Graduate Record Examinations to Be Administered at the Captains Career Course
From the Editor
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The Army Talent Management Task Force was created to integrate and synchronize Army efforts to acquire, develop, employ, and retain a high-quality force that can fight and win on the battlefield against any adversary in the world. On 11 October 2018, the secretary of the Army directed the task force to implement the Junior Captain Talent Assessment at the Captains Career Courses (CCCs). The assessment is comprised of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and other assessments. The GRE will be used as a predictive assessment to identify and invest in officers with high potential to succeed in competitive higher-education programs.
Administering the GRE is the first step in establishing a robust culture of assessments across the Army to gather more information about the talent of our officer corps and ensure we are making the best investment decisions for future readiness. The Army will initially use the results of the GRE to make more-informed decisions with regards to Army competitive education programs. Eventually, it will become part of the Command and General Staff Officer Course application process. The GRE will also be used to assist in developing a new talent management system, guide future assignments, inform possible broadening opportunities, focus self-development, and research talent dimensions of the Army officer corps.
The Army University, on behalf of the Combined Arms Center, will implement the GRE for CCC students beginning in 3rd Quarter, Fiscal Year 19. Students will take the GRE a minimum of one month into their respective CCC curriculum after completing the core courses. In conjunction with CCCs, The Army University will coordinate testing times for all CCC students with the GRE provider, Educational Testing Services (ETS). The GRE will be free to students; the Army G1 is funding the tests, and CCCs will issue students vouchers for use on the day of testing. An individual’s GRE scores will be put in his or her official military personnel file and treated like college transcripts. Captains will be responsible for their own GRE preparation, and the GRE scores will not be used to determine promotions. ETS will distribute four copies of the results at no cost to the soldier—one to the Army Research Institute for research purposes, one to Human Resources Command for posting on an individual’s officer record brief, and two copies to the academic institution of an officer’s choice.
As the Army transitions from an industrial-age personnel system to an information-age personnel system, accumulating better data on its people is the key to success and assessments. Better information not only allows the Army to make better decisions about its people, it also helps individuals better understand their strengths and weaknesses to make better decisions about their future. More knowledge of our officers leads to better decisions about how we acquire, develop, employ, and retain the right talent for the future.
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