Who is on the oral board for cutter quals?

• A. The XO and CDO
• B. OOD and EOW
• C. A panel including senior officers and senior enlisted members
• D. The Commanding Officer

Answer: (C)

The oral board for cutter qualifications is conducted by a panel of evaluators with broad experience, designed to assess not just what you know but how you think and lead under pressure. This panel typically includes senior officers and senior enlisted members who bring a mix of technical expertise, operational judgment, and leadership perspective. That breadth ensures a fair, thorough appraisal of your knowledge, decision-making, and readiness for command duties.

A pair like the XO and CDO wouldn’t provide the wide range of viewpoints and accountability a full panel offers, and while the Commanding Officer might be on the board, the standard setup is a panel rather than a single examiner.