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United States Military Academy Candidate Fitness Assessment
600 questions
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About this exam
The United States Military Academy Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) is a physical fitness evaluation used in admissions to West Point and other service academies that require it. It helps admissions teams assess a candidate’s strength, endurance, power, speed, agility, and coordination; it is not an academic knowledge test. Applicants complete six events: basketball throw, pull-ups or flexed-arm hang, shuttle run, modified sit-ups, push-ups, and a one-mile run. Check the instructions for your academy and application cycle to confirm which assessment and procedures apply.
CFA performance depends on sound technique as well as conditioning. Candidates should review the official event procedures, including basketball throw mechanics, full range of motion for pull-ups, a steady flexed-arm hang strategy when applicable, and controlled shuttle-run turns with clear line touches. Training should build strength and endurance while also preparing you to perform the events in sequence under the assessment’s time limits. Avoid last-minute overtraining, inconsistent technique, or relying on a single strong event; follow current academy guidance and arrange an approved evaluator as instructed.
How to prepare for the Candidate Fitness Assessment
- Read the current official CFA instructions from your academy. Confirm the event order, required technique, timing, evaluator requirements, and how your results must be submitted.
- Train each event specifically: practice basketball throws for distance, develop pull-up strength or a flexed-arm hang, and rehearse shuttle-run acceleration, turns, and line touches without sacrificing form.
- Use timed full-sequence practice periodically, then review which events need the most work. Build up gradually, allow recovery between hard sessions, and practice the one-mile run alongside upper-body and core conditioning.
FAQ
Who has to take the Candidate Fitness Assessment?
The CFA is required for applicants to West Point and certain other service academies. Requirements can differ by academy and application cycle, so check the current admissions instructions for every school to which you are applying.
What events are on the Candidate Fitness Assessment?
The CFA has six events: basketball throw, pull-ups or flexed-arm hang, shuttle run, modified sit-ups, push-ups, and a one-mile run. Follow your academy’s current instructions for the event sequence, form standards, timing, and administration.
How should I prepare for the CFA?
Build event-specific strength, endurance, speed, and coordination, and learn the required technique before attempting a full assessment. Practice the events in sequence as you get closer to test day, and use the official academy guidance to avoid errors that can affect how an event is recorded.