CFA - USMMA

[KPilot]

Hi,

Does anyone happen to know an average figure for the CFA/something to aim for in USMMA’s case?

I’m going to take mine for the first time soon and have realistic expectations of passing, though I will retake it until I make it. On that note, is there any limit on CFA attempts you can make? Would it be looked down upon to have multiple attempts?

Thanks

 

[F/A-18]

Look up the navy PRT. This is the test that all KP students are required to pass. If you feel confident passing the PRT you should have no issue passing the CFA.

 

[tankercaptain]

Hi,

Does anyone happen to know an average figure for the CFA/something to aim for in USMMA’s case?

I’m going to take mine for the first time soon and have realistic expectations of passing, though I will retake it until I make it. On that note, is there any limit on CFA attempts you can make? Would it be looked down upon to have multiple attempts?

Thanks

Your goal should be to take the CFA once.

See the following link from the Academy's website for additional information.

https://www.usmma.edu/sites/usmma.dot.gov/files/2019-11/Candidate%20Fitness%20Assessment%20Instructions%20%28002%29_3_0.pdf

 

[Academician]

I recommend to my students to focus on achieving the 'average' as noted above, although I tend to use the AFA published averages are they are a bit higher. You may take the CFA as often as you like: however, for USMMA, you can only submit it once, typically.

I also emphasize to all of my students that the CFA is not an 'end,' but the start of a commitment to physical fitness as a military officer candidate. Their workout routines must be 'routine' and continue throughout the school year and summer as they prepare to arrive at the Academy, or on the college campus, ready to meet the fitness requirements for either program, USMMA or ROTC.

 

[kpmom2013]

If you do not pass the CFA and you are otherwise a very strong candidate, admissions may contact you and request that you retake it. Be advised, however, that the CFA is a pretty low bar. If you receive an appointment, you should arrive at USMMA in good physical condition. You do not want to add worrying about passing the PRT every time to an already stressful plebe year. Every year, plebes and mids are disenrolled for repeated failures in the PRT. Good luck.

 

[KPilot]

Thanks for the answers. I do obviously plan on continuing getting further into shape as time goes on, but the more I read about it now the more I start to doubt that I am in a ready condition now. Fortunately I have until February to pass, but it doesn’t seem as simple as the ‘you’ll pass if you’re halfway fit’ which I’ve heard. My pull-ups count and 1MR time are my biggest concerns, being 3 and 7:52 respectively at the moment, but in neither case had I done much preparation for them and it was never in the best conditions (poorly placed pull-up bar and undulating terrain for the run.)

 

[NeverSayNever]

CFA does not seem to way too heavily on the competitive scoring of applicants. At best it might be a tie breaker but there were candidates in the last two classes that failed the Navy PRT at the beginning and end of Indoc in both 2027 and 2028 classes. That is a VERY low bar. USMMA is not that physically challenging relative to the other SAs that have higher standards than their parent services. I don't recall hearing anyone getting kicked out of KP for fitness/body composition issues. Academically though it is a slaughterhouse.

 

[kpmom2013]

CFA does not seem to way too heavily on the competitive scoring of applicants. At best it might be a tie breaker but there were candidates in the last two classes that failed the Navy PRT at the beginning and end of Indoc in both 2027 and 2028 classes. That is a VERY low bar. USMMA is not that physically challenging relative to the other SAs that have higher standards than their parent services. I don't recall hearing anyone getting kicked out of KP for fitness/body composition issues. Academically though it is a slaughterhouse.

CFA scores have no impact on admission. It is strictly pass or fail, so getting a better score will not help your admissions chances. I personally know four mids who were disenrolled for failing PRT and/or body composition issues, three of whom were upperclassmen, so it does happen.

 

[KPilot]

CFA scores have no impact on admission. It is strictly pass or fail, so getting a better score will not help your admissions chances. I personally know four mids who were disenrolled for failing PRT and/or body composition issues, three of whom were upperclassmen, so it does happen.

