BSA Guide to Advancement (2019)
| RANK | GOALS TO ACHIEVE BY | NOTES AND POSSIBLE ROADBLOCKS | |
| Scout | By 1st Spring Court of Honor | Nice milestone and recognition. Cyber Chip need at home can hold up. | |
| Tenderfoot | Ideal: By or at 1st yr at summer camp | Scout must go on at least one campout. Never being able to go on a campout can hold up. | |
| Minimum: By 1st Fall Court of Honor | Not completing home fitness tracking can hold up. | ||
| 2nd Class | Ideal: By 2nd Spring Court of Honor | Each scout being “chief cook” for 1 breakfast or lunch planning/cooking requires many campouts. | |
| Minimum: By 2nd Fall Court of Honor | Can be held up by boys not doing 7a fitness tracking, 8c-d money saving, or missing the 5 mile hike. | ||
| 1st Class | Ideal: By or at 2nd yr at summer camp | Each scout being “chief cook” for 1st Class planning/cooking requires many campouts. | |
| Minimum: 4-6 months before 3rd yr at camp | 4 months in a Troop leadership role (while 1st Class) required for Star. | ||
| Star | Ideal: Before 3rd Spring Court of Honor | Not having enough Eagle required merit badges can hold up. 6 months in a Troop leadership role (while Star) required for Life. | |
| Minimum: Before 3rd yr at summer camp | Must be Star to be called Foxmen | ||
| Life | Ideal: Before 4th Spring Court of Honor | Not having enough Eagle required merit badges can hold up. | |
| Minimum: Before 4th yr at summer camp | Must be Life to be called Brave | ||
| Eagle | Ideal: by 15th to 16th birthday | Before scouts distracted with part time job, etc etc etc. Beware the Life slump (slow to no progress.) | |
| Minimum: Before 18th birthday | Unlikely to happen if project isn’t done and all MB’s wrapping up ~6 months before 18th birthday. In particular, note the ~90 day tracking requirements of Personal Fitness, Personal Management and Family Life, and the many meals needed for Cooking MB. | ||
| Notes on “Trail to 1st Class”*, where 1st yr campers spend at least half their mornings. 2nd yr campers too, if needed. | |||
| Tenderfoot | “Trail to 1st Class” at camp includes T. 3d, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5c | ||
| 2nd Class | “Trail to 1st Class” at camp includes 2nd Class 2c, 3c, 3g, 4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 9b (DARE program at school counts for 7c.) | ||
| 1st Class | “Trail to 1st Class” at camp includes 1st Class 3a, 3b, 3c, 6b, 7a, 7b, 7c, | ||
| *as of 2018 Bartle program guide (after correcting for it's many errors). |