Retaking the CFA

frenzymando

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I did my CFA 4 months ago and I did fine in all of the events except for the mile(I still passed the CFA despite my slow mile time). I got: 70 foot basketball throw, 18 pull ups(max), 8.2 shuttle run, 74 sit ups, 75 push ups(max) and 7:59 mile.

I'm about in the same shape right now as I was 4 months ago, but I'm considering retaking it and not trying as hard as I can in the rest of the events so that I can do better in the mile. I'm not that bad of a runner, I can run the mile in about 6:25 normally, but I was very tired when I got to the mile because I went all out in the rest of the events. I feel like if I had not given it my all in the rest of the events and done 10 pull ups instead of 18, 60 push ups instead of 75, and 60 sit ups instead of 74, I could have gotten a much better mile time, probably around 6:40 or 6:50 I would guess. I realize 7:59 is an extremely slow mile time and I am concerned that the admissions board will think I'm not fit enough to pass the PRT. Would it be a good idea to not try as hard in some of the events to try and improve my mile time?

Also, is there a way I can send USNA my PFA scores from ROTC scholarship applications? I'm taking my PFA soon and since there are no time restrictions regarding resting time on it, my mile time will probably be around the mid-6 minute mark which may be good enough that the admissions board won't have any concerns that I will struggle with the PRT.
 
The PFA is not the same as the CFA. The run is longer for the PFA.
~ FYI, NROTC boards started to meet almost 2 months ago. I would get that PFA done ASAP because if your school list includes powerhouse units/schools with a lot of applicants than the longer you wait the higher the chance there will be no scholarship available. Caveat if you are going NROTC MO.

I feel like if I had not given it my all in the rest of the events and done 10 pull ups instead of 18, 60 push ups instead of 75, and 60 sit ups instead of 74, I could have gotten a much better mile time, probably around 6:40 or 6:50 I would guess.

I am not following here at all. If you passed overall, with some areas that are max, than why re-do it with no max scores at all?

Additionally, let's assume you get an appointment, don't you think they will be pushing you at a harder rate than you are pushing yourself. JMPO, but I think they will be able to see you saving your strength for the next portion, like it appears you want to do with the CFA.
~ Basically it means to me you are just putting off the pain you will feel come next July
 
The run is longer for the PFA.
http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/pdfs/Navy_Option_NROTC_Supplemental_Application_Forms_June_2014.pdf
That is not true unless things have changed in the last year.
~ FYI, NROTC boards started to meet almost 2 months ago. I would get that PFA done ASAP because if your school list includes powerhouse units/schools with a lot of applicants than the longer you wait the higher the chance there will be no scholarship available. Caveat if you are going NROTC MO
I don't intend on applying for an NROTC scholarship, I am applying for an AROTC one. I know I messed up by not applying earlier, but prior to about 10 days ago every school I was interested in I could get full-ride from so I didn't intend on applying for an AROTC scholarship either, I intended to join with no scholarship. But recently I realized Texas AandM has really good engineering and I could get full ride from their academic scholarship combined with an ROTC scholarship, so I've decided to apply. Not sure if it is too late, but I am hoping that if I complete my application before the 2nd review board date there will still be some left. I know Texas AandM has a huge unit.
I am not following here at all. If you passed overall, with some areas that are max, than why re-do it with no max scores at all?
Because if the review board looks at my scores and converts it to PRT scores, I definitely won't pass currently. 7:59 isn't even close to passing if converted. However, 60 push ups with 60 sit ups and a 6:40 mile may convert to scores pretty close to passing in all areas, if not passing in all of them. As I understand it, doing extremely well in 2 categories on the PRT and failing the 3rd is worse than doing mediocre in all 3 categories and passing. If they look at me now they might think I will do the former, if I retake the CFA and do what I said they might think I will do the latter.

Additionally, let's assume you get an appointment, don't you think they will be pushing you at a harder rate than you are pushing yourself.
~ Basically it means to me you are just putting off the pain you will feel come next July
I don't see what connection you are trying to make here. By retaking the CFA and not trying my best in certain portions I will be putting off pain? What?

