Worried I might fail CFA

C

canidate1234

New Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Messages
5
Since I decided to apply to USNA, I have known that the CFA would be the most difficult part of my application. I have very strong academics and extracurriculars, however my primary sport is figure skating which has built strong leg and core muscles however it has not translated well to the test. I am taking my test on Saturday but I do not think I will pass with my scores, I have been training hard but they just are not where I would like them to be. Knowing that I only have about 4 days is there any advice anyone can give me? Do I have any hope of passing? My BGO said not to worry about low scores as long as I pass the test so I am simply aiming to pass at this point.

These are my current scores:
BB - 35
Flexed Arm Hang - 20 seconds (I worked for weeks to get the pull-up and have not been able to)
SR - 9.5
Crunches - 95
Push-ups - 30
Mile- Likely 9 minute after full CFA, usually 8-8:30 minute

I know these are far from stellar but might they pass??
 
Are you male or female? This would better help us understand your scores.
 
I cannot speak to the flex arm hang but everything seems like it should be a passing score.I am a little unsure about the BB throw but I was able to drastically improve my throw simply by watching a few videos and practicing my form. I would recommend doing the same, practice your BB throw form and hang on to that bar as long as you can and you should be in good shape.
 
Dry runs arent a good predictor. I could only ever do 6 consecutive pull-ups, but on my CFA I got 10. Adrenaline is your friend and your body is capable of much more than you know. Also, I know men who scored worse than you and still got in, so you have good chances.
 
With a few days to go, there’s little you can do to improve your performance. More importantly, once the CFA is done, crank up your workouts in case you do receive offer of appointment. You have five months until I-Day — time enough to dramatically improve your running and upper-body strength.

When you arrive to plebe summer, no one will care how you did on the CFA. But they will care how you do in daily PEP and the obstacle course and the endurance course and the PFT. They’ll care that you can hold your own and not be the weak link. And you won’t be able to fall back on, “I was a figure skater.”

So get the CFA done. Rest a day. Then dive into tough workouts that get you ready for the real deal.
 
canidate1234 said:
Since I decided to apply to USNA, I have known that the CFA would be the most difficult part of my application. I have very strong academics and extracurriculars, however my primary sport is figure skating which has built strong leg and core muscles however it has not translated well to the test. I am taking my test on Saturday but I do not think I will pass with my scores, I have been training hard but they just are not where I would like them to be. Knowing that I only have about 4 days is there any advice anyone can give me? Do I have any hope of passing? My BGO said not to worry about low scores as long as I pass the test so I am simply aiming to pass at this point.

These are my current scores:
BB - 35
Flexed Arm Hang - 20 seconds (I worked for weeks to get the pull-up and have not been able to)
SR - 9.5
Crunches - 95
Push-ups - 30
Mile- Likely 9 minute after full CFA, usually 8-8:30 minute

I know these are far from stellar but might they pass??
Click to expand...
I’ve read your post. Hope my input will help.
I’m going to mention my DS who is now attending a USNA Foundation Prep School. Last cycle, he can only do two pull-ups by February… during the November CFA, he completed 11 pull-ups and he was flying in the one mile run. In his candidate portal, CFA recorded 300 - Pass. There’s no detailed breakdown of each event. My advice is to check your portal after the CFA.
You can always retake the CFA and resubmit… before the 2021 Cycle closes.
Questions for self reflection only:
How bad do you want to be in USNA?
Are you reapplying if you don’t get in this cycle?
Are you willing to wake-up 0500 hours starting today to prep for CFA?
Are you willing to practice 400 meters (6x) sprint 3x per week (while in track… practice Other CFA events)?
Are you willing to lift weights (free & machine) 3x per week
Are you willing to lose weight to maximize CFA performance?
DS did all that.
 
