Conquering the CFA: 

A Practical Guide for Everyday Candidates

This guide was written by Houston Cadet Elton Huang class of 2028

(Jan. 2025)

Welcome to the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) guide! By choosing to take on the challenge of West Point, you’ve committed to becoming part of something greater than yourself. The first step of this extraordinary journey, stepping onto the historic green plain and into the iconic gray medieval buildings—is conquering the CFA.

The CFA is designed to assess your physical readiness for the demanding life of a cadet at the United States Military Academy. This test evaluates not just your strength and endurance but also your determination and preparation. Success in the CFA requires focused training, discipline, and a clear understanding of the test components and standards.

The Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) consists of six events designed to measure physical readiness for cadet life at West Point: the basketball throw, which tests upper-body power and coordination; 2 minutes of cadence pull-ups (or flexed-arm hang for females, if necessary), which evaluates upper-body strength; the shuttle run, which assesses speed and agility; 2 minutes of sit-ups, which measures core strength and endurance over two minutes; 2 minutes of push-ups, which tests upper-body endurance; and the one-mile run, which gauges cardiovascular fitness and stamina. Together, these events provide a comprehensive assessment of a candidate’s strength, endurance, agility, and determination.

But the CFA is more than just a measure of physical ability, it’s a test of your commitment to excellence. With consistent training and preparation, nearly anyone can pass the CFA. On the other hand, even top-performing high school athletes can fall short if they approach it with suboptimal preparation or complacency.

In this guide, you’ll find tips, techniques, and strategies to master each event in the CFA: the basketball throw, cadence pull-ups, shuttle run, sit-ups, push-ups, and the one-mile run. By following this guide and dedicating yourself to regular practice, you can maximize your chances of success.

My journey with the CFA began in March of my junior year in high school. Just a few months earlier, I had discovered my passion for serving in the Army and decided to apply to West Point. My training ground was my friend’s garage—cramped, dusty, and stifling, especially during the sweltering 100-degree summer days. My friend, a former West Point cadet recruited for football, became my trainer. Six days a week, for at least an hour each day, I committed myself to building consistency and discipline, which would become the foundation of my success in the CFA.

That summer, my journey took a new turn when I attended the Summer Leadership Experience as a rising senior. On the second day, all cadet candidates in Session 1 took the CFA. While I passed the assessment, my scores were subpar compared to the average among accepted cadets. I knew I couldn’t stop there. My performance, though sufficient, wouldn’t leave me prepared for the challenges of BEAST the following summer. Determined to excel, I continued to train relentlessly, aiming for improvement in every category.

In September of my senior year, I took the CFA again. However, in the days leading up to the test, I was sick for four days straight—a major setback after months of anticipation. Still, I refused to let this discourage me. On test day, I woke up early, fueled myself with a banana, energy gels, and water, and headed to the testing site.

On this warm fall morning, I was greeted by LTC. David Yatto who would be officiating this assessment. I started with a lap around the track and stretching as my warm up. The first event was the basketball throw, where I managed a 67-foot throw. Next came the pull-ups—17 in total. Then, I completed the shuttle run in 8.7 seconds. The sit-ups pushed me to my limit, but I achieved 81 reps. After that came the push-ups—60 of them, leaving my arms completely burned out. Finally, I faced the one-mile run; this was my dreaded event, my kryptonite. I pushed through four laps, finishing in 7:01 and promptly threw up all over the field. After cleaning up my mess with a hose, I headed home, sore but victorious. I had scored around the top quarter of accepted cadets and had the highest score in my testing group of 5-6 candidates. 

Through this experience, I learned an important lesson: to succeed at West Point, you have to do it for yourself. My CFA training only reinforced this belief. On the toughest days, when the weather was unbearable, my body was aching, and my motivation was low, I dug deep into my “why.” I was here to serve my country and find adversity to overcome. I encourage everyone to examine what set them on this path because it has two ends: out-processing or graduating. As General Douglas MacArthur stated in his farewell speech to the corps of cadets on May 12, 1962, “there is no substitute for victory.” Everyone has a reason for coming to West Point, and the 47-month journey will test that reason over and over again. However, under pressure, diamonds are created, so just how strong is your “why”?

Ball Throw

The ball throw is perhaps the most technical of the 6 CFA events. I recall watching many videos on the internet and from the Houston Field Force website in an effort to master the science behind this event. It's important to understand that everyone will have good and bad days. More likely than not, there will be days in which you are tired, sore, or both. On other days, you just might send the ball into the atmosphere. However, staying consistent day after day makes the bulk contribution to success. 