CFA does not seem to way too heavily on the competitive scoring of applicants. At best it might be a tie breaker but there were candidates in the last two classes that failed the Navy PRT at the beginning and end of Indoc in both 2027 and 2028 classes. That is a VERY low bar. USMMA is not that physically challenging relative to the other SAs that have higher standards than their parent services. I don't recall hearing anyone getting kicked out of KP for fitness/body composition issues. Academically though it is a slaughterhouse.

Hi,

I get that it’s just pass/fail, though I do plan to surpass the requirements just to help me out when I do get there. The thing is - the average CFA score is 9 for pull-ups, and I imagine the requirement would be something around that as well. That honestly seems a lot higher than you would expect for ‘halfway fit,’ or a ‘low bar.’ I’m also pretty spooked by the single attempt being allowed, but I will keep making them with a teacher administering the test and then only choose to submit one when I am comfortably average.

Regarding the PRT, is that a lot easier than the CFA? Does it show that the CFA requirements at KP are in some way lower?

 

[NeverSayNever]

CFA and the PRT are unrelated. CFA is common across SAs and the "avg" that you see posted is NOT from USMMA. I don't think anyone outside of admissions knows if the CFA is weighted or simply pass/fail. I'm fairly certain of the latter. The AVG score you see is heavily swayed towards the 3000+ getting offers from academies with much more stringent fitness requirements.

For example:

The Navy PRT that USMMA uses as their standard is a combination of pushups/timed plank/1.5 mile run. USMMA uses the "Fleet" standards for the 20-24 year old group. That makes the min standards 1:25 Plank, 13:15 for a 1.5 mile run and 42 non-cadence pushups. I'm 52 years old and can meet that standard but Plebes are failing it during Indoc.

The USNA PRT has a higher standard than the fleet. USNA Mids have to do a MINIMUM 35 cadence pushups, 2:32 Plank and 10:30 run. I'm sure the other SAs also have similar standards. The other SAs are on a different league than USMMA.

Bottom line - fitness is NOT a major hurdle for entrance into USMMA in my opinion. My mid walked a fair amount of the last Regimental PRT and still passed.

 

[KPilot]

CFA and the PRT are unrelated. CFA is common across SAs and the "avg" that you see posted is NOT from USMMA. I don't think anyone outside of admissions knows if the CFA is weighted or simply pass/fail. I'm fairly certain of the latter. The AVG score you see is heavily swayed towards the 3000+ getting offers from academies with much more stringent fitness requirements.

For example:

The Navy PRT that USMMA uses as their standard is a combination of pushups/timed plank/1.5 mile run. USMMA uses the "Fleet" standards for the 20-24 year old group. That makes the min standards 1:25 Plank, 13:15 for a 1.5 mile run and 42 non-cadence pushups. I'm 52 years old and can meet that standard but Plebes are failing it during Indoc.

The USNA PRT has a higher standard than the fleet. USNA Mids have to do a MINIMUM 35 cadence pushups, 2:32 Plank and 10:30 run. I'm sure the other SAs also have similar standards. The other SAs are on a different league than USMMA.

Bottom line - fitness is NOT a major hurdle for entrance into USMMA in my opinion. My mid walked a fair amount of the last Regimental PRT and still passed.

That’s interesting to know. So would you say that someone who could pass the PRT at “satisfactory” level would pass the CFA as a USMMA applicant? If so, surely practically nobody fails at all?

 

[OldRetSWO]

So would you say that someone who could pass the PRT at “satisfactory” level would pass the CFA as a USMMA applicant? If so, surely practically nobody fails at all?

Totally different Tests!

Shuttle Run - Not tested in PRT
Pull Ups - Not tested in PRT
Basketball Throw - Not tested in PRT
Push Ups - In both tests
Run - CFA is shorter distance for sure
Crunches in CFA are similar to but not the same as plank in PRT

 

[F/A-18]

That’s interesting to know. So would you say that someone who could pass the PRT at “satisfactory” level would pass the CFA as a USMMA applicant? If so, surely practically nobody fails at all?

