# Describe Scouts BSA ranks

Part of the Scout guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/scout/guide/index.md)

*2. Scouting Program*

> **2c.** Describe the Scouts BSA ranks and how they are earned.

The trail to Eagle Scout is a structured path of seven ranks, each designed to progressively build your outdoor self-reliance, leadership capabilities, and service to your community.

## The Seven Ranks of Scouts BSA

```
[Scout] -> [Tenderfoot] -> [Second Class] -> [First Class] -> [Star] -> [Life] -> [Eagle]
```

### The Foundational Ranks (Scoutcraft and Self-Reliance)
During the first four ranks, you master the foundational outdoor and life skills of Scouting:

1. **[Scout](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/scout/)**: The entry rank. You learn Scouting ideals (Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, Outdoor Code), the Patrol Method, troop leadership, basic rope work, pocketknife safety, and personal safety awareness.
2. **[Tenderfoot](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/tenderfoot/)**: Focuses on basic campcraft: preparing for overnight campouts, pitching tents, camp cooking safety, foundational first aid, trail hiking rules, 30-day physical fitness, and American flag etiquette.
3. **[Second Class](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/second-class/)**: Expands your wilderness skills: map and compass navigation, building wood campfires, completing a 5-mile hike, identifying 10 wild animals, passing basic swimming water-entry tests, expanded first aid, 4 weeks of physical activity, and substance abuse prevention.
4. **[First Class](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/first-class/)**: The benchmark rank of the fully self-reliant outdoorsperson. You master pioneering lashings, 10 native plants, weather prediction, emergency water purification, GPS navigation, water rescue assists, advanced first aid, local civic governance, and leading camp cooking.

### The Advanced Ranks (Leadership, Merit Badges, and Service)
Once you earn First Class, the focus shifts toward troop leadership, specialized merit badge study, and community service:

5. **[Star](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/star/)**: Requires at least **4 months of active service as a First Class Scout**, earning **6 merit badges** (including 4 Eagle-required), serving in a troop position of responsibility for 4 months, and completing at least **6 hours of community service**.
6. **[Life](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/life/)**: Requires at least **6 months of active service as a Star Scout**, earning **5 additional merit badges** (for a total of 11, including at least 7 Eagle-required), serving in a troop position of responsibility for 6 months, and completing at least **6 hours of community service**.
7. **[Eagle Scout](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/eagle/)**: The highest and most prestigious rank in Scouting. To earn Eagle, a Scout must:
   - Be active in the troop for at least **6 months as a Life Scout**.
   - Earn a total of at least **21 merit badges** (including the **14 specific Eagle-required badges**).
   - Serve in a troop position of responsibility for at least 6 months as a Life Scout.
   - Plan, develop, and lead others in a major community service project (the **Eagle Scout Service Project**).
   - Successfully pass an Eagle Scout Board of Review before their 18th birthday.

## How Ranks Are Earned: Sequence and Rules

- **Concurrent Work on Early Ranks**: While working on Scout, you may also work on requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class at the same time. However, you **must be awarded the ranks in strict sequential order** (you cannot earn Second Class before Tenderfoot).
- **Tenure for Advanced Ranks**: For Star, Life, and Eagle, the required months of active tenure, leadership, and service hours **do not begin until the exact date the previous rank was officially earned**.

> **Tip**
>
> Take your time to truly master every skill from Scout to First Class. The hands-on Scoutcraft skills you learn now will form the bedrock of your confidence as an outdoor leader for the rest of your life.

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