I think if they offer a spot, it gets filled, but actual numbers in each spot isn’t known, so it can be massaged if they want. Only hard rule is it has to be a spot left over from the previous AE.
It’s not like it used to be and you show up day 1, they post the numbers on the board and look at the senior pilot in the class and say “which one you want” and go from there. So at least an improvement in that aspect IMO.