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Army MOS · Support

51T Test and Evaluation

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

Test and Evaluation Officers plan, design, document, conduct, and control experiments, tests, and evaluations in laboratory and operational environments. They coordinate budgets, instrumentation, personnel, equipment, communications, data collection, and logistical support, then evaluate results and recommend whether tested articles meet suitability and effectiveness requirements.

Core Skills

  • Laboratory and operational experiment design
  • Test instrumentation and data collection planning
  • Test resource scheduling and coordination
  • Suitability and effectiveness assessment against requirements

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Validation Engineers

Designing experiments, evaluating test data, and assessing equipment against established requirements transfer directly to validation planning and analysis.

How to prepare: Compare your existing degree and documented test experience with validation openings before pursuing additional study; this engineering field typically requires a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field. Entry-level positions do not require licensure, but experienced engineers pursuing project sign-off, engineering oversight, or services directly to the public should check state PE licensing requirements.

What the civilian work involves
  • Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
  • Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
  • Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software

Operations Research Analysts

Planning experiments, coordinating data collection, and integrating test results into recommendations provide a foundation for analytical decision support.

How to prepare: Audit your degree, mathematics coursework, and statistical and database software experience against analyst openings, then address identified gaps in quantitative modeling; employers typically expect at least a bachelor's degree, extensive mathematics coursework, and computer science knowledge, while some jobs require a master's degree. Certain positions also require a background check to obtain a security clearance.

What the civilian work involves
  • Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
  • Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
  • Prepare management reports defining and evaluating problems and recommending solutions.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Python
  • Structured query language SQL

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. Army COOL MOC feed: 51T Test and Evaluation

    [1] data/authority/army-codes.json entry 51T (OSD COOL feed, fetched 2026-07-25); DB rank officer, authority codeType officer

    Supports: Laboratory and operational experiment design, Test instrumentation and data collection planning, Test resource scheduling and coordination, Suitability and effectiveness assessment against requirements, Validation Engineers (O*NET 17-2112.02), Operations Research Analysts (O*NET 15-2031.00)

  2. O*NET: Validation Engineers

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Validation Engineers (O*NET 17-2112.02)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Factors and Validation Engineering

    [3] Types of industrial engineers, Education and Licenses; checked September 24, 2026

    Supports: Validation Engineers (O*NET 17-2112.02)

  4. O*NET: Operations Research Analysts

    [4] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Operations Research Analysts (O*NET 15-2031.00)

  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Operations Research Analysts

    [5] Duties, How to Become, Education and Other Experience; checked September 24, 2026

    Supports: Operations Research Analysts (O*NET 15-2031.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 51T

Predecessor codes

Historical codes with documented links to 51T. Each history page explains the change.

51GMateriels Quality Specialist51G1Materials Quality Specialist51G2Materials Quality Specialist81BTechnical Drafting Specialist81B1Technical Drafting Specialist81B2Technical Drafting Specialist82BConstruction Surveyor82B1Construction Surveyor82B2Construction Surveyor

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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