How can I best prepare for situational-based questions on the E5 to E6 promotion board?

Know your people, know their problems, families, issues.

Get a copy of the study guide for Sergeant Morelas and Audie Murphy Board. They are good boards to attend first. You get through them, SSG Board will be a easy going, as well as building your confidence, settle your nerves.

Answer with the NCO Creed in mind. Be professional, take care of YOUR soldier, and look out for your officers. If you Be, Know, and Do with the creed in mind then your answers will be fine. Do it with confidence and even if it’s wrong you’ll be alright.


No one is more professional than I. I am a noncommissioned officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of noncommissioned officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind—accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a noncommissioned officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, noncommissioned officers, leaders!

Below is a start, most of the questions they will as you will be at Squad Leader level.
CQ SOP
SHARP Regulation (Restricted and unrestricted)
EO Reg and reporting procedures
Company and BN Open door policy
Barrack SOP
AR670-1 new Standards earrings, hair female and male etc
*Project Athena

Promotion boards are supposed to be in the question and answer format. Boards not done within the regs are not valid.
(1) Regular Army and U.S. Army Reserve Active Guard Reserve. Soldiers who are required or recommended for promotion by the unit CDR will appear before the board. The board, utilizing a question and answer format, will test the preparedness of the recommended Soldier to determine their potential to serve at the recommended rank. Hands-on tasks are not authorized. Questions should focus on leadership, awareness of military programs, and knowledge of basic Soldiering and world affairs. The board should consider the Soldier’s overall personal appearance, bearing, self-confidence, oral expression and conversational skills, and attitude when determining each Soldier’s potential to serve at the next level of NCO responsibility. The board president will ensure all board members are fully aware of the promotion methodology provided in paragraphs 1–1 and 3–1.

AR 600–8–19 • 16 May 2019 pg 42

Lots of good advice in this string already. I advise you to get a firm base of knowledge related to your MOS. This includes Army Doctrine, Regulations, Command Directives, and technical manuals. Know your weapons, tactics, and procedures. Don't try to memorize everything, but know where to find it. Review the situations you have already encountered as a Team Leader. How did you handle challenges with training, personnel, scheduling, resource management? Did it work well? What would you do differently? What other techniques might work as well or better? Think through the situations.

Relax in the board setting as much as possible. Trust your knowledge. Walk through problem solutions in a logical order, usually a time-based scenario. For example: As soon as the problem was presented, I would . . . . If the approval was granted, then I would . . . . If permission was refused, then my alternate course of action would be . . . . Don't be afraid to say, "At this point, I'm not sure what to do next. I would talk with . . . ."

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the MOI. That's the definite starting point.

As far as situational answers, you need to be able to think quick and rationalize what you would do when things get hectic -- on the fly. Is none of your leadership helping prepare you? Have any mock boards been done?

Start by paying attention to the situations you are presently in and review your historical situations that worked out including those that were solved properly even when YOU failed in those situations.