Why some rates move up faster than others: An inside look at Navy career paths

Before I commissioned I was an ETN3. Depending on the rate, there are auto advancement opportunities. It seems harder to get into the nuke program than say a program that you can easily “strike” into and maybe that helps determine advancement rate as well.

I think advancement has a lot to do with the number of folks taking the test..... In 1967 I heard through the grapevine that everyone who took the MM4 exam passed the test and was advanced... If true, I believe it was because the Navy was rather short of E-4 Machinist Mates ...