Sure, you could say it’s only a test, but in the Navy, a test can be a big thing.

The biannual advancement exams are a big factor in determining who will get promoted. Sure, rank is one thing, but it won’t change your life, right? No, at least not until you start looking at all the other things a promotion would affect.

After your frocking period, once you’re actually advanced to your new pay grade, you can expect more money. Not only will your base pay go up, but depending on what rank you’re being promoted to, you might see increases in your sea pay and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).

More money not enough? How about changes to your sea-shore rotation and the possibility of more liberty overseas? One way or another, just about everyone has a reason why they’d like to advance, but how do you improve your odds on the test?

The Navy Advancement Center web site is the place to go. There you can find general information about how the advancement examination system works, view strategy guides specific to your rate and rank and learn how your final multiple is calculated.

You can put a little extra boost in your studying by checking out the strategy guide under PMK in the ratings menu. PMK isn’t some new rate you’ve never heard of, it stands for Professional Military Knowledge and applies to everyone taking the test.

The importance of PMK varies depending on which paygrade you’re taking the test for. Those taking the E-4 exam can expect 50 of the test’s 200 questions to be about topics in the PMK category. First class petty officers taking the chief’s exam will have 50 percent of their questions covering PMK with the other half relating to in-rate knowledge.

On the Navy Advancement Center web site you can also see the exam statistics from previous testing cycles, view your profile sheets from previous tests you’ve taken, download the updated bibliography for the

March 2005 exam cycle and order or download the necessary nonresident training courses you need to study from.

Once you spend some time going through the wealth of information available on the Navy Advancement Center site you should have a better idea of how the advancement system works and how your final multiple is calculated.

You’ll also be able to tailor your studying based on the current bibliography and what your profile sheets show about your performance on previous tests.

Spend some time on the Navy Advancement Center web site at

http://www.advancement.cnet.navy.mil{{PERIOD}}

When it comes time to sit down with that number two pencil in March, you’ll be thinking it’s only a test.