As a prerequisite, you must successfully pass the Candidate Fitness Assessment if you are applying to the following service academies:

• Military Academy at West Point
• Naval Academy at Annapolis
• Air Force Academy
• Merchant Marine Academy

On the other hand, candidates for the Coast Guard Academy do not need to complete a CFA, but they must still pass the Physical Fitness Exam (PFE) upon arrival.

The Candidate Fitness Asessment is a 40-minute fitness test where you must complete 6 events in a strict order and timeframe. The CFA events are the following:

• Kneeling basketball throw
• Cadence pull-ups
• 120 ft. shuttle run
• Modified sit-ups 2:00
• Push-ups 2:00
• 1-mile run

The best thing you can do as a candidate is to thoroughly practice each of the events beginning 6 months prior to the exam. Just like taking the SAT’s, practice makes perfect, and you should hone your skills for the CFA so that you maximize your performance during the actual exam.

Kneeling Basketball Throw

The kneeling basketball throw is probably the most overlooked part of the CFA. Candidates assume that it’s easy enough and barely practice it before the exam itself. Trust me, it’s harder than it looks, and you must practice it to improve the skills for this event. The best tip for this event is to utilize your entire upper body for the throw. Use a twisting motion in your hips to generate as much torque to launch the basketball out of your hands.

Cadence Pull-Ups

The cadence part of this means that you can’t do your pull-ups as fast as you want to. This is to prevent the jerking motion that can help you pull up your body. So the person administrating the pull-up event will give you cadence to go up and down.

If you’ve never done pull-ups before, your body has not developed the muscles for this type of exercise. Don’t get frustrated and start off with small reps, and I recommend that you start off with negative pull-ups, where you start at the top of the bar and slowly let yourself down. This downward motion uses the same muscles as the upward motion, and can be a good stepping stone to develop those muscles.

Note: Female candidates can opt out to do the flexed-arm hang instead, where you hold yourself in the up position for a set time.

120 Ft. Shuttle Run

The shuttle run is a series of consecutive sprints by going back and forth in a shuttle motion. The most crucial aspect of this event is the turn between each sprint. You can seriously cut down your shuttle run times by perfecting the turning motion and making it as efficient as possible.

Modified Sit-ups for 2:00 Minutes

You should make it a point to do sets of sit-ups at least twice a day. Since this is for the CFA, practice for speed. You should watch out for proper form (arms crossed across chest and fingers extending all the way to your shoulders) and pace yourself by keeping the speed consistent throughout the minute.

Push-Ups for 2:00 Minutes

You should make it a point to do sets of push-ups at least twice a day along with your sit-ups, and increasing your reps a little each day. Make sure you practice it by going as far down where your nose touches the ground. The event administrators will not count your push-ups if they don’t go down far enough, so prepare accordingly.

1-Mile Run

Note that the 1-mile run is the very last event in the CFA. So take my word that the 1-mile run in the CFA is not the same as running your normal mile. You are on a set time schedule for the CFA, and your body will be somewhat exhausted after straining itself on the previous 5 events. So if you can run a 5:30 mile on the track team, don’t expect the same performance on the CFA. So practice accordingly, and just like the sit-ups, make sure you pace yourself throughout your run. This is the very last event and you must finish with a competitive time to ensure your success with the overall application process.

Lastly, I want to end this piece by saying that you should prepare by always over-preparing. Don’t settle for the minimum. Try to make it your goal to hit at least 50% over the minimum amount. This is my recommendation because you always perform differently during the real thing, and by over-preparing you make it fool-proof.

For more details about the exam, check USMA’s Candidate Fitness Assessment webpage.

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