Navy Tribe

Every year in early August, the Navy releases the active-duty chief petty officer (E-7) selection board results — and in a single NAVADMIN, thousands of first classes find out whether they’re putting on anchors. Your command triad actually sees the list first: results hit BUPERS Online for the CO, XO, and CMC the day before the public message drops.

Whether your name is on that list or not, what you do in the next 30 days matters more than what the board decided. Here’s how to check your results, what happens between selection and pinning, and — if this wasn’t your year — exactly how to build a stronger package for the next board.

Navy chief results are released in early August each year through an official NAVADMIN message. Selectees are notified through their command triad via BUPERS Online one day before the public release, and every eligible candidate can pull a profile sheet showing how their record performed at the board.

When do Navy chief results come out?

Active-duty CPO selection board results are traditionally released in early August, a few weeks after the board adjourns. The FY-27 cycle followed the Navy’s standard sequence: the E-8 and E-9 results came out first — released to commands via BUPERS Online on May 19, 2026, with the public NAVADMIN following on May 20 — and the E-7 results follow in the August window.

The release order is always the same:

1. Command triad notification — the CO, XO, and CMC see the selectee list on BUPERS Online (BOL) one day before the public release.
2. Public NAVADMIN — the full selectee list posts on the MyNavy HR messages page as an official NAVADMIN.
3. Advancement dates — published later by the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) in Pensacola.

One planning note: the schedule has slipped before. During the COVID years, results came out as late as November (FY-21) and October (FY-22). Since then the Navy has returned to the early-August norm — but until the NAVADMIN posts, no date is official.

How do you check the CPO selection board results?

The fastest way to check chief results is BUPERS Online — log in with your CAC and look for the selection board results link once your command has been notified. The public NAVADMIN on MyNavy HR lists every selectee by name and rate.

A NAVADMIN is an official message from the Chief of Naval Operations or Chief of Naval Personnel used to communicate policy and announcements Navy-wide. Selection board results are always released this way, which makes the NAVADMIN the authoritative source — not social media screenshots.

After results drop, request your profile sheet — the document that shows how the board scored your record. Even selectees should pull it. If you weren’t selected, it’s the single most important piece of feedback you’ll get all year, because it tells you what the board saw when it opened your record.

You made it — what happens between results day and pinning?

Congratulations, Chief-select. Now the clock starts. Between the NAVADMIN and pinning day, you’ll go through CPO initiation season — the Navy calls it Phase 2 of CPO 365 — roughly six weeks of training, heritage events, and evaluation that ends with the pinning ceremony, traditionally held in mid-September.

Three things to handle in week one:

• Verify your record. Advancement effective dates come out by increment from NETPDC. Make sure your service record is clean now, not when your increment hits.
• Budget for the transition. New uniforms, initiation events, and khaki sea bags are not free. The uniform shift alone runs into the hundreds of dollars — start pricing it immediately.
• Show up as a Chief before you wear the anchors. Your evaluation cycle doesn’t pause for initiation. The reputation you build during Phase 2 follows you into the Mess.

Frocking is the Navy practice of allowing a selectee to wear the next paygrade’s rank and assume its authority before the official effective date of advancement. Not every selectee frocks at the same time — your command and your increment date determine when.

What should you do if you didn’t make chief this year?

First: not selecting on a given cycle is normal, and it is not a career sentence. Selection rates vary by rating and by year, and plenty of chiefs pinned on their second, third, or fourth board. What separates future chiefs from permanent first classes is what they do in the 30 days after results.

