are working for advancement to second class, study the material that is listed for second class; but remember that you are also responsible for the references listed at the third class level.
In using NAVEDTRA 10052, you will notice that some rate training manuals are marked with an asterisk (*). Any manual marked in this way is MANDATORY—that is, it must be completed at the indicated rate level before you can be eligible to take the Navywide examination for advancement. Each mandatory manual may be completed by (1) passing the appropriate NRCC that is based on the mandatory training manual, (2) passing locally prepared tests based on the information given in the training manual, or (3) in some cases, successfully completing an appropriate Navy school.
Do not overlook the section of NAVEDTRA 10052 that lists the required and recommended references relating to the naval standards for advancement. Personnel in ALL ratings must complete the mandatory military requirements training manual for the appropriate rate level before they can be eligible to advance.
The references listed in NAVEDTRA 10052 that are recommended but not mandatory should also be studied carefully. ALL references listed in NAVEDTRA 10052 may be used as source material for the written examinations at the appropriate rate levels.
There are two general types of rate training manuals. RATING manuals (such as this one) are prepared for most enlisted ratings. A rating manual gives information that is directly related to the occupational standards of ONE rating. SUBJECT-MATTER manuals or BASIC manuals give information that applies to more than one rating.
Rate training manuals are revised from time to time to keep them up-to-date technically. The revision of a rate training manual is identified by a letter following the NAVEDTRA number. You can tell whether any particular copy of a training manual is the latest edition by checking the NAVEDTRA number and the letter following this number in the most recent edition of List of Training Manuals and Correspondence Courses, NAVEDTRA 10061. (NAVEDTRA 10061 is acctually a catalog that lists all current training manuals and courses; you will find this catalog useful in planning your study program.)
Each time a rate training manual is revised, it is brought into conformance with the official publications and directives on which it is based. But during the life of any edition, discrepancies between the manual and the official sources are almost certain to arise because of changes to the latter that are issued in the interim. In the performance of your duties you should always refer to the appropriate official publication or directive. If the official source is listed in NAVEDTRA 10052, the Naval Education and Training Program Management Support Activity uses it as a source of questions in preparing the fleetwide examinations for advancement. In case of discrepancies between any publications listed in NAVEDTRA 10052 for a given rate, the examination writers will use the most recent material.
Rate training manuals are designed to help you prepare for advancement. The following suggestions may help you make the best use of this manual and other Navy training publications when your are preparing for advancement.
1. Study the naval standards and the occupational standards for your rating before you study the training manual and refer to the standards frequently as you study. Remember, you are studying the manual primarily in order to meet these standards.
2. Set up a regular study plan. It will probably be easier for you to stick to a schedule if you can plan to study at the same time each day. If possible, schedule your study for a time of day when you will not have too many interruptions or distractions.
3. Before you begin to study any part of the manual intensively, become familiar with the entire book. Read the preface and the table of contents. Check through the index. Thumb through the book without any particular plan, looking at the illustrations and reading bits here and there as you see things that interest you.
4. Look at the training manual in more detail to see how it is organized. Look at the table of contents again. Then chapter by chapter, read the introduction, the headings, and the subheadings. This will give you a clear picture of the scope and content of the book. As you look through the book this way, ask yourself some questions: