USMA CFA

Stevewar2

5-Year Member
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Oct 7, 2013
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Anyone know of someone failing one of the areas on the CFA and still getting an appointment?
 
Anyone know of someone failing one of the areas on the CFA and still getting an appointment?

Had a close case. A candidate that failed a CFA event was considered for a wavier. He didn't get the wavier. So if he would have gotten the waiver, he would have gotten in.
 
Pass or Fail

Plain and simple, pass or fail.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
CFA is a pass/fail event? I heard if you did exceptionally well you would get some recognition, but that is still about 10% of the WCS, so I would imagine that it doesn't matter all that much, unless you fail it.
 
Anyone know of someone failing one of the areas on the CFA and still getting an appointment?

If you are an exceptional candidate, but fail one part or come very close to the minimum score on one event, you may be given permission to retake it.
 
CFA is a pass/fail event? I heard if you did exceptionally well you would get some recognition, but that is still about 10% of the WCS, so I would imagine that it doesn't matter all that much, unless you fail it.

If you do not pass (ie get the minimums in all events), you will not be 3Q, which is required + a nomination to get an appointment.
 
If you are an exceptional candidate, but fail one part or come very close to the minimum score on one event, you may be given permission to retake it.

This happened to me on the bb throw last year. I was emailed from my regional commander about it and he authorized me to retake it to improve my throw. If you don't hear anything from admissions about retaking the CFA, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I failed it once (everything was above average except the flexed arm hang), and my coordinator reset it so I got to take it again.

The problem with waiving a failed CFA is that when someone isn't able to pass the CFA they are likely not going to be able to perform once they are at the academy either.
 
Plain and simple, pass or fail.

We sure about this? My understanding is that it's scored and counts for 10% of WCS. But does have a minimum score. (But maybe I've gotten rusty)

Maybe if you have an LOA, then yes, you just need to pass.

But otherwise, fight for every point because it can make a difference.
 
Pass or Fail

So lets look at the CFA this way. Lets give a number scale of 1 thru 10, 10 being the best or max. All SA use the same CFA to quantify a candidate. We know the max score, but what we don’t know is the minimum score and each SA has their own minimum score. So we always get posts here asking how far can I push myself to trip over the minimum bar to pass the CFA. We just don’t know, but we do know is the maximum score. So why doesn’t a candidate prepare him or herself to max out their score, then they know they passed.

Now lets think about it this way. What kind of officer would you want to follow? The officer who wants to just do the bare minimum? Or do you think the Army is looking for an officer who prepares him or herself to reach the max?

The CFA only accounts for 10% of your WCS however it carries a lot of weight demonstrating who you are.

A time-honored tradition at West Point is March Back and everyone has to complete it. Carrying 45 lbs for 12 miles gives a soldier a lot of time to think. It’s more for building your “will and character.”

Yes everyone has to complete March Back. If you are injured before or during March Back, you must have medical attention. The Army wants you healthy and not make your injury worse. You will have an opportunity to complete March Back at a later time to receive credit.

So your goal must be to score a 9 or 10 and anything less is unacceptable.


Push Hard, Press Forward
 
We sure about this? My understanding is that it's scored and counts for 10% of WCS. But does have a minimum score. (But maybe I've gotten rusty)

Maybe if you have an LOA, then yes, you just need to pass.

But otherwise, fight for every point because it can make a difference.

In a very competitive situation, yes you need to fight for every point. But most cases, CFA score won't make the difference as there is no extra credit.

Candidate A - 58% academic, 25% leadership, and 7% CFA
Candidate B - 55% academic, 24% leadership, and 10% CFA

Some candidates focus on the area they are stronger in - leadership and CFA. Improving academics will give you most bang for your effort.
 
We sure about this? My understanding is that it's scored and counts for 10% of WCS. But does have a minimum score. (But maybe I've gotten rusty)

Maybe if you have an LOA, then yes, you just need to pass.

But otherwise, fight for every point because it can make a difference.

To add to Tugboat and MemberLG's response:

1) Yes, it matters to your WCS but the multiplier is only .10 (10%), whereas Academics has a multiplier of .60 (60%). You can fight for extra points, but a six point improvement in the physical score equates to a one point improvement in the academic score as far as WCS goes. Remember, when you retake the CFA, all events go back to zero. You may get two extra push-ups but if your mile run time drops, it could actually hurt the overall score.

2) It is Pass/Fail as you must Pass every event to be considered physically qualified. Tug stated all academies use the same CFA (which is true) but not all have the same minimum standards on each event. You can actually be qualified (meet the minimums) for one academy and not the others.

3) There are so few LOAs, that they really don't really matter to the discussion; LOE's are a different story as more are issued. But an LOE indicates you are excelling in one or both of the other two areas (academics and leadership) not in the "CFA." Go back through these boards and you will see lots of candidates who 'maxed' out the CFA but failed to get an appointment. But yes, if you do have one of those magically LOA's, all you have to do is meet the minimums to physically qualify.
 
Another thing I think is worth mentioning is that though all the SAs (other than Coast Guard) use the same Test, they don't have the same standards.
 
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