Army Promotion Points CalculatorSGT & SSG Promotion Point Worksheet (PPW) Calculator 2026
Army promotion points to SGT and SSG are scored out of 800: military training (weapons + AFT), awards, military education and civilian education, each with its own cap. Enter your rifle hits, AFT score, awards, courses and college credits to see your total, how close you are to your MOS cutoff and which moves add the most points.
Category caps, the AFT conversion and award values follow AR 600-8-19, Enlisted Promotions and Demotions (6 March 2026) and the DoD Guide to Enlisted Promotion Boards (January 2026).
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How Army promotion points work
Army promotion points for SGT and SSG are scored out of 800 across four categories: military training (weapons and AFT), awards, military education and civilian education. Since board points were removed, the board only recommends you; every point is generated from your records in IPPS-A each month, and you are promoted when your total meets your MOS cutoff score published by Human Resources Command. The caps differ by rank: SGT leans on weapons qualification (160 of 800), SSG on civilian education (160) and awards (165).
Promotion point categories and caps
| Category (AR 600-8-19) | SGT (E-5) max | SSG (E-6) max |
|---|---|---|
| Military training (weapons + AFT) | 280 | 230 |
| Weapons qualification | 160 | 110 |
| Army Fitness Test | 120 | 120 |
| Awards, decorations & badges | 145 | 165 |
| Military education | 240 | 245 |
| Civilian education | 135 | 160 |
| Total | 800 | 800 |
AFT score to promotion points (Table 3-4)
Every 5 AFT points above 300 is worth 3 promotion points, up to 120 at a perfect 500. Events waived by a permanent profile count 60 points each.
| AFT total | Points | AFT total | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 120 | 395–399 | 57 |
| 495–499 | 117 | 390–394 | 54 |
| 490–494 | 114 | 385–389 | 51 |
| 485–489 | 111 | 380–384 | 48 |
| 480–484 | 108 | 375–379 | 45 |
| 475–479 | 105 | 370–374 | 42 |
| 470–474 | 102 | 365–369 | 39 |
| 465–469 | 99 | 360–364 | 36 |
| 460–464 | 96 | 355–359 | 33 |
| 455–459 | 93 | 350–354 | 30 |
| 450–454 | 90 | 345–349 | 27 |
| 445–449 | 87 | 340–344 | 24 |
| 440–444 | 84 | 335–339 | 21 |
| 435–439 | 81 | 330–334 | 18 |
| 430–434 | 78 | 325–329 | 15 |
| 425–429 | 75 | 320–324 | 12 |
| 420–424 | 72 | 315–319 | 9 |
| 415–419 | 69 | 310–314 | 6 |
| 410–414 | 66 | 305–309 | 3 |
| 405–409 | 63 | 300–304 | 1 |
| 400–404 | 60 |
Weapons qualification points
Points come from your most recent qualification with your assigned primary weapon in the last 24 months. For SGT, each rifle hit from 23 to 40 is worth about 7.5 points. SSG values below are the anchor points published for Table 3-3; the calculator estimates the hits in between.
| Rifle hits (DA Form 7801, of 40) | Points for SGT | Points for SSG (published anchors) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 160 | 110 |
| 39 | 153 | |
| 38 | 145 | |
| 37 | 138 | |
| 36 | 130 | 98 |
| 35 | 123 | |
| 34 | 115 | |
| 33 | 108 | |
| 32 | 100 | |
| 31 | 93 | |
| 30 | 85 | 56 |
| 29 | 78 | |
| 28 | 70 | |
| 27 | 63 | |
| 26 | 55 | |
| 25 | 48 | |
| 24 | 40 | |
| 23 | 33 | 28 |
Awards and badges
| Award or badge | Points |
|---|---|
| Bronze Star w/ V device | 35 |
| Soldier’s Medal or higher | 35 |
| Bronze Star Medal | 30 |
| Purple Heart | 30 |
| Meritorious Service Medal | 25 |
| ARCOM w/ V device | 25 |
| Air Medal | 20 |
| Joint Service Commendation Medal | 20 |
| Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) | 20 |
| Joint Service Achievement Medal | 10 |
| Army Achievement Medal (AAM) | 10 |
| Good Conduct Medal | 10 |
| Armed Forces Reserve Medal | 10 |
| Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal | 10 |
| Recruiting Ribbon | 10 |
| Expert Infantryman / Expert Soldier / EFMB | 60 |
| Ranger, Special Forces or Sapper tab | 40 |
| CIB / CMB / CAB | 30 |
| Air Assault Badge | 10 |
| Pathfinder Badge | 10 |
| Certificate of achievement | 5 each (max 20) |
| Parachutist (basic / senior / master) | 10 / 15 / 20 |
| Airborne advantage: paid parachute position / jumpmaster | 20 / 40 (not capped) |
Military and civilian education rules
- BLC (for SGT) or ALC (for SSG): 150 points. The March 2026 revision of AR 600-8-19 changed how this is applied to Soldiers on the recommended list, so confirm in IPPS-A.
