United States Navy
Passed midshipman was first used in 1819, and unlike the Royal Navy was an official rank of the United States Navy. With the establishment of the rank of ensign in 1862, the ranking structure was changed. The term midshipman came to mean an officer that passed his exams, while a cadet midshipman was one that had not or was still an undergraduate. An officer would be promoted to the grade of ensign after midshipman, rather than lieutenant.
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