Here’s the debrief sequence that actually works:

1. Pull your profile sheet. Get the board’s-eye view of your record before you change anything.
2. Read your last five evals like a board member. The selection board reviews your Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) — and your evals carry the most weight in it. Look for sustained superior performance: an upward trend of early promotes, tougher jobs, and bigger scope. One soft eval in the stack is survivable; a flat trend is what sinks packages.
3. Audit Block 43. Vague bullets kill board packages. “Led 12 Sailors through a $2.4M maintenance availability, completed 3 weeks early” survives a 90-second record review. “Outstanding leader, promote now” does not. Our Navy eval bullets library breaks down what strong Block 43 writing looks like by paygrade.
4. Talk to your CMC — with your profile sheet in hand. Ask the question directly: “What does my record need to show next board?” Then build the plan together.
5. Fix the gaps you control. Collateral duties with measurable outcomes, a qualification the board expects at your paygrade, command-level impact instead of division-level impact. You have one eval cycle to put new evidence in the record — the next board convenes in roughly ten months.

The Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) is the permanent digital record of a Sailor’s career — evaluations, awards, qualifications, and service history — and it is the record the CPO selection board actually reviews. If an accomplishment isn’t documented in your OMPF, as far as the board is concerned, it didn’t happen.

How does the board decide who makes chief?

The CPO selection board is a records-based review — there is no exam score, no interview, and no hometown reputation in the room. Board members review each eligible candidate’s OMPF and score the whole record, with performance evaluations carrying the heaviest weight.

That’s the fundamental difference between E-6 and E-7 advancement: the exam gets you to E-6, but your evals get you to E-7. For E-4 through E-6, the Navy-wide advancement exam counts toward your Final Multiple Score, evals are one input in the formula, and award points add up. At the E-7 board there is no exam weight and no point math — a board of master chiefs and officers reads the whole record, and your evaluations dominate the outcome. By the time the board convenes, your package is already written — in your last five years of evaluations.

What’s your 12-month plan for the next board?

Whether you’re a Chief-select mentoring your relief or a first class rebuilding for the next cycle, the year between boards breaks into three blocks:

• Now through eval season: document everything. Update your brag sheet monthly, not the night before eval inputs are due. Quantify results — dollars, Sailors trained, inspection scores, days ahead of schedule.
• Eval season: fight for the ranking, not just the words. A breakout eval with a strong soft breakout in Block 43 outweighs an inflated trait average nobody believes.
• Board season: verify your OMPF page by page before the board convenes. Missing evals and unentered awards are self-inflicted wounds the board can’t overlook.

The Sailors who select next August start that plan this August.

Keep building your record

Results week is the best week of the year to get honest about your record. Start here:

• Navy Eval Bullets — real examples of board-ready Block 43 writing, by rate and paygrade
• Navy Advancement Results archive — past cycles and selection data for context on your rating
• Award Write-Ups — because documented awards are part of the record the board reads

FAQ

When are Navy chief results released in 2026?

Active-duty E-7 selection board results are traditionally released in early August via NAVADMIN. Command triads receive the selectee list through BUPERS Online one day before the public message. The FY-27 E-8/E-9 results were released May 19–20, 2026, with E-7 results following in the August window.

How do I see if I made chief?

Your command triad (CO, XO, CMC) is notified first via BUPERS Online, and most selectees hear it from their command. The full selectee list is published in the public NAVADMIN on the MyNavy HR website the following day.

What is a profile sheet and how do I get one?

A profile sheet shows how the selection board evaluated your record. It’s available through BUPERS Online after results are released, and every candidate — selected or not — should review it before planning their next cycle.

Does the advancement exam count for making chief?

No. E-7 selection is decided by a records-based board review of your OMPF, with evaluations as the dominant factor. The Navy-wide advancement exam determines E-4 through E-6 advancement via the Final Multiple Score, but there is no exam weight at the chief board.

What are my chances of making chief the second time up?

Selection rates vary by rating and year, but repeat candidates select regularly — many chiefs pinned on their second or third board. What moves the needle is a stronger record: an improved eval trend, documented command-level impact, and a clean OMPF at board time.

Last updated: August 2026. Advancement policies and board schedules change — always verify current guidance in the governing NAVADMIN and at MyNavy HR before making career decisions.