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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL

ENLISTED PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (E-PME)

 

The E-PME system was inaugurated on 21 October 2004 (with ALCOAST 468/04) to help you learn the part of being a Coast Guard petty officer that's not related to specific occupational skills.  You may still find references to the previous system, called "MRN", although it is now obsolete.

In case you’re confused by all the acronyms associated with enlisted advancement (E-PME, AQE, EPQ, PQG), here’s a quicky conversion table:

E-PME system

Enlisted Professional Military Education: replaced MRN.

AQE

End-of-course-test for E-PME (not called an EOCT to avoid confusion with rating-specific EOCTs).

Performance Requirements

The E-PME version of EPQs.  Currently two versions: Form CG-1510-2 (for E-3 through E-9); CG-1510-3 (for E-3 and E-4).

Knowledge Requirements

Also currently part of the E-PME system; you don't have to have them signed off, but you will be tested on them in the AQE and SWE.  They're listed on Form CG-1510-3 until they're eliminated in the near future.

EPQs

Enlisted Performance Qualifications: what used to be called rating-specific practical factors, "pracs", or "quals".

PQG

Performance Qualification Guide: the new version of rating-specific course materials.

The E-PME system deals with subjects such as leadership, management, administration, Coast Guard history, enlisted heritage, organizational structure and management, personal development, training, education, wellness, and others.  It covers all the knowledge and skills you'll need to acquire before being advanced and is based on work force studies and input from all the rate review processes.  It is intended to make servicemembers better prepared and better trained for Coast Guard mission performance.

The E-PME system has three or four parts, depending on your pay grade:

The study guides provide detailed information behind each Performance Requirement and (in the case of E-5s through E-9s) each Knowledge Requirement: text, graphics, quizzes, references, and all you need to prepare for the AQE.

To advance to any pay grade, you'll need to get all Performance Requirements for that pay grade signed off by a person designated by your CO to do so.  Completing the Performance Requirements, mastering the Knowledge Requirements (for E-5 through E-9), and passing the AQE will ensure that only those ready for advancement will take the servicewide exam. This is similar to the rating courses.

 

Study Guide

 

The Study Guide is a one-source document for qualifying and studying for both E-PME tests (AQEs) and servicewide exams (SWEs).  That is, all information you need to prepare for the AQE and the military requirements parts of a SWE is within the Study Guide.  The Study Guide is divided into three stand-alone volumes, which correspond to the three AQEs:

On 01 October 2011, the current version of the E-PME-4 Study Guide (hard-copy), Performance & Knowledge Requirements, and AQE will be done away with and replaced by a new on-line-only Study Guide, new Performance Requirements (no more Knowledge Requirements), and new AQEs. This change only applies to non-rates!

You an download all three Study Guides in PDF format from the Learning Management System on the CGPortal.

The Journeyman and Master Study Guides are also available in hard copy format.  To get the hard-copy Study Guides, provide your ESO with your employee ID number and tell him/her which you want to order.

 

Performance and Knowledge Requirements

 

The E-PME system currently has Performance Requirements (to be performed by all enlisted Coast Guard personnel up to pay grade E-9) and Knowledge Requirements (to be understood by all Coast Guard personnel from pay grade E-5 through pay grade E-9).

Your performance of the items in the Performance Requirements must be witnessed and signed off by an officer or petty officer who's at least one pay grade senior to you before you will be considered eligible for advancement.

In addition, before you are authorized to take an AQE, your supervisor must complete the statement in the "Remarks" section on page 2 of the Performance Requirements sign-off form stating that you have successfully completed the Performance Requirements for the pay grades covered by the AQE you want to take.

E-5s through E-8s don't have to have anything signed off in the Knowledge Requirements, but they will be tested on the material in them when they take the AQE.

Advancement Qualification Exams (AQEs)

 

Before you are authorized to take an E-4, E-6, or E-8 servicewide exam, you must pass an Advancement Qualification Exam (AQEs) for that pay grade and the pay grade below it.  That is, if you want to take the E-4 servicewide exam, you first have to have passed the E-3/E-4 AQE.  There are three different AQEs:

You don't need to wait until you're going up for an even numbered pay grade to take an AQE, though; you can take one at any time.

Just like your rating-specific end-of-course tests, AQEs are administered by your ESO. Just remember: before you can take an AQE, you have to show the ESO your supervisor's signed and dated statement (on page 2 of the Performance Requirements) saying you've successfully completed all the requirements for the AQE you want to take.

If you're a non-rate, you should seriously consider taking the E-PME-4 AQE before going to "A" school.  The sooner you take the AQE after boot camp, the better you'll do since you covered many of the Performance Requirements there.  Also, keep in mind that although you'll be given the opportunity to take the AQE during "A" school, you will not be given time to study for it.  Your days in "A" school will be devoted to learning your rate. Studying for the AQE will have to be done during your free time. If you've passed your AQE before going to "A" school, your free time during "A" school will be truly free time.

editorial

Throughout the Coast Guard, there’s an unfortunately persistent belief that it’s not really necessary to study before you take an Advancement Qualification Exam (AQE).  I can’t tell you how many times people have told me after taking a test, “I just wanted to find out what’s on it.”  With all due respect, that’s just STUPID.  Let’s examine why.

There are two assumptions underlying that statement: (1) that you’re going to fail the first test and (2) if you know what’s on the first test you take, you’ll do better the next time you take it.

At the moment, there are three versions of each AQE.  Taking the first test as a throw-away (“just to see what’s on it”) won’t help you take the other two versions since few questions are used on more than one test.  That is, a question used in the first version is unlikely to show up in either of the other two versions.

Even questions that are used in more than one test, however, aren’t used in the same form.  Either the question itself has been reworded, the multi-choice responses are reworded, the multi-choice responses are listed in a different order, or all of these.

Then there’s the fact that you are required to wait three weeks between tests if you don’t pass on the first try.  For “just seeing what’s on the test” to help you pass it the next time, you’d have to remember 80% of the answers correctly until the next time you took the same test – at least 9 weeks after first taking it.

Let’s face facts: it’s a much better use of your time to study (REALLY study) your E-PME Study Guide and prepare to pass the first time than to waste your first go at an AQE and trust chance that you’ll remember enough of the questions you’ve seen so you can pass on a later date.  Not only will you qualify for the SWE earlier, but you’ll have a better knowledge base for doing your job.

 

                                                                              Andrew Webb
                                                                              ESO, Training Center Cape May

How to Study for an AQE

 

Studying for the AQE (the E-PME version of an EOCT) is different.  Everyone has a preference for either the hard-copy or computerized version (CD-ROM or on-line) of the E-PME Study Guide.  Use whichever version you find the best for your learning style.

HOWEVER, before you automatically go with the hard-copy version, check out the electronic version.  From my perspective (and that of many others), the electronic version has a number of benefits over the hard-copy.

Remember: you must complete the required Performance Requirements before the ESO can give you the AQE.

Some time ago, TraCen Petaluma’s web site listed some useful tips on studying for E-PME AQEs, and recommendations for supervisors of personnel studying for an AQE.  They're no longer posted there, but here’s the gist of them:

Study Tips

Recommendations for Supervisors

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Last Modified 09/14/2011