CFA rejected. Where should I improve most?

BB throw isn't a huge deal for USNA. Neither is the shuttle run. The mile run is a huge deal This is NOT to suggest you can bomb the other elements if you run fast, but a somewhat lower score in those usually isn't fatal because those elements don't really translate into what you'll do at USNA. A slow mile time makes USNA concerned you (1) will struggle during PS, and (2) won't pass the semi-annual PRT which involves a 1.5 mile run with a max time for males of 10:30 (roughly a 6:30 mile pace). Curl-ups and push-ups are also important.

I suggest you contact your admissions rep ASAP and ask him/her whether you passed and, if not, which area(s) you need to improve. They'll always tell you the former and usually the latter.
 
usna1985 said:
BB throw isn't a huge deal for USNA. Neither is the shuttle run. The mile run is a huge deal This is NOT to suggest you can bomb the other elements if you run fast, but a somewhat lower score in those usually isn't fatal because those elements don't really translate into what you'll do at USNA. A slow mile time makes USNA concerned you (1) will struggle during PS, and (2) won't pass the semi-annual PRT which involves a 1.5 mile run with a max time for males of 10:30 (roughly a 6:30 mile pace). Curl-ups and push-ups are also important.

I suggest you contact your admissions rep ASAP and ask him/her whether you passed and, if not, which area(s) you need to improve. They'll always tell you the former and usually the latter.
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Thanks for the info. I'll be trying again one last time at some point before the deadline. My best mile time I've ever done is an 8:01 during a JROTC PT test, so I'm going to try and get a good technique going to at least hit that.
 
My DS took the CFA "on a whim" at his USNA overnight and had not practiced much at all - despite me telling him he had to practice these skills to get better. His scores passed USNA but not USMA. Because he has an LOA for USMA they let him retake within two weeks. He focused on the bball throw and the mile as I think those are the two you can get the most bang for your buck in improvements. The biggest thing on bball throw was technique. In that time he went from a 51 ft bball throw to 70 feet - but we were out on the football field or in the gym practicing almost every night. On his mile he started running around the neighborhood but his times were awful. He got really discouraged, but then we went to a track where he could pace himself. We started by trying to get one lap at 1:30 (that's a 6 minute pace). Then two laps at a slightly slower pace (maybe like 1:40 or so), and so on. He went from a 7:58 mile to around 6:50. His other scores stayed close to the same and he was qualified for USMA as well.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again . . . candidates for Class of 2028 and beyond . . .

START EARLY!!!!! You can take the CFA as early as June. Do not wait until December or January even if you think you're in terrific shape. This is especially true for athletes whose sport doesn't require much if any running (e.g., swimming).

Practice the CFA in test-mode (same timing) before you take it for real. If you struggle with any elements, work on those. Even if you're a couch potato and can't run a block, you can still be a PT stud by November . . . IF YOU START IN JUNE.

Get a CFA with at least decent scores submitted as early as possible. That way, you don't have to worry about injury, bad weather, finding someone to administer the test, etc. Or failing.
 
Anonymous121 said:
Are you even trying with your run? You can almost walk that fast. The run is a gut check. A mile is nothing. Push yourself! Do you want this or not???
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Not sure if serious.......

My son qualified twice for indoor track nationals in the race-walk with a mile time around 9:00. That's not that easy of a time to do.

For some, a 9:00 mile is hard. There are people who are just not natural runners.
 
usna1985 said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again . . . candidates for Class of 2028 and beyond . . .

START EARLY!!!!! You can take the CFA as early as June. Do not wait until December or January even if you think you're in terrific shape. This is especially true for athletes whose sport doesn't require much if any running (e.g., swimming).

Practice the CFA in test-mode (same timing) before you take it for real. If you struggle with any elements, work on those. Even if you're a couch potato and can't run a block, you can still be a PT stud by November . . . IF YOU START IN JUNE.

