Honestly, it's a guess. Internal opinion seems to be split about 50/50. Either is gets you to the top of the pile early, or it only comes into play once you're selected for the MIA interview.

A good friend had two internals and was employed flying a 747-400 and, for whatever reason, it took 1.5 years from PAQ submission to phone interview. Upon completing his interview, however, he was offered a class almost immediately.

Compare that to the guy that applied 1/17 and was called within two weeks.

We're still trying to break the code. So far it's still a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.