New nuke standards include higher test scores

Enlisting in the nuclear Navy — widely seen as a realm for only the Navy’s brightest — just got a little harder.

Faced with continued washouts from demanding nuclear training courses, Navy Recruiting Command issued new standards Jan. 18 calling for better grades, higher test scores and more math skills from applicants. Among the changes, candidates must have had been a C student or better in the last two years of high school and have passed a math class in the last five years, or seek a waiver.

“These changes are intended to increase the quality of nuclear field applicants in order to increase their chances for nuclear field pipeline training and fleet success, and lower academic attrition in the nuclear field training pipeline,” the new instruction states.

Academic problems are the biggest cause of attrition from nuclear training, accounting for 50 percent of dropouts, recruiting command spokesman Jeffrey Nichols wrote in an e-mail. The chances are expected to decrease dropouts by 20 percent. He declined to provide the number of dropouts.

The minimum score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for nuclear applicants is 252, which didn’t change. If you scored below that, you will need to take another test, the Navy Advanced Programs Test, and score at least 55 points, up from 50. If you still fall short, you’ll need to seek an academic waiver, referred to as an “academic eligibility determination.”

Math gets renewed attention in the changes. An enlistee’s math proficiency will now be measured on a matrix, to include when he took a math class and the grade. Higher grades and more recent classes get more points. For instance, a candidate who earned an A average in math classes within the past year gets 40 points, while a candidate who took math four years ago and was a C student gets 15 points. More than 50 points are needed to qualify; otherwise, a waiver must be sought.

If you scored well on the NAPT — above 60 points — each point above 60 will be added to your math table score. So if you received 67 points on the NAPT, seven points would be added.

Some of the math classes that qualify are geometry, trigonometry, calculus and pre-calculus, algebra I through III, differential equations, advanced algebra, theoretical math and even number theory, according to the instruction.

Math has always been a top priority for aspiring nukes. As the instruction says, “Enlistment in the [nuclear field] program will be denied to any individual who actively expresses a strong dislike for mathematics and physics.”

Still, getting tougher on academics isn’t the only change in the new instruction. Waivers have always been required for those who’ve been arrested and charged with or convicted of a crime. But now, those who fail to appear for minor traffic violations or are held in contempt of court will need to seek waivers, too.