What Do + and * Mean on an Army T&EO?
In the performance-steps section of an Army collective-task Training and Evaluation Outline (T&EO), a plus sign (+) identifies a critical performance step, and an asterisk (*) identifies a leader performance step. Start with the legend on the current task document: the symbol tells you what kind of step you are reading, while the task’s standards and evaluation guidance explain how to evaluate it.
This unofficial ArmyTEO reference explains the markings and a simple way to keep track of them. It does not replace the current Army task, doctrine, or your unit’s evaluation guidance.
The two symbols at a glance
+ Critical performance step: Flag this step for careful review against the task’s stated requirements.
* Leader performance step: Identify the leader action and the evidence the evaluator needs to observe.
These labels come from Army training-reference guidance, including TC 7-0.4, Training and Evaluation Outlines (26 August 2025, paragraphs 2-28 and 2-29, page 12). Read the legend beside the performance steps on the actual T&EO rather than relying on a cropped screenshot or a remembered symbol.
Check the task before you interpret a step
Find the record in the ArmyTEO catalog, then open its official source through the access route available to you.
Match the complete task number, title, echelon or intended audience, and the source’s status and date. Use the task-number guide when similar records appear.
Locate the document’s legend and read the marked step together with its associated performance measures. Keep the step number and measure reference together in your notes.
A catalog match helps you locate a reference; it does not certify that a saved copy is current. If the document differs from an older copy, resolve the source and version question before preparing your evaluation notes. A missing or unclear legend is a question to resolve with the current source and responsible training staff.
Keep the symbol separate from the rating
A + or * is a step designation, not a complete grading formula. Read the task’s conditions, standards, evaluation instructions and, for collective tasks where provided, the Objective Task Evaluation Criteria Matrix. Do not carry a percentage or rating rule from another task into the one you are reviewing.
The Army Training Management Directorate explains that critical and leader steps receive special consideration and that a completed T&EO supports the commander’s broader assessment. An evaluator’s recorded results and a commander’s unit-proficiency assessment serve different purposes. See the Army’s T&EO assessment fact sheet for that distinction.
Make a small reference note before the event
Use these prompts in your working notes or the Training Reference Review Worksheet:
Reference: complete task number and title; official source; source date or status; date you checked it.
Marked step: exact step number; symbol as printed; meaning confirmed in the legend; associated measure reference.
Question to resolve: unclear wording, a version mismatch, or an evaluation requirement that needs clarification.
Keep this as a reference aid alongside the official document. During the evaluation, record what was observed against the applicable measure using the task’s own recording options. The evaluation-notes guide gives a practical structure for useful observations without inventing a new rating system.
Where to go next
For the surrounding document sections, use How to Read an Army T&EO. Then return to the current official task, confirm its legend, and review each marked step in context. This symbol reference focuses on collective-task T&EOs; use the instructions in the specific individual-task document when reviewing an individual task.
Sources checked October 23, 2026. ArmyTEO is independently operated and is not an official U.S. Army website.
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