors are directed not to discuss exam 
content after taking an exam to ensure no advancement candidate is 
disadvantaged in the advancement process.  Unauthorized disclosure of exam 
content may result in administrative and/or disciplinary action.
    d.  For exam administration and answer sheet return instructions, refer 
to chapter 6 of reference (a).  Do not administer cycle 250 examinations 
prior to 18 January 2021 unless specifically authorized by Navy Personnel 
Command, Enlisted Career Administration (PERS-8031).
    e.  Authorized materials during examination administration.
Only those materials specifically identified and listed in chapter 6 of 
reference (a), this NAVADMIN and the general examination verbatim 
instructions are authorized for use during examination administration.
    f.  If an exam is administered in error, the command must request to 
invalidate in line with paragraph 610 of reference (a).
    g.  ESOs must check the exam tote board on the NEAS website often to 
ensure answer sheets have been received and processed.  The tote board can be 
accessed via MyNavy Portal at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/.  Select the Career 
and Life Events tab, Advancement and Promotion tab, Navy Advancement Center 
tab and then the Command Info for ESOs.  Answer sheets that are in error will 
not be counted until they are processed successfully.

6.  Discrepancy Correction
    a.  A detailed discrepancy list can be found on the NEAS website.  For 
guidance on discrepancy correction requirements, refer to chapters 3 and 7 of 
reference (a) and reference (d).
    b.  Post-exam administration discrepancy correction correspondence with 
NETPDC (N321) is to be submitted using the EAW post-exam administration 
comments (PAC) function outlined in reference (d).  All corrections must have 
a CO/OIC letter and supporting documentation included as attachments.
    c.  Exception to Policy for Selection Board Eligibility Waivers.
        (1) CDCZ/ACOA Candidates.  As an additional enclosure to cycle 250 
Letter of Transmittal, commands with CDCZ/ACOA candidates should submit a 
list of Selection Board Eligible Candidates by activity.  This is a change to 
paragraph 614.f.(5) of reference (a).
        (2) Non-CDCZ/ACOA Candidates.  Submit message formatted e- mail 
exception to policy for selection board eligibility waiver directly to 
Enlisted Plans and Policy Branch (OPNAV N132C) at NXAG_N132C(at)navy.mil, per 
paragraph 104 of reference (a).  This is a change to paragraph 614.f.(5) of 
reference (a).

7.  Examination Results.  Refer to chapter 7 of reference (a).

8.  Any additional information regarding this cycle will be posted on the 
NEAS website.

9.  Points of Contact.
    a.  MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) is available 24/7 by phone at 1- 833-330-
MNCC (1-833-330-6622) or via e-mail at askmncc(at)navy.mil.
    b.  SCI exam questions and orders can be reached at (850) 473- 5867/DSN 
753 or via e-mail at sfly_cryptologic.products(at)navy.mil.
    c.  Non-SCI exam questions and orders can be reached at (850)473-6148/DSN 
753 or via e-mail at sfly_N321_exam_order(at)navy.mil.
    d.  Exam records and discrepancies can be reached at (850) 473- 6148/DSN 
753 or via the EAW PAC function.

10.  For further NEAS information, to include exam verbatim and other related 
documents, visit MNP at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/navy-advancement-
center/my-eso.

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

12.  Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.//

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