CFA re-take for USAFA?

birdwatcher4125

birdwatcher4125

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I read somewhere on this forum that the AFA will only accept one passing CFA score submittal. Once they've got a passing CFA score in the candidate queue they won't allow an improved re-take score to be re-submitted to replace the original passing score.

Does anyone know if this is this true?

My DS passed his CFA (No Risk) at West Point SLE with a 562 score. He's convinced that he could get a 650-700 on a re-take he's planning on doing this October at the local High School. At West Point the higher your CFA score, the more points you get on the Whole Candidate Score, so he's definitely going to re-take it. But, he's wondering if he should hold off submitting his current score to AFA and only submit his re-take score next month, or should he try submitting both?

We'd love to hear any advice that can be offered. Thank you.
 
You can retake and send in your better CFA. You have 2 chances. Your DS had the chance to request the score to be sent to USAFA at USMA. He didn’t so no record at USAFA. So he can submit up to 2 CFA results. That 562 total score is meaningless. They will need the breakdown. You can bet that if he did 562 at USMA he will do less at USAFA if he enrolls there due to the altitude. You need to be in better shape at USAFA. USAFA will ask for retake if your DS mile run is over 7:30. You should add 30 seconds to mile run for USAFA due to the altitude, 7,000+ feet above sea level. Air is thin and you will feel it everyday if you’re from the sea level. Some people take 3 years to acclimate. Some longer. Some less. Depends on people. For male, you have to run under 8:00 in normal condition to pass the mile run. Try to run +/-7:00 on the mile run. Air Force has the highest average CFA. Reference the Academy average and target to perform within the average.
 
Thanks CrewDad, that's good information.

My DS got the following on his SLE CFA: B-Ball Throw: 66’; Pull-Ups: 12; Shuttle Run: 9.0; Crunches: 60; Push-Ups: 67; 1-Mile Run: 6:42; CFA Score: 562 (PASSED - No Risk). He's been working pretty hard for the last three months to improve his score. He can now get high 70's to low 80's on the B-Ball Throw, max out the pull-ups, crunches and push-ups, and do the mile in just under 6:00 min. He hasn't worked the shuttle run in a while, but he's going to plug it into his routine pretty quick here.

I've heard that if DS contacts USMA Admissions and asks them to send his CFA scores to the other academies, that they'll do it right away. Hopefully they will. USMMA also accepts two CFA score submittals, I'm not so sure about USNA.

Thanks for the advice.
 
birdwatcher4125 said:
Thanks CrewDad, that's good information.

My DS got the following on his SLE CFA: B-Ball Throw: 66’; Pull-Ups: 12; Shuttle Run: 9.0; Crunches: 60; Push-Ups: 67; 1-Mile Run: 6:42; CFA Score: 562 (PASSED - No Risk). He's been working pretty hard for the last three months to improve his score. He can now get high 70's to low 80's on the B-Ball Throw, max out the pull-ups, crunches and push-ups, and do the mile in just under 6:00 min. He hasn't worked the shuttle run in a while, but he's going to plug it into his routine pretty quick here.

I've heard that if DS contacts USMA Admissions and asks them to send his CFA scores to the other academies, that they'll do it right away. Hopefully they will. USMMA also accepts two CFA score submittals, I'm not so sure about USNA.

Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...
USAFA max
Bball throw 102
Pull ups 18
Shuttle run 8.1 sec
Sit ups 95
Push ups 75
mile 5:20

Average
Bball throw 69
Pull ups 12
Shuttle 8.1 sec.sit ups 81
Push ups 62
Mile 6:29

Hope that helps and gives you an idea!!!! Best of luck to your DS!
 
birdwatcher4125 said:
Thanks ginapenny! It's good to have some numbers to target. Now he needs to hit that shuttle run!
Click to expand...

If you’re not doing so already, sweep the wood floor really well before doing the shuttle run. If possible, use a gym floor that’s been resurfaced fairly recently. And have DS wipe the bottom of his shoes with a damp towel. Makes a difference. (My DD had the good — and unexpected — fortune of doing her shuttle run on a floor that had been resurfaced a couple days before. Let’s just say her time raised eyebrows at a certain SA. Her proctor confirmed it, all was well.)
 
IMO Your DS CFA looks fine as is. Any improvement is a PLUS! Go get your dreams!
 
MidCakePa said:
birdwatcher4125 said:
Thanks ginapenny! It's good to have some numbers to target. Now he needs to hit that shuttle run!
Click to expand...

If you’re not doing so already, sweep the wood floor really well before doing the shuttle run. If possible, use a gym floor that’s been resurfaced fairly recently. And have DS wipe the bottom of his shoes with a damp towel. Makes a difference. (My DD had the good — and unexpected — fortune of doing her shuttle run on a floor that had been resurfaced a couple days before. Let’s just say her time raised eyebrows at a certain SA. Her proctor confirmed it, all was well.)
Click to expand...
And if the floor isn't wood?
Or rather "ancient"?
We need to run anyways at warm-up, so I might as well.
 
CrewDad said:
You can retake and send in your better CFA. You have 2 chances.
Click to expand...