Banzaipipeline said:
I’ve read your post. Hope my input will help.
I’m going to mention my DS who is now attending a USNA Foundation Prep School. Last cycle, he can only do two pull-ups by February… during the November CFA, he completed 11 pull-ups and he was flying in the one mile run. In his candidate portal, CFA recorded 300 - Pass. There’s no detailed breakdown of each event. My advice is to check your portal after the CFA.
You can always retake the CFA and resubmit… before the 2021 Cycle closes.
Questions for self reflection only:
How bad do you want to be in USNA?
Are you reapplying if you don’t get in this cycle?
Are you willing to wake-up 0500 hours starting today to prep for CFA?
Are you willing to practice 400 meters (6x) sprint 3x per week (while in track… practice Other CFA events)?
Are you willing to lift weights (free & machine) 3x per week
Are you willing to lose weight to maximize CFA performance?
DS did all that.
Click to expand...
Great advice, but the CFA is due in 6 days. Does that REALLY seem possible in 6 days?
 
Advice at this point? Realize that not everyone at USNA is a super athlete. So focus on YOUR strengths and be super proud of them. Get rid of the self doubt and worry bc THAT WILL decrease your performance. Getting rid of it WILL INCREASE your performance.

Start hydrating now, every day. 64 oz of water. So your cells and body are properly hydrated. Day of does nothing.

Eat clean. For these last few days. No sugar/junk. Fruits and veggies and protein and dairy. That will also help nourish your body for your testing day.

Good, solid rest. So your body is properly rested for your test day.

On test day, give it your all so when it’s over, you know you did. And be proud.

You got this 😤💪!!
 
Pluto said:
Great advice, but the CFA is due in 6 days. Does that REALLY seem possible in 6 days?
Click to expand...
One of the questions posted for self reflection is “Are you reapplying if you don’t get in this cycle?”

If yes, then start training at 0500 hours daily for the next eight months.
 
Sorry -- not much you can do this late in the game except go in with a positive mental attitude. I read a lot of negativity and defeatism into the original post. Go into it with the attitude you will pass, and leave it all on the ice !

(Channeling my youngest daughter's energy -- she was a figure skater as well, probably never saw a chin up bar or threw anything in her life, but was a competitive beast - didn't matter what it was, she wanted to win! Currently enrolled in a Sports Psychology PHD program).,

To others - this post is an example of why you don't leave the CFA until 6 days before the deadline. You have x years to prepare. The CFA is not intended to be either a roadblock to acceptance, or really have any material influence on acceptance decision. Train early, get it done early with the best score you can achieve, then move on. FWIW -- there is too much emphasis on the CFA here on SAF.
 
canidate1234 said:
Since I decided to apply to USNA, I have known that the CFA would be the most difficult part of my application. I have very strong academics and extracurriculars, however my primary sport is figure skating which has built strong leg and core muscles however it has not translated well to the test. I am taking my test on Saturday but I do not think I will pass with my scores, I have been training hard but they just are not where I would like them to be. Knowing that I only have about 4 days is there any advice anyone can give me? Do I have any hope of passing? My BGO said not to worry about low scores as long as I pass the test so I am simply aiming to pass at this point.

These are my current scores:
BB - 35
Flexed Arm Hang - 20 seconds (I worked for weeks to get the pull-up and have not been able to)
SR - 9.5
Crunches - 95
Push-ups - 30
Mile- Likely 9 minute after full CFA, usually 8-8:30 minute

I know these are far from stellar but might they pass??
Click to expand...
Based on my scores that ended up passing, you're probably good.
 
Thank you so much to everyone on advice. I am so sorry to sound negative, I have been disappointed to not see my hard work paying off as much as I had originally hoped but this thread really made me feel a lot better. I just did another full run of the test and my basketball throw and shuttle run were not my best but I was fairly happy with the rest of the test. I have been watching lots of videos on the basketball throw specifically but would love any extra advice for smaller women (I am 5’2 and 95 pounds) just in terms of generating more power (I am used to using my legs to generate power for skating so this is definitely a new skill set). Thank you all again for the advice!!
 
