Sailors hoping to add a chevron or sew on the petty officer crow following the spring advancement cycle may be waiting a bit longer. Remaining Navy-wide exams set to begin Thursday have been postponed until at least May 21.
An administrative message released late Tuesday announced the move, citing the ongoing spread of the new strain of coronavirus and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for social distancing.
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While most exams for E-6 and E-5 were taken earlier this month, the E-4 test was scheduled for Thursday. That exam has now shifted to May 21.
Substitute exams for E-4 through E-6 must be taken by June 12.
Reservists testing for E-4 to E-7 will see their exams moved to May 22, or the first available drill weekend following that date. Reservists have already seen their drill weekends postponed as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
The message also hints at the possibility for more shifts, if necessary.
“As the COVID-19 situation becomes clearer, we will continue to reevaluate the timeline for each exam,” according to the message from Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr.
Results, which are typically announced around Memorial Day for active duty and reservists, are expected in July.
Courtney Mabeus-Brown is the senior reporter at Air Force Times. She is an award-winning journalist who previously covered the military for Navy Times and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., where she first set foot on an aircraft carrier. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and more.