Form

The form required to launch a ball takes a fair amount of training to acquire. This event starts from a kneeling position with a basketball in hand. I suggest forming a hook shape with your hand and forearm. Then, lock the ball in the crook of your wrist. This ensures that the ball generally will not move around as you swing and allows you to effectively put all your power behind an even weight distribution. After that, practice rocking back and forth on your knees and engaging the hips and abs. These muscles contribute a lot of force when you finally release. As shown from two different perspectives in figure 1 and 2, it is necessary to align the bottom of the arm swing with a near 90 degree turn of your upper body. This position is also when your body is leaned back the furthest. At the top of the swing, you may use your hand to stabilize the ball. At this point, your body now rotates back to facing forward and you should be relatively straight in posture. After winding up 2 times, I prefer to release the ball at about a 75 degree angle from your right shoulder (right handed). This ensures that the ball flies straight as when the release is finished, the ball is perfectly aligned forwards. 

This video shows the correct mechanics of how to throw the basketball far. Study the mechanics in slow motion. Note the rocking back and forth, the spin of the throwers hips and the angle of the launch. Repetitive practice is essential to master the basketball throw.

Candidate Fitness Assessment B-Ball Throw

Pull-ups

As the name suggests, this event is very simple and all about the number of pull-ups you can complete in 2 minutes. Everyone starts facing forwards, hands gripped around the bar, palms facing outward, and shoulder width apart (or slightly more), and body straightened out. From this position, you are required to pull until your chin clears the bar before full straightening out your arms. Half reps will not be counted. From my experience, very similarly to push-ups, most people do not spend the entirety of the 2 minutes doing pull ups. You are not allowed to drop once you mount the bar, so it is recommended to get out as many reps as possible and burn out your arms. Every last rep counts, so you should be pushing through the burn and the pain.

Workouts

The easiest way to train for this event is just doing the pull-ups. You can mount the bar and do reps until failure, take a break, and then train to failure multiple times. Another method if you are not able to compete many reps is utilizing negatives. Negatives are when you hold and slowly release at the “up” position. This strengthens your arms and muscle stamina for you to be able to complete more reps. 

You can purchase a pull up bar that fits in the doorway to your bedroom.  Practice pull-ups every time you enter and leave your bedroom.  For female applicants a single pull up is scored higher than a perfect score in the flex arm hang.  Reverse dips and bicep and tricep weight lifting exercises will help with both the flex arm hang or pull-ups.  

Speaking from experience, if you are determined to attend West Point, it is worth considering hiring a strength coach for weight training.  John Polisini, Houston Field Force, strongly encourages incorporating a strength coach into your overall training program.  

Shuttle Run

This is a sprinting event designed to test your speed and agility. The setup involves two lines spaced 30 feet apart. You will sprint back and forth between the lines as quickly as possible, touching the ground past each line with your hand and foot. The goal is to complete 2 full shuttles (down and back equals one) totalling 120 ft as fast as possible. Precision is key, as failure to touch the line correctly will result in a failed shuttle.

Tips

This event is similar to a track 60m or 100m sprint where the objective is to go all out. You should stay low, drive your legs into the ground, and drive your arms back and forth. Additionally, I recommend staying facing the same side as you do all your turns. This causes you to use the opposite hand and foot each time you reach another side. The benefit lies in saving time, so you will not have to fully turn around each time. Most of the time lost in this particular event is in changing directions and redirecting your acceleration. Thus, it is crucial to firmly plant your foot and immediately push off hard after touching past the line with your hand. Additionally, keeping your body low is another important aspect of this event. If you stand upright immediately after starting, you lose the driving power and slow down. 

Sit-ups

The sit-ups event in the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) measures core strength and endurance. During this event, candidates perform as many sit-ups as possible within 2 minutes, adhering to strict form and technique requirements. Firstly, you must keep your hands crossed in front of your chest and gripping your shoulders. Should any hand leave your shoulder, your attempt is over. A rep is counted when you bring your body up until your elbows touch your mid thighs  You may rest in the “up” position, but it is not recommended. The sit-ups is an event in which you should be pushing for the entirety of the 2 minutes with 1 or no breaks. 

Workouts

Following a similar trend here, the best way to train for the sit-ups is by simply doing reps. You can also add in any core exercises such as strict bicycles to build the core strength and endurance. Doing sit-ups until failure, getting rest, and then repeating this process can make your core stronger and better at executing the motion.  