Get a CFA with at least decent scores submitted as early as possible. That way, you don't have to worry about injury, bad weather, finding someone to administer the test, etc. Or failing.
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I highly agree with this and recommend it. I started training for it in June and didn’t take it until October. The training paid off though. And someone else said this, but I bet the academies view CFA as the one part of the application an applicant has full control over. The better the score, the more determined you look in the eyes of the service academies.

(Obviously CFA won’t make up for other parts of app, but it can be an edge against other applicants)
 
My DD found that running with a group helped her times a lot. She pounded out an acceptable time to get in, but once at the academy she was running in a herd for the tests and got far better times. She certainly wasn't running as much as when she was preparing to go in that first summer.
Also, running twice a day could be a consideration. If you aren't hurting then adding a couple morning miles might help. Look at the various plans out there for guidance.
 
Definitely work on the mile and bball throw! The more you practice them the more you will improve. If you work consistently you will make large improvements in no time. Good luck!!
 
I also want to emphasize the importance of STRETCHING!! Flexibility helps everything. Make sure to warm up and cool down properly, you don't want to injure yourself from overuse
 
Long-Shot said:
I know it's a long shot, but I want to go out at least attempting it. My overall best mile was 8:01. I think my problem is my thoughts trying to make me slow down. I'll try my best though.
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I struggle with running too but something that really helped me was setting check points for yourself while you're running. Say you're running on the road, when you feel like you're about to quit, look for the next street sign or light post and tell yourself you have to make it there. Then once you get there set another short destination and so on. YOUR MIND WILL ALWAYS QUIT BEFORE YOU BODY DOES. Definitely remember that as you're running.
 
Are you doing speed work? Perhaps less distance and more interval training.
 
<sigh>

Don't do speed work. Attempting to increase your VO2 max by short/hard efforts is a very short lived gain. You actually lose it very quickly. It is not useful in establishing endurance and faster times. You are not doing a sprint, you are running a distance event. Anything over 400 meters is considered a distance run/race event.

Consistent running, varying paces throughout some runs, having a longer day, having a recovery run day or two, etc. 2 - 3 days a week to maintain your levels, 4 or more to improve. That is how you get better.

There is no magic bullet for getting faster in running. It is putting in the miles, and being consistent about it. It is also a really long process ......

(Oh, and doing some dynamic movements before running does help a little, but stretching actually hampers things).
 
I also failed my CFA, apparently my mile time was just 1 second too slow according to admission rep. I've been running every morning and afternoon quarter and half miles at the 6:45 mile time tempo and next week ill start doing full miles at that pace.
My submitted mile time was like 8:30 or around there.
 
As a reminder, the deadline for the CFA is Jan. 31. If you plan to take / retake on or near that date be sure you have an administrator AND a backup administrator committed to your date (in the event the administrator becomes unavailable). If you're in an area prone to severe weather (i.e., snow and ice), be sure to have an indoor backup area for the mile run. USNA isn't going to be amenable to a lot of excuses when candidates have had 7+ months to get this done.
 
Long-Shot said:
Hello all. I am a 17 year old male and I've taken my CFA twice, rejected both times. This recent one was rejected even after I improved quite a bit from my original. Does anyone know where I need to improve most?

Scores (this is the second score, my most recent one)
B-Ball Throw: 42-43 ft
Pull-ups: 8
Shuttle run: 10.3
Curl-ups: 71
Push-ups: 50
Mile: 9:01

I think it's mostly the mile, but if anyone could recommend where to fix that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Don’t give up. Make this your focus the next two weeks. There are YouTube videos on techniques for b ball throw and improving your mile. Search on YouTube techniques for passing academy cfa. There are videos for each event. It’s amazing how much one can improve in two weeks. And how little things add up.
 
For all those who "struggled" to pass the CFA, be sure to continue working out now through I-Day (obviously, can stop if not appointed to a SA). Look at the PRT requirements and start working on those. Note that it's a 1.5 mile run after the core strength events. You also want to be ready for PS and PEP. Lots and lots of threads on preparing. Getting into a good workout routine now will really pay dividends in July and onward.
 
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