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NEWS | Feb. 9, 2011

Are you prepared for WAPS testing?

By Chief Master Sgt. Terrence Greene 437th Airlift Wing command chief

The promotion testing cycle to Technical Sergeant and Master Sergeant is well underway at Joint Base Charleston. February and March test dates were assigned to Airmen eligible for promotion with results projected for release in June. I wonder how many of our Airmen are adequately prepared to test and will score high enough to be promoted. I'm hoping that Joint Base Charleston Airmen will beat the 17.4 percent promotion rate from 2010 and at a minimum eclipse the Air Force average of 20.8 percent.

Some readers may recall my push for Airmen to develop a focused study plan in an article published June of last year. This was in response to promotion results that showed only 72 of 413 Charleston Airmen were selected for promotion to Technical Sergeant. My commentary emphasized that Airmen have full control of their promotion opportunity based on how well they score and this was directly dependent on the member's level of test preparation.

To clarify for our readers who are not familiar with the Air Force enlisted promotion process, Airmen are selected to the pay grades of E-5 through E-7 based on a Weighted Airman Promotion System or WAPS. These weighted factors are time in grade, time in service, decorations, enlisted performance reports and finally, the dreaded promotion tests. Each factor is assigned a point value and the combined total is compared to a cut-off score to determine promotion selection. The combined score from the first four weighted factors are comparable for most eligible Airmen with a typical 5-15 point variation.

The two tests administered under WAPS are the Specialty Knowledge Test and the Promotion Fitness Exam, each with 100 questions and a corresponding 100 point maximum. The SKT measures an Airman's knowledge on career field specific information while the Promotion Fitness Exam measures general supervisory subjects such as leadership, noncommissioned officer responsibilities, customs and courtesies, and Air Force history, etc. Study materials for both tests are issued to each Airman.

What is the cost of not earning a promotion? Well, based on Air Force promotion averages, a Staff Sergeant who is not selected for promotion forfeits an increase of $293 per month in base pay and $238 per month in housing allowance for a combined total of $6,372 per year. Yes, $6,372 per year is left on the table for each missed promotion opportunity to Technical Sergeant. Airmen testing for Master Sergeant will forfeit an average $541 per month in base pay and $51 per month in housing allowance for a combined total of $7,104 per year. These estimates do not factor the additional earnings that could be gained throughout an Airman's career with early promotions and retirement pay at a higher grade.

So are you fully prepared for your WAPS test? I hope you are. Good luck and I look forward to celebrating with you in June!