1. Force Development
Highlights Supplement
Top Defense Acquisition University
Questions from Air Force Course Managers
1. How do I register for courses?
SITES OF INTEREST - You can either Google: Acq Now DAU, or go to https://www.atrrs.army.mil/channels/acqnow/
2. I can’t get into the class I need! How is my priority determined?
 Supervisor Resource Center
- Student priority for attending DAU courses is based on how a student’s duty position is coded
 ACQ NOW for acquisition certification level purposes. For example:
 DAU Catalog -- Priority 1: Those individuals occupying identified acquisition positions who need the training
to meet the certification requirements of that position.
 Defense Acquisition Portal -- Priority 2: Those individuals occupying identified acquisition positions who need the training
 Federal Acquisition Institute to achieve the next higher level of certification for that position.
-- Priority 3: Those individuals occupying identified acqusition positions who need the training
 AFIT Now
to achieve dual certification in another DAWIA career field (see DISA Acquisition Workforce
 DAU Atlas Pro Policy for Certification in Other Than Primary Career Field dated April 1995). NOTE: The
 Defense Acquisition Guidebook
ACMP will fund for TDY costs associated with this priority subject to availability of funding for
each fiscal year.
-- Priority 4: Employees who occupy non-acquisition positions which attendance to a DAU
AFMC Force Development
4375 Chidlaw Road, Rm N208
course would enhance employee's developmental training requirements.
WPAFB, OH 45433 3. I have been certified for 15 years with many years of acquisition experience. Why do I need
to take a prerequisite for which I already have experience?
- Prerequisites are established by DAU to help ensure success and are a stepping-stone for
ON THE WEB higher level follow-on courses. If students believe, however, that they have the training and
experience necessary to meet prerequisite course. Additional information on fulfillment can be
found at the DAU web site.
4. I am level 2 certified; why do I need to take a 200-Level course prior to taking courses for my
Level 3 certification?
- As time passes since a student was certified at a specific level, courses and requirements are
continuously updated. This sometimes means students need to take a new prerequisite to ad-
vance to the next higher level certification courses. Essentially, prior certification is not a sub-
stitute for current required prerequisites. Students are required to either take the prerequisite
or apply for fulfillment.
5. How is the Cost Effective Location (CEL) determined? Why can’t I attend the location that is
closest in mileage to my base?
- The CEL for training is determined by the Joint Federal Travel Regulation (JFTR). In some cases,
students may be closer in mileage to a certain location, but the Per Diem is so high at that loca-
tion, it’s actually cheaper to send them to a further location. Again, the CEL is strictly deter-
mined by the JFTR. If students cannot attend the CEL designated, their unit must be willing to
fund an alternate location.
6. What does it mean when a class is categorized as an “on-site”? The location I applied for is
listed as the CEL, but I was moved to another location.
- Class numbers that begin with the number “7” (i.e., 701, 702, etc.) indicate the class is an “on-
site” class reserved for local students. TDY students may apply; however, normally will be the
last to receive a reservation or may be moved to another location not listed as an on-site.
Develop the workforce through Experience, Education and Training...

2. Force Development
Highlights Supplement
7. Why was I waitlisted for training? The system shows openings at the location I applied for.
- Seats are occasionally “blocked” by DAU for various reasons. For example, an Air Force student
may see an open seat in a class, but that seat has been blocked and allocated for the Navy. The
result would be the Air Force student being waitlisted. Also, each service is allocated a specific
number of seats for each course (which is what we call a “cap” for the course). Once their cap
is met, students will be waitlisted even though the system may show open seats. In addition,
most seats are open and available to the entire federal government so, there are many other
students who also see an open seat and apply for it. AF students are not processed first come,
first served; they are processed by priority so, if you are not priority 1, you may not get a seat
right away.
8. My 24 months for certification is almost up and there are no seats available. Why can’t I get
in the classes I need?
- The early applicant normally gets the class (especially higher priority students). The new DAU
schedule is released in mid to late spring for classes beginning in the next fiscal year. If stu-
dents wait many months after the schedule is released to apply for classes, there is a good pos-
sibility that classes will be full and no seats available. Schedule release is widely advertised and
students may begin applying immediately upon release of the new schedule.
9. What are my chances of rolling from a wait into a reservation?
- We do not have the ability to predict the odds of any student rolling into a reservation. It is
completely dependent upon whether someone in the class cancels out. Since we don’t know
if/when that might happen, even if you are #1 on the waitlist, if nobody cancels, you will still be
#1 on the waitlist on the class start date.
10. What number am I on the waitlist?
- While we can tell you where you fall within the AF students on the waitlist, since we cannot see
the priority and application date of students from other services, we cannot tell you where you
fall on the waitlist.
11. I applied for a web class and was placed on a waitlist...why would a web class have a wait-
lists?
- Just as a commercial website slows down or “crashes” when too many customers go to the site
at the same time, if there were an unlimited number of students taking web classes at the
same time, the DAU servers would experience degradation and slowing or the student would
not be able to access the course. In addition, DAU instructors monitor all web courses so that
students with questions or test failures can discuss the information with the instructor before
taking the test again. Many of the web courses now also have homework assignments that are
turned in to an instructor during the course, so there is a limit to the number of students an
instructor can effectively manage.
12. Why is the CEL in another region when there is a class within driving distance?
- CEL is not determined by the proximity of the course to your location. It is based upon JFTR Per
Diem tables and the contract airfare. Even though the class might be within driving distance,
most of the cost of a DAU TDY is the Per Diem rate at the training location and not the travel
cost.
13. Can I be waitlisted and hold a confirmed reservation in the same course at the same time?
- No. Once the student receives a firm reservation for a DAU course, all waits and pending appli-
cations for that same course are automatically cancelled.
Develop the workforce through Experience, Education and Training...