CFA Retake

H

Hopefulcandidate12

New Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
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For the CFA, Air Force requested I retake it because of my mile. Will the Naval Academy do the same? Is the run going to make me fail?

My scores :

BB throw : 93 ft
Pull-ups: 16
Shuttle Run : 8.2 sec
Sit-ups : 84
Push-ups : 75
Mile : 8 min 18 sec
 
Probably. If you told me you were a 270-lb offensive lineman in football (and being recruited would help), I might have a slightly different view. Regardless, if you can't run a lot faster than this, you will die during PS and it could hurt your competitiveness for an appointment. Thus, suggest you work on distance running and retake. You have until Jan. 31.
 
Hi,

I was wondering if you believe my recent CFA scores are too low to be competitive. I am a female and a re-applicant. After speaking with admissions, I was told that last year it was likely that I did not receive an appointment due to my CFA scores (the scores listed below are improvement compared to last year - last year I had a 2 second arm hang and 8:30 minute mile) as academically I hold a 1500 SAT and weighted 4.0+ GPA (3.74 unweighted).

My CFA scores are:
Bball throw: 51 feet
Flexed arm hang: 8.52 seconds
Shuttle run: 10.78 seconds
Sit ups: 67
Push ups: 36
mile run: 7:45

Thanks!
 
No one here knows what is passing. We can only make educated guesses based on the experience we've had with our candidates. IMO, your scores are borderline at best. Areas where you should improve:

Flexed arm hang: 8 seconds won't cut it. Many women are doing at least one pull-up. If you're going to hang, you need to hand for max time (which is still valued less than a single pull-up). Search on this forum for how to improve.

Crunches/sit ups: women have the same standard as men. You should be able to do at least 80. Doing crunches daily will absolutely improve your score.

Mile: OK but not great. A sub-7:30 would help. Shuttle run also seems slow. Most women are sub 10:00.

Bottom line: you have plenty of time to continue training and retake the CFA. Find a trainer or coach who can help you focus your training. You have four months -- make the most of that time!
 
usna1985 said:
No one here knows what is passing. We can only make educated guesses based on the experience we've had with our candidates. IMO, your scores are borderline at best. Areas where you should improve:

Flexed arm hang: 8 seconds won't cut it. Many women are doing at least one pull-up. If you're going to hang, you need to hand for max time (which is still valued less than a single pull-up). Search on this forum for how to improve.

Crunches/sit ups: women have the same standard as men. You should be able to do at least 80. Doing crunches daily will absolutely improve your score.

Mile: OK but not great. A sub-7:30 would help. Shuttle run also seems slow. Most women are sub 10:00.

Bottom line: you have plenty of time to continue training and retake the CFA. Find a trainer or coach who can help you focus your training. You have four months -- make the most of that time!
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Hi,

Little update:

Retook the CFA.

My scores this time around:

Ball throw: 47

Shuttle run: 10.72

Flexed arm hang: 7 seconds

Sit ups: 63

Push ups: 25...

Mile run: 7:16

Definitely could have done better on the push ups, I just was already down because of my lower scores in everything prior so I didn't give it my all. Irritating how it happened to be the time I got a sub 7:30 mile, but definitely working on what you told me. Thanks!
 
Given that your scores from the two takes are pretty consistent, that's where you are now. Continuing to retake the test, absent anything else, is not likely to result in improvement. You need to focus on your upper body strength (while still running) for the next month or two and then retake.
 
usna1985 said:
Given that your scores from the two takes are pretty consistent, that's where you are now. Continuing to retake the test, absent anything else, is not likely to result in improvement. You need to focus on your upper body strength (while still running) for the next month or two and then retake.
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Hi usna1985,

As you've been a consistent help throughout this thread I wanted to update you on a CFA I took this morning. Again, I am a female.

Ball Throw: 53

Flexed arm hang: 5.3 seconds

Shuttle run: 10.02

Sit ups: 84

Push ups: 50 (max)

Mile: 7:40

All of my scores now are at average, above average, or maxed out other than the flexed arm hang. I've been working on it every single day, but for some reason I just can't seem to stay up. Do you think this one event could fail my entire CFA? Thank you so much for all your help
 
One event can cause a CFA failure.