JMPO, but I think they will be able to see you saving your strength for the next portion, like it appears you want to do with the CFA.
Is that cheating or something? I want the review board to think I won't have problems with the PRT. To my knowledge the PRT isn't taken in sequence, so the fact that I'm saving my strength probably wouldn't matter to them even if they figured it out unless it's cheating to do so.
 
I don't intend on applying for an NROTC scholarship, I am applying for an AROTC one.

So, in essence you want to submit the AROTC PFA to USNA? The CFA and PFA are different. There is no shuttle or BBall throw for the PFA. I can't recall, but I believe there is no pull ups portion for AROTC either. The fact is that they would not accept a ROTC PFA within the same branch, let alone a different branch. It doesn't happen. It is a different test.
~ AROTC I believe is like AFROTC. 1 1/2 mile not 1 mile.
~ Or were you hoping that if you took the NROTC PFA without applying for NROTC they would accept that test over the CFA?

By retaking the CFA and not trying my best in certain portions I will be putting off pain? What?

The pain I am talking about is when you get there next July. Every year there are kids that work out constantly to max the CFA, however once they take it many stop working out and find out once there that they should have continued to push at that level. They also find out that the administer of their CFA counted push ups, sit ups and pull ups that they won't once there.
~ There are tons of threads on the ROTC side from posters illustrating how their scores dropped dramatically on their first PFT, even though they maxxed it in HS. PT instructors are strict on form.

the fact that I'm saving my strength probably wouldn't matter to them even if they figured it out unless it's cheating to do so.
Again, talking about once in. They will see you are not going all out and push you to max every section. They will scream your name so everyone can hear you being called out.
~ My DS was ROTC, and his job as a cadet was to be a PT instructor. They can tell the difference between self pacing and just going for the mediocre scores to pass all portions.
You are implying here that you are going to do the latter.
No offense, but you have said on multiple threads that you can do a 6:25 min mile, but if I am correct you have taken the CFA twice and both times you are near the 8 min marker.

It is not a matter of cheating, it is the matter of the idea you think that once in, that they are not going to push you harder there than your PE coach that administered the CFA/PFA.
 
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The PFA cannot be used as the CFA.
Instead of trying to "game" the system, you should work on your push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and run/shuttle-run (basketball throw too, if you want to) so that when you take the CFA you aren't as fatigued for each event, which will improve your performance -- all your muscles have to adapt. You might want to workout in those areas and do a simplified (i.e. without basketball throw, since it really doesn't fatigue your muscles a lot) mock-CFA each week or 2 to see where you stand.
As Pima was implying, there is no substitute for working out -- you can always push yourself more -- but to me, meeting the 80% score of the USNA PRT is normally not extremely hard if one regularly works out (at least push-ups, sit-ups, and running).
 
So, in essence you want to submit the AROTC PFA to USNA?


No, I want the review board to see my PFA scores so that they know I'm not a horrible runner. Basically I'm wondering if I can get them to somehow see my PFA scores.

AROTC I believe is like AFROTC. 1 1/2 mile not 1
That's not true, it's 1 mile.
6:25 min mile, but if I am correct you have taken the CFA twice and both times you are near the 8 min marker.
Running the mile after doing 18 pull ups, 75 push ups and 74 sit ups is different than running it fresh. If you don't want to believe that I can run a mile in faster than 7:59 that is your choice.
 
The PFA cannot be used as the CFA.
Instead of trying to "game" the system, you should work on your push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and run/shuttle-run (basketball throw too, if you want to) so that when you take the CFA you aren't as fatigued for each event, which will improve your performance -- all your muscles have to adapt. You might want to workout in those areas and do a simplified (i.e. without basketball throw, since it really doesn't fatigue your muscles a lot) mock-CFA each week or 2 to see where you stand.
As Pima was implying, there is no substitute for working out -- you can always push yourself more -- but to me, meeting the 80% score of the USNA PRT is normally not extremely hard if one regularly works out (at least push-ups, sit-ups, and running).
I don't want to submit a PFA in place of my CFA I'm just wondering if there is a way I can get the USNA review board to see my PFA scores so that they don't think I'm a horrible runner. By the sounds of it there isn't.

