Naval rating
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The term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed.
Royal Navy
A rate in the Royal Navy is a military rank that is not conferred by commission or warrant. It may refer both to the rank and to the sailor.
In the Royal Navy these rates are:
Senior Ratings
Junior Ratings
Officer cadets and midshipmen are technically ratings, although they are officer ranks. In the age of sail there was also a system of rating ships by the number of guns carried.
United States Navy
In the U.S. Navy enlisted personnel are classified according to rating, which is the naval term for Military Occupational Specialty. It is common to confuse rating (occupational specialty) with rate (pay grade; for officers, rank). In order for sailors to increase their rate, they must take an exam in their rating. The scoring depends upon how many billets there are to fill.
Sailors obtain a rating either through attending a naval A school or through on-the-job training known as "striking." Some examples of a rating would be: Electronics Technician, Machinist Mate (Nuclear), or Boatswain's Mate.