Videos of CFA Pullups and Pushups now required on the Portal. Anyone else?

Padre101

Parent
5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
903
I hate to be the only one banging the gong on this issue.

So if you read my previous threads, you would know that my DS took the CFA at SLE. Did very well on the CFA. Above average. Maxed pushups and situps. 16 pullups. His SLE squad leader told him that he passed his CFA no problem.

Months later after his CFA was posted on the portal and had a green check mark for his CFA score, his RC gave him a heads up to send videos of the pushups and pullups. He followed the instructions and sent them to the RC promptly.

No response from the RC for weeks.

Now, on this portal, there are two red Xs requiring his pushup and pullup videos. His CFA score has a green check still, but it looks like I have to reload the video again.

Anyone else now have this as a portal requirement?????
 
It is simply luck of the draw. Candidates were randomly selected to have to submit video. It can be submitted directly on the portal. There is a drop down somewhere on portal site, two of the options are upload pull up video and upload push up video. My candidate has to do it too.
 
It is simply luck of the draw. Candidates were randomly selected to have to submit video. It can be submitted directly on the portal. There is a drop down somewhere on portal site, two of the options are upload pull up video and upload push up video. My candidate has to do it too.

Appreciate the response, but you're using the word "luck" very loosely.

It was nice to see all the Green Check marks on the portal while it lasted.
 
It is simply luck of the draw. Candidates were randomly selected to have to submit video. It can be submitted directly on the portal. There is a drop down somewhere on portal site, two of the options are upload pull up video and upload push up video. My candidate has to do it too.

Just out of curiosity, how did your DS or DD conduct the CFA? SLE? NASS? JROTC? PE Teacher?

Thanks.
 
There are some appointees that report on R day or I day and their fitness is not commensurate with the numbers reported on the CFA.

WHY? Is it lying? Desperation to be appointed? Shame over weakness or being overweight?

We'd like to think it doesn't happen, but it does. One who misrepresents themself should never take a spot away from an honest kid.

Most kids are very deserving, but if you ever spend much time at an academy, you'll wonder how some kids you see successfully completed the CFA.

Some are exposed during plebe summer, beast, BCT, etc. and some feign, or milk injury due to being unprepared or unfit. They lose face with classmates, but once school starts it's survive time, and they can build toward improving which must be done for the seasonal PFA.

So, that's why some are bring asked to send videos. I believe it is a good idea. Perhaps everyone should send a video of their entire CFA.
 
Candidates are not randomly selected to submit the videos. There are 2 situations that may get you a request for a video of your pushups and pull-ups/flex arm hang.
1) you took the CFA at another academy and had very high pullup/flex arm hang scores.
or
2) you failed the CFA

The videos will go through several layers of scrutiny (similar to the 3Q process). Once everyone agrees to the number of push-ups and pull ups/flex arm hang done (correctly) in the video, then those numbers will be updated on your CFA.

Padre101 - what may have happened in your son's case is that when this requirement was first implemented, they did not have the capability to upload the videos yet, hence you had to email the video to the RC. Now they do, so your son is having to upload the video. Not sure why he is having to do it twice, but it may have to to with the having the video on his portal (via the upload). There are a lot of IT things going on at WP and Admissions is having to wait its turn to get some of their IT issues dealt with. While we all think that Admissions should have some priority here, being in the midst of the admissions cycle, apparently that is not the case.
 
There are some appointees that report on R day or I day and their fitness is not commensurate with the numbers reported on the CFA.
...
So, that's why some are bring asked to send videos. I believe it is a good idea. Perhaps everyone should send a video of their entire CFA.

This^^^.

Nothing wrong with mandatory video upload now that the portal can handle it. In fact the very requirement to do so would serve as a valuable deterrent to friendly scoring by the AD observer who attests to the score.
Video backup of competitions is very common these days in Olympic lifting and CrossFit. (They even insist a running clock is viable in the video so there's no "editing".)
 
I was part of the Army for a long time. I get it. I understand that requirements change to address deficiencies and shortcomings.

But this is what I see as flaws in the current methodology:

-Having to perform pull ups and push ups back-to-back is not similar to the events performed at the actual CFA.
-Why focus on just two events, why not videotape all events?
-Why implement this in the middle of the current application process season?
-Why aren’t the other service academies doing something similar? Are kids going to USAFA and USNA not having the same issues at their first day at BCT or Plebe Summer?

Just my two cents.
 
There are some appointees that report on R day or I day and their fitness is not commensurate with the numbers reported on the CFA.

WHY? Is it lying? Desperation to be appointed? Shame over weakness or being overweight?

We'd like to think it doesn't happen, but it does. One who misrepresents themself should never take a spot away from an honest kid.

Most kids are very deserving, but if you ever spend much time at an academy, you'll wonder how some kids you see successfully completed the CFA.

Some are exposed during plebe summer, beast, BCT, etc. and some feign, or milk injury due to being unprepared or unfit. They lose face with classmates, but once school starts it's survive time, and they can build toward improving which must be done for the seasonal PFA.

So, that's why some are bring asked to send videos. I believe it is a good idea. Perhaps everyone should send a video of their entire CFA.

I can see possibly questioning the reliability of the scoring from a PE teacher, but why question the scoring if the scores were measured during the summer programs at the service academies???
 
I can see possibly questioning the reliability of the scoring from a PE teacher, but why question the scoring if the scores were measured during the summer programs at the service academies???

My understanding is that West Point Department of Physical Education (DPE) is behind this process. So if West Point DPE administered the CFA during SLE, it doesn't make sense. But if West Point DPE did not administered the CFA during SLE, they could have concerns about CFA administered by the Admissions Office personnel or Cadets. Accordingly, the DPE will be also concerned about CFA administered by other SAs.
 
My understanding is that West Point Department of Physical Education (DPE) is behind this process. So if West Point DPE administered the CFA during SLE, it doesn't make sense. But if West Point DPE did not administered the CFA during SLE, they could have concerns about CFA administered by the Admissions Office personnel or Cadets. Accordingly, the DPE will be also concerned about CFA administered by other SAs.

Ok. That makes sense. My understanding is that the Cadre graded SLE's CFA.
 
My son's RC said that his boss is now requiring videos of the CFA because there have been a few discrepencies. He explained that a few "less than honest" candidates are the reason for the additional scrutiny.

At the last R-day, several candidates could not do a single pull up. Could be from the stress of R-day, but they are seeing a trend and cracking down.
 
My son's RC said that his boss is now requiring videos of the CFA because there have been a few discrepencies. He explained that a few "less than honest" candidates are the reason for the additional scrutiny.

At the last R-day, several candidates could not do a single pull up. Could be from the stress of R-day, but they are seeing a trend and cracking down.

Interesting.
 
My DS was very surprised how many showed up in very poor condition for Beast. From his account it is more than a few. I would hope that those accepted would be doing better than the average on CFA. The filming requirement is not hard to comply with and I'm all for it.
 
Back
Top