Army Board Questions for Soldier of the Month and Promotion Boards
The Creed of the Non Commissioned Officer
NCO 
Creed
Situational Board Questions
Most Important
Questions
Situational Board Questions
Situational
Questions
SPC
Difficulty
The Creed of the Non Commissioned Officer
NCO 
Creed
Situational Board Questions
Most Important
Questions
Situational Board Questions
Situational
Questions
SPC
Difficulty
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Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Board Questions

AR 600-8-19

These Questions Come From

AR 600-8-19

AR 600-8-19

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Private Difficulty Board Questions

Private-Level Questions

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

1

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Private First Class?

E3.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

2

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Specialist?

E4.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

3

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Sergeant?

E5.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

4

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Staff Sergeant?

E6.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

5

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Sergeant First Class?

E7.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

6

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Master Sergeant?

E8.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

7

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a First Sergeant?

E8.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

8

for

PVT

s

What is the grade of a Sergeant Major?

E9.

Private Second Class Difficulty Board Questions

Private Second Class-Level Questions

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

1

for

PV2

s

What does time in grade mean?

How long the soldier has been in their current grade.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

2

for

PV2

s

What does time in service mean?

How long the soldier has been in the Army.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

3

for

PV2

s

What is the time in service requirement for promotion to Private (E2)?

6 months.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

4

for

PV2

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Private First Class (E3)?

4 months TIG and 12 months TIS .

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

5

for

PV2

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Specialist (E4)?

6 months TIG and 24 months TIS .

Private First Class Difficulty Board Questions

Private First Class-Level Questions

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

1

for

PFC

s

What is the secondary zone?

A period of time where soldiers are only eligible for promotion if they are clearly ahead of their peers.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

2

for

PFC

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Sergeant (E5) in the secondary zone?

6 months TIG and 18 months TIS.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

4

for

PFC

s

What should leaders consider when recommending a Soldier for promotion?

Accomplishments, demonstrated capacity for leadership, and marked potential .

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

5

for

PFC

s

Why does the Army have a secondary zone?

It serves as an incentive for Soldiers who strive for excellence and show marked potential .

Specialist Difficulty Board Questions

Specialist-Level Questions

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

1

for

SPC

s

What Army regulation governs enlisted promotions and reductions?

AR 600-8-19.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

2

for

SPC

s

What are the three levels of promotion authority?

Decentralized (Company level for ranks E2 to E4), Semi-Centralized (Battalion level for ranks E5 and E6), and Centralized (Big Army Level for ranks E7 to E9).

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

3

for

SPC

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Sergeant (E5) in the primary zone?

12 months TIG and 36 months TIS.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

3

for

SPC

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Staff Sergeant (E6) in the secondary zone?

8 months TIG and 48 months TIS.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

4

for

SPC

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Staff Sergeant (E6) in the primary zone?

18 months TIG and 72 months TIS.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

5

for

SPC

s

What is the time in grade & time in service requirement for promotion to Sergeant First Class (E7) in the secondary zone?

Time in service and time in grade are set annually by HQDA and announced separately.

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

6

for

SPC

s

What are the three ways a Soldier may be reduced for misconduct?

Court-martial, civil conviction, or administrative action .

Enlisted Promotions & Reductions

Promotion Board Question #

7

for

SPC

s

Can time in grade and time in service requirements be waived for promotion?

Yes, but only one may be waived.

Things to Study

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This website is an extension of The Board Questions Podcast. I created the podcast first because I was ejected from my first board. I was brand new to the Army, just sent on rotation to Germany after OSUT, and my squad leader had it in his head that every one of his soldiers would attend a soldier of them month board. I knew nothing, got chewed up and spit out, and failed. I refused to accept that as a final result.

I decided to build something that I needed. I gathered the questions, studied the regs, and used an AI voice to create The Board Questions Podcast. I used the podcast the study up, I won my battalion's Soldier of the Quarter board, and have worked hard to help as many soldiers as possible prepare.

Not everyone learns from audio, so I built this website. However, if you'd like to suppliment your studies by listening to the podcast as well, each of the topics by difficulty episodes covers the exact same questions that are covered on this site. The podcast even has explainations for each answer, some additional memorizational guides, and repetition chapters to help you go over it while your ear and mind are free, like commuting, playing video games, or doing chores.

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