are  working  for  advancement  to  second  class, study the material that is listed for second class; but  remember  that  you  are  also  responsible  for the references listed at the third class level. In using NAVEDTRA 10052, you will notice that  some  rate  training  manuals  are  marked  with an asterisk (*). Any manual marked in this way is MANDATORY—that is, it must be completed at the indicated rate level before you can be eligi- ble  to  take  the  Navywide  examination  for advancement.  Each  mandatory  manual  may  be completed by (1) passing the appropriate NRCC that is based on the mandatory training manual, (2) passing locally prepared tests based on the in- formation given in the training manual, or (3) in some  cases,    successfully   completing   an   ap- propriate  Navy  school. Do  not  overlook  the  section  of  NAVEDTRA 10052 that lists the required and recommended references  relating  to  the  naval  standards  for advancement.  Personnel  in  ALL  ratings  must complete  the  mandatory  military  requirements training  manual  for  the  appropriate  rate  level before  they  can  be  eligible  to  advance. The  references  listed  in  NAVEDTRA  10052 that are recommended but not mandatory should also  be  studied  carefully.  ALL  references  listed in  NAVEDTRA  10052  may  be  used  as  source material for the written examinations at the ap- propriate rate levels. Rate Training Manuals There are two general types of rate training manuals.  RATING  manuals  (such  as  this  one)  are prepared   for   most   enlisted   ratings.   A   rating manual gives information that is directly related to  the  occupational  standards  of  ONE  rating. SUBJECT-MATTER   manuals   or   BASIC manuals  give  information  that  applies  to  more than one rating. Rate training manuals are revised from time to time to keep them up-to-date technically. The revision of a rate training manual is identified by a letter following the NAVEDTRA number. You can tell whether any particular copy of a training manual  is  the  latest  edition  by  checking  the NAVEDTRA  number  and  the  letter  following  this number in the most recent edition of  List of Train- ing   Manuals   and   Correspondence   Courses, NAVEDTRA  10061.  (NAVEDTRA  10061  is  ac- ctually  a  catalog  that  lists  all  current  training manuals  and  courses;  you  will  find  this  catalog useful  in  planning  your  study  program.) Each time a rate training manual is revised, it  is  brought  into  conformance  with  the  official publications and directives on which it is based. But during the life of any edition, discrepancies between the manual and the official sources are almost certain to arise because of changes to the latter that are issued in the interim. In the per- formance of your duties you should always refer to  the  appropriate  official  publication  or  direc- tive. If the official source is listed in NAVEDTRA 10052,  the  Naval  Education  and  Training  Pro- gram Management Support Activity uses it as a source of questions in preparing the fleetwide ex- aminations  for  advancement.  In  case  of  dis- crepancies  between  any  publications  listed  in NAVEDTRA  10052  for  a  given  rate,  the  examina- tion writers will use the most recent material. Rate training manuals are designed to help you prepare for advancement. The following sugges- tions  may  help  you  make  the  best  use  of  this manual  and  other  Navy  training  publications when  your  are  preparing  for  advancement. 1. Study the naval standards and the occupa- tional standards for your rating before you study the training manual and refer to the standards   frequently   as   you   study. Remember,  you  are  studying  the  manual primarily  in  order  to  meet  these  standards. 2. Set up a regular study plan. It will probably be easier for you to stick to a schedule if you can plan to study at the same time each day.  If  possible,  schedule  your  study  for a time of day when you will not have too many  interruptions  or  distractions. 3. Before you begin to study any part of the manual intensively, become familiar with the entire book. Read the preface and the table  of  contents.  Check  through  the  index. Thumb through the book without any par- ticular plan, looking at the illustrations and reading bits here and there as you see things that interest you. 4.  Look at the training manual in more detail to see how it is organized. Look at the table of contents again. Then chapter by chapter, read  the  introduction,  the  headings,  and the subheadings. This will give you a clear picture  of  the  scope  and  content  of  the book.  As  you  look  through  the  book  this way,  ask  yourself  some  questions: .    What  do  I  need  to  learn  about  this? .    What  do  I  already  know  about  this? 1-6