Low PCSM

mafd17

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Feb 18, 2016
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I was wondering how low of a PCSM score has anyone has seen someone get selected for Pilot with? I have a pretty terrible PCSM but I am getting as many hours as I can to increase the score.
 
Not to be rude, but don't worry about what you can't control. It will be what it will be, either you will get pilot or not. IOWS your PCSM is what your PCSM is. PCSM is only a portion of the score.

Getting pilot is one thing, winging is another. Keep flying not to just increase your score, but to help you when you get to UPT. Experience with landing in bad cross winds will help you more than you know and only with more flight hours will you feel more confident at UPT.

Honestly, what you are asking impo is the same as chance me for a scholarship. There are just too many factors that you have not revealed. Somebody can come on here and say I know a cadet that had a 43 PCSM and got pilot. Wooohhh, you feel good now because you have, let's say a 49.
HOWEVER, that 43 PCSM cadet may have been #1 in their det. #1 in the SFT class, and carried a 3.95 as a TECH major, while you are mid 1/3rd in the det, bottom 50% SFT, and carrying a 3.34 as a non-tech major.
Plus, we are not even getting into the weeds of how many UPT slots vs applicant pool for HQAF MPC UPT needs from one year to another.

There are threads here showing the avgs, same as baseops.net. If memory serves me right, and remember I am not a spring chicken. The avg PCSM is in the 60s overall. That is avg. so theoretically for every 90 PCSM there will be a 30 to bring it to 60 avg. Again, that is the avg., which is different than the median. My bet would be there are very few with a 30 PCSM.
 
I was wondering how low of a PCSM score has anyone has seen someone get selected for Pilot with? I have a pretty terrible PCSM but I am getting as many hours as I can to increase the score.

Someone from my det, about two years ago, got picked up for pilot in an alternate board with a 31 PCSM. I note two years ago because the average select PCSM scores were lower back then (high 50s). He was non-tech major. I don't know what his GPA was nor his RSS, I know he didn't get DG or SP and had about mid 90s PFA. Nevertheless, PCSM is 40% of your OM score in AFROTC. This means that you really have to buffer your low PCSM score with having high scores in every other category.

If you're trying to go OTS then I personally don't know of anyone getting picked up with a low PCSM. If you go to the OTS portal forums, you will be able to get a better gauge on that. They usually put together spreadsheets for those competing for boards and everyone inputs their scores. When results come out, they usually calculate statistics. It's not official but might be helpful.

One of the differences between ROTC and OTS when it comes to pilot selection is that ROTC has an Order of Merit score where different factors compute a total score. I may be wrong, but I don't believe AF OTS does that, or at least not publically. They evaluate your package on the whole person concept so there is a lot of gray area.
 
Speaking of PCSM scores, can one of you more informed individuals say what you'd guess the average PCSM score may be for this coming rated board (spring)? I ask since spring 2015 was avg. 50-something, and this last spring was average 60-something, so I'm wondering if you expect to see that trend continuing upward, especially since there may be a lower AFROTC select rate due to the increases in the OTS side. Obviously I'm not expecting anything highly definitive as there's no way of knowing for sure. Just wanted to hear ya'll's thoughts.
 
Speaking of PCSM scores, can one of you more informed individuals say what you'd guess the average PCSM score may be for this coming rated board (spring)? I ask since spring 2015 was avg. 50-something, and this last spring was average 60-something, so I'm wondering if you expect to see that trend continuing upward, especially since there may be a lower AFROTC select rate due to the increases in the OTS side. Obviously I'm not expecting anything highly definitive as there's no way of knowing for sure. Just wanted to hear ya'll's thoughts.

Sure..

Average select PCSMs:
FY15: 57.1
FY16: 64.4
FY17: 66.3

Now let's look at how many pilots were selected out of everyone selected:

FY15: 461 pilots out of 689 rated selectees = 66.91%
FY16: 381 pilots out of 660 rated selectees = 57.73%
FY17: 345 pilots out of 694 rated selectees = 49.71%

Per the numbers, the AF is selecting fewer pilots per capita which is making the average scores even more competitive. I believe that this trend will continue because of the UPT pipeline and the foreseen increase in OTS pilot selects. Therefore, I think that the PCSM average for the FY18 board will be more competitive than last year. If I had to throw a random number or number range, I'd say in the ballpark of 67-70 for average PCSM.

I caution that this is VERY speculative and just my best guess to give you an answer.
 
Im going for pilot in the upcoming spring 2017 board.
GPA: 3.4 (Non-Tech)
PFA: 94
PCSM:53
FT:Middle 1/3
RSS: Top 1/3

Im wondering if anyone has some insight on how competitive these scores will be considering my GPA is in a non-tech major and the fact that I don't have a rated EA.
Im planning to put high interest across the board but am expecting that i'd probably receive RPA before pilot. Any thoughts?
 
Nobody can really tell you because nobody at this point knows the candidate pool size or the slots HQ AFROTC will drop.

RPA is hard to gauge because like UPT that pipeline is running over 100% max.

When you say high across the board that means you will take ABM too?

If it was me, I would take control over what I can control.

94 PFA is not stellar. Run, work out. Get it to a 98 because every point matters. You can't control your SFT ranking or the RSS. You can move the PFA
 
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Yes, ABM score is 64. Although I'm not all that interested in ABM, I'd hate to not get picked up at all and wonder what if?
 
Are you wiling to go ABM? If not than you need to rank it low.

I am not sure RPA is going to happen. They are running at 110% like UPT.

Why do you want RPA? I am a supporter of RPA, but if you want to be a pilot, than CSO impo would be the way to go over RPA. RPA is critical manning. Releasing you after a few years op world may be harder than xtraining from the CSO/nav world.
 
Run hard, get some more flights hours, do well this semester, be the best cadet you can be; that's all one can do. Realize your weaknesses and see what you can do to counteract them. Sure, the point totals seem small in some areas, but they can make a big difference in the end. Apparently the number of pilot slots is supposed top go up this year, but anything can happen.
 
Are you wiling to go ABM? If not than you need to rank it low.

I am not sure RPA is going to happen. They are running at 110% like UPT.

Why do you want RPA? I am a supporter of RPA, but if you want to be a pilot, than CSO impo would be the way to go over RPA. RPA is critical manning. Releasing you after a few years op world may be harder than xtraining from the CSO/nav world.
I would be willing to go ABM if I got selected, it just wouldn't be my preffered rated slot. I just think i'd be happier doing that any other non rated AFSC if I didn't get pilot. I like RPA because I feel like I'd be doing a lot to directly support the mission and I'd be happy with that. So of course I'd keep my eyes open for opportunities, but my goal there wouldn't be to go from RPA to traditional Pilot rather just to embrace that job and do it as well as I can. As for CSO, my score is around 30 so I just never really considered that an option.
 
GPA:2.8
PCSM:79
PFA:97
FTPR: 1/3
RSS: TOP 10%

I know my GPA is low. Any guidance on what my chances could be if everything stays the same? I already have 200+ flight hours.
 
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