canidate1234 said:
Thank you so much to everyone on advice. I am so sorry to sound negative, I have been disappointed to not see my hard work paying off as much as I had originally hoped but this thread really made me feel a lot better. I just did another full run of the test and my basketball throw and shuttle run were not my best but I was fairly happy with the rest of the test. I have been watching lots of videos on the basketball throw specifically but would love any extra advice for smaller women (I am 5’2 and 95 pounds) just in terms of generating more power (I am used to using my legs to generate power for skating so this is definitely a new skill set). Thank you all again for the advice!!
Click to expand...
This tone is much improved from your OP. That’s the direction you want to go. Confident, prepared, positive.
I don’t remember the details but I recall the trick for the BB throw had to do with arm position and wrist action. My son compared it to a trebuchet. Hopefully videos may help.
I agree with leaving it all out there when you take the final run. Our son left his lunch on the track but ran his then personal best mile. Adrenaline kicks in.
Don’t wait until the last hours. Tech issues could get in the way of submission. And your proctor might not get it submitted in time. Prepare for those unknowns.

You’ve got this! Get some rest. Eat some bananas 🍌
 
canidate1234 said:
Thank you so much to everyone on advice. I am so sorry to sound negative, I have been disappointed to not see my hard work paying off as much as I had originally hoped but this thread really made me feel a lot better. I just did another full run of the test and my basketball throw and shuttle run were not my best but I was fairly happy with the rest of the test. I have been watching lots of videos on the basketball throw specifically but would love any extra advice for smaller women (I am 5’2 and 95 pounds) just in terms of generating more power (I am used to using my legs to generate power for skating so this is definitely a new skill set). Thank you all again for the advice!!ll
Click to expand...
One last input… three days away from CFA.
DS and I have a saying (42 years ago it’s the same saying with my father): In the track, “if you ain’t pukin, you ain’t trying.” So run like your life depends on it (like when a pack of neighborhood squirrels with fangs are chasing you).
Try throwing a weighted basketball, 5lbs-10 lbs. then switch to a regular basketball. The switch will give you that extra momentum of force or confidence or both.
 
This might be nerdy, but strategy is probably the only thing that can really change much for you at this point. In fact, because figure skating is so technical, I'd be willing to bet you'd improve your score just by really understanding the technical requirements of each event. There are plenty of articles online that explain the theory behind tougher events like the BB throw. Knowing the physics behind what each event is testing you on will help you refine your potential in each area. Focusing on things like pacing in the mile, leverage in the bb throw, contact & explosivity when turning in the shuttle run, and being efficient with your timing and rest between/during events can help balance the difference in areas you're lacking.
Remember, work smart if not hard. If all else fails, when it comes down to it the actual test is fairly short, you can endure almost anything for 40 minutes. Go all out.

You got this. Good luck!
 
canidate1234 said:
Since I decided to apply to USNA, I have known that the CFA would be the most difficult part of my application. I have very strong academics and extracurriculars, however my primary sport is figure skating which has built strong leg and core muscles however it has not translated well to the test. I am taking my test on Saturday but I do not think I will pass with my scores, I have been training hard but they just are not where I would like them to be. Knowing that I only have about 4 days is there any advice anyone can give me? Do I have any hope of passing? My BGO said not to worry about low scores as long as I pass the test so I am simply aiming to pass at this point.

These are my current scores:
BB - 35
Flexed Arm Hang - 20 seconds (I worked for weeks to get the pull-up and have not been able to)
SR - 9.5
Crunches - 95
Push-ups - 30
Mile- Likely 9 minute after full CFA, usually 8-8:30 minute

I know these are far from stellar but might they pass??
Click to expand...
9:30 was a pass for females. I heard this from another post.
 
Thank you SO much to everyone. I took the test today and did even better than expected. My BGO seemed impressed and I am overall just super relieved. For anyone who is as stressed as I was - you can do this I promise. :))
 
canidate1234 said:
Thank you SO much to everyone. I took the test today and did even better than expected. My BGO seemed impressed and I am overall just super relieved. For anyone who is as stressed as I was - you can do this I promise. :))
Click to expand...
And within a few hours of the deadline!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top