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YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The Navy will emphasize technical skills and include fewer military knowledge questions in its enlisted advancement exams next year, according to a Navy administrative memo.

Beginning in September 2012, advancement exam questions will drop from 200 to 175. Of that total, 150 will focus on job-specific technical questions, while the remaining 25 will focus on professional military knowledge.

The current exams place an increased emphasis on the more generalized military knowledge questions as sailors advance in pay grade from E-4 to E-7.

Sailors taking the chief petty officer exam will see the biggest change. Their tests will change from 100 questions in each category to the new, technically oriented standard, Navy officials said.

The format changes will not alter the final multiple score used for promotion purposes, according to the memo.

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