Elite status is normally awarded for flights or room nights earned during a calendar year. Elite-qualifying points (EQPs) earned during 2010, for instance, count toward 2011 status. But EQPs earned in excess of one elite threshold but below the next-higher threshold are superfluous.
Example: You earned 35,000 EQPs during 2009. Your program awards silver status at 25,000 points, and gold at 50,000. So on the strength of your 35,000 EQPs, you enjoyed the perks associated with silver status throughout 2010. ....