My sense is that the hang for you is more mental than physical. Since you can do 50 pushups, it doesn't appear to be a question of upper body strength. But I don't know you so I'm only guessing.

I suggest you talk to a coach or PE teacher at school. As them for exercises you can try to improve this event. Most people work with a chin-up bar and hold several times a session several times a day as long as they can working back down slowly, with someone else helping you to stay up. If you've tried that and it hasn't worked, then you need "professional" help (i.e., your PE teachers/coaches).
 
It sure would be nice to know what is really passing, however, I don't know if we ever will. Sometimes, I wonder if there is a total scoring system to determine if the candidate passes, rather than a true pass/fail for each individual event, meaning if one event is low, that they might overlook it if the entirety of the rest of the events look good? I will tell you that my DS got a 7:58 on the run, which I would have thought to be a failing score. I urged him to retake it, but the logistics of doing so really got in the way, so he never did. He ended up getting an LOA and an appointment in December for his year. He was not a recruited athlete or a underrepresented minority.
 
USMAROTCFamily said:
It sure would be nice to know what is really passing, however, I don't know if we ever will. Sometimes, I wonder if there is a total scoring system to determine if the candidate passes, rather than a true pass/fail for each individual event, meaning if one event is low, that they might overlook it if the entirety of the rest of the events look good? I will tell you that my DS got a 7:58 on the run, which I would have thought to be a failing score. I urged him to retake it, but the logistics of doing so really got in the way, so he never did. He ended up getting an LOA and an appointment in December for his year. He was not a recruited athlete or a underrepresented minority.
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Wow, that's some good news- and relieving to hear! Congrats to him! If I may ask, do you know the competitiveness of your district? As a rising senior, I was accepted to Summer Seminar, only to hear that I was turned down by Admissions in March. This year, as a college re-applicant, I have been invited to a Candidate Visit Weekend. I can't help but wonder if my package is decent, but my district is difficult. Thank you very much!
 
GoNavyPlebe said:
USMAROTCFamily said:
It sure would be nice to know what is really passing, however, I don't know if we ever will. Sometimes, I wonder if there is a total scoring system to determine if the candidate passes, rather than a true pass/fail for each individual event, meaning if one event is low, that they might overlook it if the entirety of the rest of the events look good? I will tell you that my DS got a 7:58 on the run, which I would have thought to be a failing score. I urged him to retake it, but the logistics of doing so really got in the way, so he never did. He ended up getting an LOA and an appointment in December for his year. He was not a recruited athlete or a underrepresented minority.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's some good news- and relieving to hear! Congrats to him! If I may ask, do you know the competitiveness of your district? As a rising senior, I was accepted to Summer Seminar, only to hear that I was turned down by Admissions in March. This year, as a college re-applicant, I have been invited to a Candidate Visit Weekend. I can't help but wonder if my package is decent, but my district is difficult. Thank you very much!
Click to expand...

I really don't know the competitiveness of our district. He had a Presidential nomination and a district nomination for USNA, but also go a Senator nomination for USMA. He ended up going to West Point.
 
As a rising senior, I was accepted to Summer Seminar, only to hear that I was turned down by Admissions in March. This year, as a college re-applicant, I have been invited to a Candidate Visit Weekend
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As we preach all the time here, begin accepted or turned down from NASS is not really relevant to the strength of your USNA application. As for CVWs, in the past they were offered only to well-qualified candidates and receiving one was viewed as a good sign. Today, the program is much larger and, while you have to be competitive to be offered a CVW, it is not the "good sign" that it once in terms of receiving an appointment.
 
For the flexed arm hang section, you just really need to work on getting at least one pull-up. They say you can do flexed arm hang or a pull-up, but really you need to get that pull-up. Try working on maxing out with a band for three consecutive days and then take a one or two day break. Build your strength up and then try to get one after doing this for a while. You will get it if you keep working!
 
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