- Academic honors: Commandant’s List 20; Distinguished Honor Graduate or Distinguished Leadership Graduate 40.
- Resident courses: 4 points per 40-hour week (max 110 for SGT, 115 for SSG). BCT, AIT and MOS- or badge-producing courses do not count.
- Distance learning: 1 point per 5 hours of completed courses (max 90).
- College: 2 points per semester hour; +20 for completing a degree (for SSG, earned while a SGT).
- Credentials: MOS-enhancing 15, professional development 10, personal 5 (combined max 50). DLPT 1/1 or better: 25.
Worked example (SGT): 36 rifle hits (130) + AFT 470 (102) + ARCOM, two AAMs and a GCM (50) + BLC with Commandant’s List (170) + 3 weeks of resident courses (12) + 24 college credits (48) = 512 points.
Fastest ways to add points
- Shoot expertGoing from 30 to 38 hits adds 60 points for SGT, more than most single awards.
- Raise your AFT by 50Every 50 AFT points is 30 promotion points, up to 120.
- Take college classes with Tuition AssistanceEach 3-credit class is 6 points; 30 credits is 60 points.
- Knock out distance learningArmy e-learning courses add 1 point per 5 hours, up to 90.
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Check your time in service and time in grade for SGT (18 months TIS) and SSG.
College credits count for points; see what Tuition Assistance and the GI Bill can cover.
Army promotion points FAQ
There is no single number: each MOS has its own monthly cutoff score set by Human Resources Command, from a few hundred points in high-demand MOSs to near the 800 maximum in very competitive ones. Check the current HRC cutoff for your MOS and compare it with your total.
800 for both SGT and SSG: military training 280/230, awards 145/165, military education 240/245 and civilian education 135/160.
Up to 120. A perfect 500 earns 120, and every 5 points above 300 earns 3 promotion points: 470 is 102 points, 400 is 60.
For SGT, 40 of 40 rifle hits is 160 points and 36 hits is 130. For SSG the maximum is 110 points. Points come from your exact hit count, not just the badge level.
No. The promotion board now only recommends or does not recommend you. All 800 points come from your records.
Graduating the Basic Leader Course (or ALC for SSG) is worth 150 points, with 20 more for the Commandant’s List and 40 for Distinguished Honor Graduate. The 2026 regulation changed how the BLC/ALC points are applied for Soldiers already on the list, so check IPPS-A.
2 points per semester hour, up to 135 for SGT and 160 for SSG, plus 20 for completing a degree.
Weapons qualification counts for 24 months. Your most recent record AFT counts, even if an earlier score was higher.
An Army Commendation Medal is 20 points (25 with V device). An Army Achievement Medal is 10, and a Good Conduct Medal is 10.
No. Your official points are computed in IPPS-A each month. This calculator follows the categories and tables in AR 600-8-19 (6 March 2026) for planning.
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Manzoor Ahmad
Calculator developer & web designer · 13+ years in web development and SEO
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026I am a pharmacist turned tech geek, and I design, code and test every calculator on DexoCalc myself. I have not served in the military, so this tool does not run on opinion: the categories, caps, AFT table and award values come from AR 600-8-19 (March 2026) and the DoD Guide to Enlisted Promotion Boards; where the regulation’s full weapons table for SSG is not public, the tool estimates between published values and says so.
Spot a result that does not match an official source? Tell me and I will re-check it.
Sources
- Army Publishing Directorate: AR 600-8-19 Enlisted Promotions and Demotions
- DoD: Guide to Enlisted Promotion Boards, v3 (Jan 2026)
- U.S. Army Human Resources Command: Promotions (cutoff scores)
- U.S. Army: Army Fitness Test
Disclaimer: DexoCalc is independent and not affiliated with the U.S. Army or HRC. Official promotion points are computed in IPPS-A; regulations change, so confirm with your S1.
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