KP requires all students to pass at the "good - low" level.

 

[tankercaptain]

That’s interesting to know. So would you say that someone who could pass the PRT at “satisfactory” level would pass the CFA as a USMMA applicant? If so, surely practically nobody fails at all?

Physical and Medical Requirements​

The Merchant Marine Academy requires applicants to complete the same Candidate Fitness Assessment as applicants to the academies administered by the Air Force, Army and Navy. The assessment consists of six events, with average scores among Merchant Marine Academy applicants as follows:

• Basketball throw (women 41 feet, men 67 feet)
• Pull-ups for both men (9) and women (3); women who can't do one pull-up may substitute the flexed-arm hang (average time, 19.8 seconds)
• Shuttle run (women 10 seconds, men 9.1 seconds)
• Modified sit-ups (women 68, men 72)
• Push-ups (women 33, men 54)
• Mile run (women 8:06, men 6:43)

US Merchant Marine Academy

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy prepares students for careers as officers in the military or the civilian Merchant Marine.

www.military.com

 

[KPEngnr90]

CFA does not seem to way too heavily on the competitive scoring of applicants. At best it might be a tie breaker but there were candidates in the last two classes that failed the Navy PRT at the beginning and end of Indoc in both 2027 and 2028 classes. That is a VERY low bar. USMMA is not that physically challenging relative to the other SAs that have higher standards than their parent services. I don't recall hearing anyone getting kicked out of KP for fitness/body composition issues. Academically though it is a slaughterhouse.

We had this thing at KP called the Donut Squad. May be called something else now that we're in the age of the easily offended. It was mandatory for the Mids that were overweight. They basically made the kids who weren't on a varsity athletic team or athletic club run around the campus after classes to whip em into shape. Easy to get out of shape and overweight going out to sea. Lots of good food on commercial ships. Used to be mandatory for the mids to either be on a sports team or intramural athletics. Weren't allowed to just sit in your room after class.

 

[KPEngnr90]

Totally different Tests!

Shuttle Run - Not tested in PRT
Pull Ups - Not tested in PRT
Basketball Throw - Not tested in PRT
Push Ups - In both tests
Run - CFA is shorter distance for sure
Crunches in CFA are similar to but not the same as plank in PRT

The PRT wasn't that hard. I remember some Chiefs on our ship smoking a cigarette before during and after the run.

 

[JohnPAKP65]

We had this thing at KP called the Donut Squad. May be called something else now that we're in the age of the easily offended. It was mandatory for the Mids that were overweight. They basically made the kids who weren't on a varsity athletic team or athletic club run around the campus after classes to whip em into shape. Easy to get out of shape and overweight going out to sea. Lots of good food on commercial ships. Used to be mandatory for the mids to either be on a sports team or intramural athletics. Weren't allowed to just sit in your room after class.

I'm laughing at this because on entry to the Academy in 1961 I was placed in what was called happy hour for the inability to use four different swimming strokes, something like 100 yards of each type. It wasn't that I couldn't swim 400 yards, it was just that I didn't know four strokes. I terribly disappointed my dad. who had been a Chief Petty Officer (Athletics) in WWII and because of his swimming ability was chosen to be a member of an elite group called Scouts and Raiders, essentially an underwater demolition team. Some say the Scouts and Raiders were the Navy's first special warfare commandos.

​

 

[KPEngnr90]

I'm laughing at this because on entry to the Academy in 1961 I was placed in what was called happy hour for the inability to use four different swimming strokes, something like 100 yards of each type. It wasn't that I couldn't swim 400 yards, it was just that I didn't know four strokes. I terribly disappointed my dad. who had been a Chief Petty Officer (Athletics) in WWII and because of his swimming ability was chosen to be a member of an elite group called Scouts and Raiders, essentially an underwater demolition team. Some say the Scouts and Raiders were the Navy's first special warfare commandos.

​

It was called remedial swim class in the late 80s with no special rediculing nicknames. I remember a few kids who showed up for indoc and were never taught to swim.