CFA questions

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DROGE456

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Oct 9, 2016
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I know CFA is pass or fail, but does doing significantly better than the passing benchmark increase your chances of admission in anyway?
 
Yes it does. The CFA is scored, and that score is worth 10% of your total. If you "pass" with a minimally qualifying score you will need to get points in other areas (academic or leadership) to make up the difference if the competition in your district has higher scores. My son's RC emphasized this when we met with him back when my son was applying to USMA, and said a real good CFA score can make all the difference in a close call between applicants, and said most often it is a pretty close call on who gets the appointment.
 
DROGE456 said:
I know CFA is pass or fail, but does doing significantly better than the passing benchmark increase your chances of admission in anyway?
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Yes, as brovol said, a higher CFA score translates into more WCS points.

However, in deciding where to put extra effort you should consider any weaknesses and where you have the best chance for more points. Because CFA is only weighted 10%, a higher ACT/SAT score will likely translate into more WCS points than a higher CFA score.

If you are below the average in CFA, it is important to work hard to improve; the gain in WCS points is worth the effort as well as removing any question of physical readiness. But if you are comfortably above the average, there are fewer points to be had and you should decide which area needs the most work. Note that I am talking about extra effort - you need to prepare for the CFA regardless of how athletic you are.
 
I agree with jl123. The ACT/SAT is the most important part of the package, and improving that will help the application more than anything else. But, you don't work on test prep nonstop. And going for a run, doing push-ups, and pull-ups is something that can be done before or after studying, and really shouldn't interfere with the other stuff.

You want to be a Cadet, push yourself.
 
On a side note, I am confused about what the PE SOE evaluates. My DS's PE SOE (ROTC PT teacher) told him it was a physical assessment, but how does this differ from the CFA? Since DS is in college he is scrambling to finish up his application and it would be helpful to know if it is indeed a physical assessment, whether to complete over winter break or when he's back at college in January-which delays his final application submittal. Thanks!
 
azmilmom said:
On a side note, I am confused about what the PE SOE evaluates. My DS's PE SOE (ROTC PT teacher) told him it was a physical assessment, but how does this differ from the CFA? Since DS is in college he is scrambling to finish up his application and it would be helpful to know if it is indeed a physical assessment, whether to complete over winter break or when he's back at college in January-which delays his final application submittal. Thanks!
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The PE SOE is not a test. The evaluator must already have knowledge of the candidate's athletic ability. Therefore, it is better to get it done as soon as possible. The only action required by the candidate is to provide the contact information of the evaluator, similar to the other SOE's.

It is intended to correlate the athleticism indicated by the results of the CFA with the actual athleticism of the candidate. Unfortunately, some new cadets show up on R Day and don't come close to the athletic ability indicated by the results reported on the CFA. That is the reason for the newly required PE SOE and video.
 
jl123 said:
The PE SOE is not a test. The evaluator must already have knowledge of the candidate's athletic ability. Therefore, it is better to get it done as soon as possible. The only action required by the candidate is to provide the contact information of the evaluator, similar to the other SOE's.

It is intended to correlate the athleticism indicated by the results of the CFA with the actual athleticism of the candidate. Unfortunately, some new cadets show up on R Day and don't come close to the athletic ability indicated by the results reported on the CFA. That is the reason for the newly required PE SOE and video.
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So, for my DS, it might be best to have his ROTC PT as his PE SOE as he sees DS on a regular basis? Also, what video are you referencing? Thanks so much for your information!
 
azmilmom said:
So, for my DS, it might be best to have his ROTC PT as his PE SOE as he sees DS on a regular basis? Also, what video are you referencing? Thanks so much for your information!
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The instructions on the portal will have information on who can complete the PE SOE. I believe the instructions ask for a PE instructor. Since many schools do not have PE instructors, it must be someone who has observed candidate and can evaluate athletic ability, but can not be a coach. I am not that familiar with ROTC, but would guess that ROTC PT would qualify. Best to check the instructions on the portal and if there is any doubt, consult Regional Commander.

The video is new this year and not required of all candidates. It seems they are spot checking for form on push-ups and pull-ups. If it is required, it will appear on the portal and can be taken with a smart phone and uploaded on the portal.
 
jl123 said:
The instructions on the portal will have information on who can complete the PE SOE. I believe the instructions ask for a PE instructor. Since many schools do not have PE instructors, it must be someone who has observed candidate and can evaluate athletic ability, but can not be a coach. I am not that familiar with ROTC, but would guess that ROTC PT would qualify. Best to check the instructions on the portal and if there is any doubt, consult Regional Commander.

The video is new this year and not required of all candidates. It seems they are spot checking for form on push-ups and pull-ups. If it is required, it will appear on the portal and can be taken with a smart phone and uploaded on the portal.
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DS reached out to the USMA Regional Commander and the RC said that he may have the ROTC PT teacher be the PE SOE as DS is in college. Since the person who is administering his CFA doesn't see him on any regular basis performing athletics, it seems as though the ROTC PT teacher will be a more appropriate person.

So, should we make sure to video (via phone) DS's CFA? Otherwise, he'll be away at college and will make it more difficult for him to redo just for a video confirmation. :)
 
azmilmom said:
So, should we make sure to video (via phone) DS's CFA? Otherwise, he'll be away at college and will make it more difficult for him to redo just for a video confirmation. :)
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That would be a good idea. Might not have to submit it, but it will be done already if they request it. Also, should be fun to watch in 20 years.
 
If one is applying to multiple academies, can one do separate CFAs for each academy? Or, do they all automatically share the results of a CFA submitted to one academy? I believe I have seen an option on a portal to retrieve CFA results from another academy, but if you don't want to do this, is it correct to do separate ones for each? Thanks!
 
azmilmom said:
If one is applying to multiple academies, can one do separate CFAs for each academy? Or, do they all automatically share the results of a CFA submitted to one academy? I believe I have seen an option on a portal to retrieve CFA results from another academy, but if you don't want to do this, is it correct to do separate ones for each? Thanks!
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As of last year you had to request USMA/USNA to send the results to the other. I don't know about the other SA's. Obviously, you would wait until passing one before asking that the results be sent to the other if there is any doubt. I haven't seen anything to indicate that this has changed, so you could do separate tests. Don't know about other academies, but for USMA you get one shot at the CFA, so even if you do better for another academy, you couldn't send it to USMA if you have already done the USMA CFA. (a couple of exceptions to this, but not relevant for most candidates)

However, unless you didn't pass the CFA for one academy, it might not be the best idea to do it again for the other academy. If the score is at the low end, you risk failing on the subsequent attempt for the other academy. If the score is solid, there is little to gain. The best advice is to train hard and get a good first score.
 
jl123 said:
Green check on the portal
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I'm pretty sure the green check only indicates that they have received your scores, and your CFA administrator has completed the verification stuff s/he has to do. I don't think that is an indicator of passing or not.
 
1337BeachedWhale1337 said:
I'm pretty sure the green check only indicates that they have received your scores, and your CFA administrator has completed the verification stuff s/he has to do. I don't think that is an indicator of passing or not.
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My bad. I think you're correct that the candidate portal doesn't indicate pass/fail, only completion.
 
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