I don't think I will struggle as much with the PRT run because I have read that it is not taken in sequence under time constraints like the CFA is.

I will try your advice and practice every event. I've mainly just been running rrecenly.
 
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I don't think I will struggle as much with the PRT run because I have read that it is not taken in sequence under time constraints like the CFA is.

Normally the run portion is done within 5-10 minutes (maybe a MIDN can provide a more realistic time estimate) of finishing the strength portion. At least when I was at USNA, while one group did the strength portion, the group ahead of them was doing the run and it takes ~10 minutes to do the strength portion (2 x 2 mins for push-ups and 2 x 2 mins for sit-ups = 8 minutes), which is enough time to clear the course for the next group. You already get 5 minutes for the CFA, I am not sure how much the extra 5 minutes really helps.
 
A question for frenzymando...

You are all over this forum offering advice on all types of situations for applicants. Now you're seeking advice on how to work the system to increase your cfa score.

Are your parents using your name to answer questions here? If not, can you tell us your specifics?

Example; are you a senior in high school? College student? Male/female? Siblings/ages? All your advice just doesn't jive with your apparent level of experience.

To me anyway.
 
I don't think I will struggle as much with the PRT run because I have read that it is not taken in sequence under time constraints like the CFA is.

Normally the run portion is done within 5-10 minutes (maybe a MIDN can provide a more realistic time estimate) of finishing the strength portion. At least when I was at USNA, while one group did the strength portion, the group ahead of them was doing the run and it takes ~10 minutes to do the strength portion (2 x 2 mins for push-ups and 2 x 2 mins for sit-ups = 8 minutes), which is enough time to clear the course for the next group. You already get 5 minutes for the CFA, I am not sure how much the extra 5 minutes really helps.
Thanks for the information. You're a fairly recent grad so there is a pretty good chance that they still do it the same way.
 
A question for frenzymando...

You are all over this forum offering advice on all types of situations for applicants. Now you're seeking advice on how to work the system to increase your cfa score.

Are your parents using your name to answer questions here? If not, can you tell us your specifics?

Example; are you a senior in high school? College student? Male/female? Siblings/ages? All your advice just doesn't jive with your apparent level of experience.

To me anyway.
I'm a senior in high school that knows how to use Google. I don't see what's wrong with providing people information. Most of my posts are not even advice, they are mostly information, and when I give advice it is almost always based on information and I usually say something along the lines of "I'm just a candidate so take this with a grain of salt..." If it bothers you that I post on this forum I can stop. I don't mean any trouble.

I'm not trying to cheat I'm just trying to show the admissions board that I'm not a terribly slow runner. If it's cheating to do what I described I won't do it.
 
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It doesn't bother me, in fact it's a little amusing. I am quite sure though that some of your posts have been taken as gospel by kids seeking info from folks with actual academy experience, when in fact you have none.

If you do get an appointment somewhere you could risk being labeled a "know it all."

We have seen it before. The brigade or the wing, if you are fortunate to gain admission, has a way of exposing plebes & doolies that are perceived as "too big for their britches."

You don't want to be that guy.
 
I am quite sure though that some of your posts have been taken as gospel by kids seeking info from folks with actual academy experience, when in fact you have none.
Reliable, objective information is the same regardless of what source it comes from. The objective information I post comes from reliable sources. Subjective information is a different story, but that is not what constitutes the majority of my posts, and when I do post subjective information, I do my best to remember to tell the person that I am just a candidate.
 
Reliable, objective information is the same regardless of what source it comes from. The objective information I post comes from reliable sources. Subjective information is a different story, but that is not what constitutes the majority of my posts, and when I do post subjective information, I do my best to remember to tell the person that I am just a candidate.

I disagree. Most of time that you are not good about distinguishing objective information and your opinions. Also don't confuse data vs. information. Data stands alone. When you convert data into information, it requires analysis. Your insistance on candidates "submitting" CFA scores is a good example. No amount of Google serach will show you that candidates can decide after taking the CFA the results should be submitted or not. As stated before many things in the military are prescriptive in nautre, as to you need to be authorized to do it, not if it doesn't say I can't do it I should be able to do it.
 
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