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Quotas, opportunity to make E-8 down

Competition to make E-8 is tougher this year.

With 339 more chiefs than last year being evaluated for 115 fewer vacancies, the overall chance to put on a senior chief’s star is 10.14 percent, down from 11.15 percent last year and the lowest opportunity since fiscal year 2000 when just 9.03 percent advanced.

On the bright side, every one of the 86 ratings on the list will advance someone — giving those chiefs in the engineering aide, hull maintenance technician and personnel specialist ratings at least some chance, although near or below the Navy-wide average opportunity.

Of the 86 ratings with sailors at the E-8 level, 46 are at or above the Navy average, while 40 are below average.

That’s a slightly worse ratio than last year, when 87 ratings were in the mix and 50 were at or above the Navy average of 11 percent.

This year’s board will have more work to do, considering 13,385 records, up from last year’s crop of 13,046.

What are your chances?

See the quota list