Unless something has changed, this is not true for USAFA. USAFA must open the portal for you to submit a 2nd CFA. IOWS, if your proctor submits the 1st score and you want to do a re-test you need to contact USAFA and ask them to open the portal again for the new scores. You can't just submit a new one like you do with your SAT/ACT

They do open it up, but usually only for candidates that are competitive and see them lacking in the CFA. E.G. you pass and are in the median, the rest of your packet looks good, thus, they may say NO. Or conversely, your packet is very strong, but the CFA is weak and hope that by giving you a second shot you will get at least to the median point.

The point is do not assume that you can re-submit after the 1st CFA is submitted. I know that USMA is different, but remember although both are SAs they have different procedures/protocols when it comes to the process.
 
birdwatcher4125 said:
SLE CFA: B-Ball Throw: 66’; Pull-Ups: 12; Shuttle Run: 9.0; Crunches: 60; Push-Ups: 67; 1-Mile Run: 6:42; CFA Score: 562 (PASSED - No Risk)
Click to expand...

DS did CFA at SLE also and for reference had the following: Bball: 66', Pull-ups: 18, Shuttle: 9.0, Sit-ups: 81, Push-ups: 68, Mile: 5:25 = 650
 
SAparent2023 said:
DS did CFA at SLE also and for reference had the following: Bball: 66', Pull-ups: 18, Shuttle: 9.0, Sit-ups: 81, Push-ups: 68, Mile: 5:25 = 650
Click to expand...

Those are good numbers, especially that mile time! Very well done! That 650 score will really help with the Whole Candidate Score at West Point. According to the 2015 RAND Report on USMA Admissions analysis a CFA score of >650 will yield extra points because they count that score with the Athletic Activities Score as well as the Physical Aptitude Exam Score. That's good news for your DS.
 
How do you come up with the numeric score? I've not seen anything provided that gives us a conversion to a score.
 
DS received the total numeric score in an email from WP either during or after SLE. The individual events were not included. It was just the "score" and "passed - no risk". He remembered his individual scores from when he took it.
 
Pima said:
Unless something has changed, this is not true for USAFA. USAFA must open the portal for you to submit a 2nd CFA. IOWS, if your proctor submits the 1st score and you want to do a re-test you need to contact USAFA and ask them to open the portal again for the new scores. You can't just submit a new one like you do with your SAT/ACT

They do open it up, but usually only for candidates that are competitive and see them lacking in the CFA. E.G. you pass and are in the median, the rest of your packet looks good, thus, they may say NO. Or conversely, your packet is very strong, but the CFA is weak and hope that by giving you a second shot you will get at least to the median point.

The point is do not assume that you can re-submit after the 1st CFA is submitted. I know that USMA is different, but remember although both are SAs they have different procedures/protocols when it comes to the process.
Click to expand...

This year's Instructions to Candidates says (in bold in the CFA section):
"If you fail the first CFA, you will automatically be rescheduled for a second CFA. Please note that the failure of the first CFA will be taken into account when your file is reviewed. If you fail the second CFA your file will be closed."

@birdwatcher4125 I don't know if there's a time limit to transfer SLE scores, but there is a 48 hour deadline for the test administrator to submit CFA scores after the test is taken. Best of luck to your son!
 
Potter2023 said:
How do you come up with the numeric score? I've not seen anything provided that gives us a conversion to a score.
Click to expand...

I've never been able to find out exactly how they calculate that score, so I just began collecting data (i.e. other people's scores) to try and extrapolate a methodology. I haven't come up with anything definitive, but I have a general idea of what it takes to break 650. The highest score I've found on this forum was a 672, I'm sure there are higher ones, but I haven't encountered them yet. I don't even know how high the score actually goes, the Physical Aptitude Exam Score (which is the CFA only, as far as I know) has a potential value of 800 points (10%) of the Whole Candidate Score. Does that mean that a perfect CFA score is an 800? Or, do they have another formula that extrapolates the CFA score to the Physical Aptitude Exam Score? I Have no idea!

Then there's the possibility that the academies adjust their formula periodically, sort of like a grading curve, to keep the general scores from trending up or down over time. I don't know that they do that, I'm just suggesting the possibility.
 
Pima said:
Unless something has changed, this is not true for USAFA. USAFA must open the portal for you to submit a 2nd CFA. IOWS, if your proctor submits the 1st score and you want to do a re-test you need to contact USAFA and ask them to open the portal again for the new scores. You can't just submit a new one like you do with your SAT/ACT

They do open it up, but usually only for candidates that are competitive and see them lacking in the CFA. E.G. you pass and are in the median, the rest of your packet looks good, thus, they may say NO. Or conversely, your packet is very strong, but the CFA is weak and hope that by giving you a second shot you will get at least to the median point.

The point is do not assume that you can re-submit after the 1st CFA is submitted. I know that USMA is different, but remember although both are SAs they have different procedures/protocols when it comes to the process.
Click to expand...

I thought the same... USAFA is the one to ask for a second CFA if they see something in the candidate and want it...not the candidate.
 
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