Switching Shoes during CFA?

[West Point Applicant 19']

Are you allowed to use chalk on your fingers during the basketball throw? Also, are you allowed to switch between shoes for shuttle run vs mile? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Belisarius]

On the CFA attachment on the admissions website you will find this buried in there:

1. Any item that gives a candidate an unfair advantage is not permitted during the CFA. Wearing devices such as weight belts or elastic bandages may or may not provide an advantage; however, for standardization purposes, such additional equipment is not authorized unless prescribed by medical personnel. The only exceptions are appropriate cold weather apparel while running outdoors.
   
   So take that how you may. I would not think that switching shoes should be an issue, as long as those shoes are permitted. Not sure if something like track spikes would be permitted. Although, it honestly comes down to what your CFA administrator knows about and chooses to enforce.

 

[Perspective]

Are you allowed to use chalk on your fingers during the basketball throw? Also, are you allowed to switch between shoes for shuttle run vs mile? Thanks in advance for the help.

According to https://www.usma.edu/admissions/Shared Documents/CFA_Instructions.pdf
"Candidates should wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for physical training, such as shorts, T-shirts, socks and running shoes (tennis/basketball shoes are not recommended for the 1- mile run). Any item that gives a candidate an unfair advantage is not permitted during the CFA. Wearing devices such as weight belts or elastic bandages may or may not provide an advantage; however, for standardization purposes, such additional equipment is not authorized unless prescribed by medical personnel. The only exceptions are appropriate cold weather apparel while running outdoors."

As far as I know, switching shoes during the event is atypical, as is using chalk for the basketball throw. Best case scenario, using chalk will gain you a few inches, and wearing spikes or lighter shoes will save a few seconds. If you really think that you are right on the edge of failing an event, then you should simply train more for that event. In other words, you are not going to have a significant impact on your performance by using chalk and/or switching shoes, and this might be considered an "item that gives a candidate an unfair advantage".

My advice would be to just train for the events that you are worried about and focus on doing your best. Besides, the CFA is only weighted 10% of your candidate score. Assuming you will pass the CFA, the difference that using chalk / spikes will give you is completely insignificant. While the CFA is important, the difference between maxing every category and barely passing is a lesser difference than scoring only a few points higher on the ACT, since the academic category is weighted at 60% overall.