Every Scouting activity moves boys toward three basic aims: character development, citizenship training, and mental and physical fitness.

Advancement is one of the eight methods used by Scout leaders to help boys fulfill the aims of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Advancement is the process by which youth members of the Boy Scouts of America progress from rank to rank.

Advancement is simply a means to an end, not an end in itself.  It is one of several methods designed to help unit leadership carry out the aims and mission of the Boy Scouts of America.

The ranks in Boy Scouting:

1. Scout
2. Tenderfoot
3. Second Class
4. First Class
5. Star
6. Life
7. Eagle

After earning the rank of Eagle, a Scout may earn Eagle Palms.  Palms are not considered ranks, but rather degrees of the Eagle Scout rank.

Resources for Boy Scout awards and rank advancement:

• Boy Scout Handbook
• BSA Guide to Advancement
• Boy Scout Requirements Book (updated yearly and available at Scout Shops or can be ordered from ScoutStuff.org)
• BSA's online Advancement and Awards web page
• BSA's online Merit Badges web page
• BSA's online web page for Merit Badge Counselors
• Scoutbook Scout advancement tracking

The requirements for the Scout rank can be found in the Boy Scout Handbook or at the BSA's website.

Parents or guardians can help their boys earn their Scout rank by completing the "How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide" pamphlet exercises with your son (found in the front of the Boy Scout handbook).

New Boy Scouts will also need to earn the Cyber Chip award for their grade.  The Cyber Chip award requirements can be found at http://www.netsmartz.org/scouting and also at http://www.scouting.org/cyberchip.aspx.

While not required for rank advancement, the parents of new Boy Scouts need to complete and turn in a signed health history to the troop (please see the Annual Health and Medical Record (AHMR) attachment below).  Parts A and B of the AHMR is required for all Scouting activities.  Part C is only required for resident camps or Scouting events that last 72 hours or more.  The AHMR must be updated annually.

The requirements for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.

The journey a Boy Scout travels while earning the early ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class is sometimes referred to as the Trail to First Class (TTFC).  The requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class can be found in the Boy Scout Handbook or at the BSA's website.  Each of these ranks has service hour and physical fitness requirements.

The requirements for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.  Every rank (except for Scout rank) requires Boy Scouts to successfully complete a board of review.

In order to achieve the rank of First Class, Scouts must successfully pass the BSA swimmer test.  The BSA swimmer test consists of the following:

Jump feet first into water over the head in depth, level off, and begin swimming. Swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be swum continuously and include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating.

Most new Boy Scouts attain the rank of First Class within 12 to 18 months of joining, and Star rank soon thereafter.

Star rank requirement highlights:

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3. Earn six merit badges, including any four from the required list for Eagle (listed below under the Eagle Scout rank):

merit badge #1 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #2 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #3 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #4 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #5 - any merit badge of the Scout's choice
merit badge #6 - any merit badge of the Scout's choice

4. While a First Class Scout, take part in service project(s) totaling at least six hours of work.  These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.

5. While a First Class Scout, serve actively in your troop for four months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop).  Note: Assistant Patrol Leader is not an approved position of responsibility for the Star rank.

• Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)
• Bugler
• Chaplain Aide
• Den Chief
• Historian
• Instructor
• Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
• Librarian
• Order of the Arrow Troop Representative
• Outdoor Ethics Guide
• Patrol Leader
• Quartermaster
• Scribe
• Senior Patrol Leader (SPL)
• Troop Guide
• Webmaster

6. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet "How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide" (found in the front of the Boy Scout handbook) and earn the Cyber Chip award for your grade.  The Cyber Chip award requirements can be found at http://www.netsmartz.org/scouting and also at http://www.scouting.org/cyberchip.aspx.

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3. Earn five more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any three more from the required list for Eagle (listed below under the Eagle Scout rank):

merit badge #  7 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #  8 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #  9 - merit badge from the required list for Eagle
merit badge #10 - any merit badge of the Scout's choice
merit badge #11 - any merit badge of the Scout's choice

4. While a Star Scout, take part in service project(s) totaling at least six hours of work.  At least 3 of these hours must be conservation-related.  These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.

5. While a Star Scout, serve actively in your troop for six months in one or more of the troop positions of responsibility listed in requirement 5 for Star Scout (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the unit).  Note: Assistant Patrol Leader is not an approved position of responsibility for the Life rank.

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Eagle rank requirement highlights:

1. Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least six months after you have achieved the rank of Life Scout.

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3. Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:

1) Camping
2) Citizenship in the Community
3) Citizenship in the Nation
4) Citizenship in the World
5) Communication
6) Cooking
7) Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
8) Environmental Science OR Sustainability
9) Family Life
10) First Aid
11) Personal Fitness
12) Personal Management
13) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling

4. While a Life Scout, serve actively in your unit for a period of six months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility.  List only those positions served after your Life board of review date.  Note: Assistant Patrol Leader and Bugler are not approved positions of responsibility for the Eagle Scout rank.  Likewise, a unit leader-assigned leadership project should not be used in lieu of serving in a position of responsibility.

• Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)
• Chaplain Aide
• Den Chief
• Historian
• Instructor
• Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
• Librarian
• Order of the Arrow Troop Representative
• Outdoor Ethics Guide
• Patrol Leader
• Quartermaster
• Scribe
• Senior Patrol Leader (SPL)
• Troop Guide
• Webmaster

5. While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community.  (The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.)  A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start.

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