New in 2020: Air Force looks at ending promotion tests for NCOs

So I'm not an Airforce guy. However I think they should keep the testing requirement.

I noticed a big difference in the knowledge level of the NCOs when the Army stopped the SQT and then the SDT tests. There was no longer a forcing function to prod folks into studying their profession or for commands to seriously program trade related training. We also lost that as a positive quantifiable discriminator in promotion selections.

The construction MOS's merged at SSG as the old 51 later 21 and now 12H for vertical trades and horizontal trades 62N later 21N and now 12N and those all merged at MSG. The SQT / SDT tests helped guide NCOs in that process by forcing them to study the other MOS's that melded into theirs.

We didn't see as drastic a drop in knowledge where the CTT and Warrior Skills testing remained. Granting credence to the old adage …. What goes unchecked goes undone.

The frequent excuse of "I don't do well on tests" or " that's just book knowledge" has pretty much lost any validity with so many NCO's now having college degrees. Having book knowledge translates to hands on knowledge a lot quicker then "lets coble some crap together, 'cause I have no idea what rite looks like".

Making an already subjective process even more subjective will not end well.

i think it's a good idea. i didn't make E5 solely because i do not do well on tests. performance was never an issue for me.