Push-ups

As the name suggests, this event seems very simple and all about the number of push-ups you can complete in 2 minutes. In reality, it is a hard event to pass if you do not practice frequently.   The difficulty is compounded by the CFA events that must be completed before you attempt as many push ups as you can do.  Everyone starts facing towards the ground, hands shoulder width apart (or slightly more), and legs straightened out. From this position, you are required to drop down to a 90 degree angle between your forearm and bicep before pushing back up. Half reps will not be counted. From my experience, most people do not spend the entirety of the 2 minutes doing pushups. You are not allowed to drop from the push up position, but you are allowed to pike and rest in the “up” position. Either method eats up energy, so it is recommended to get out as many reps as possible and burn out your arms. Every last rep counts, so you should be pushing through the burn and the pain. It is absolutely normal to be continually resting and pushing throughout the final few reps of the event.

 Workouts

The easiest way to train for this event is just doing the push-ups and getting in completing daily reps. You can do any number of push-ups throughout the day at your own pace. If you would like to get them out of the way, take a reasonable number (50, 100, 200, 300, etc.) and break it up into sets with a few minutes in between. The goal is to increase your total number of pushups in a practice session and to increase the number of completed push ups in each set.   

Mile Run

Improving your mile time for the CFA requires a mix of aerobic conditioning and strength training. There are several important aspects of this event that will make or break an attempt. 

Pacing

Oftentimes, runners find themselves with a strong start that transforms into a slow finish.

The problem lies in the effort per split of the mile. Generally, you can consider splits to be every 400m or 800m. When you put maximum effort into the first split, your tail end of the mile will almost certainly result in a burnout and vice versa. The optimal splits are equally distributed times per 400m or 800m across the entire mile. 

Form

The next tip is to perfect your form. Focus on keeping your body relaxed, striding out, and breathing in through your nose and out through the mouth. In distance running, it is crucial that you do not make unnecessary movements with your arms. Every bit of energy wasted will come back to punish you. The arms should form a relaxed, alternating, rocking pattern that does not expend much energy across the entire event. 

Workouts

         Some of the cardio workouts I did during my training were simply going out and running several miles. I’d stretch and then do 2-3 miles at a manageable pace. I enjoyed running in parks, the neighborhood, or at the track. Some important considerations are that running on concrete for prolonged periods of time can cause injuries. For that reason, stick to running either on grass or synthetic track surfaces. It is also important to wear good shoes that are not worn out.  

        The secret to running a good time in the mile is to incorporate two moderate runs, two easy runs, a track workout and a longer easy run into a seven week training cycle. Start slowly with your overall training if you are new to running.  Follow the ten percent rule.  That rule states “Do not add more than ten percent of your total cumulative mileage from the previous week to your current week”.  For example, if your total mileage from week one is 10 miles, your total mileage should not be more then 11 miles in week two.  10 x 10% = 1.  10 + 1 = 11 miles in week two.  

Purchase a good running watch. Garmin is the favorite of experienced runners. You can set it for interval training on a track, pace per mile, heart beats per minute and so on.  It will load onto an app that you can load onto your smart phone and provide you a lot of feedback on your performance.  

An excellent paperback book on how to train to run various distances is Allan Lawrence’s book titled “The Self-Coached Runner”.  It can be found on Amazon.  It is a pre-laptop era book by a local runner/coach who was an Olympic Bronze medalist at the 1950 Australian Olympics and in the UH Hall of Fame.  It provides multiple running schedules to achieve varying times in different races.  John Polisini has worn out three of Al’s books training to win various local road races.  

Keep in mind that running for a time goal requires discipline, consistency, grit and an ability to enjoy achieving physical goals that are not easy.  I have provided a Beginner’s and Advanced

Schedule below.  These are intended as guidelines only.  They are not a guarantee to pass the CFA unless you are committed to re-setting your mileage and time goals as soon as you achieve one goal.  

Ideally your running mileage should be in the 17-20 mile range for a seven day week for at least three or four months before you attempt to pass the timed mile in the CFA, which occurs after you have completely taxed your core muscle groups.  It is not easy, but it is doable if you prepare and are disciplined in your preparation.

BEGINNER’S SCHEDULE

Day 1:  2 miles easy pace. No stopping or walking. 

Day 2:  Track workout.  4 x 400 yards (one lap) at 2:05 pace per lap.  Two minutes rest between laps.  There is an expression.  “The track does not lie.”   This is a critical workout.  It should be a focus of your training schedule.  Adjust the intervals to what you can achieve by running at 80% of your capacity.  It is not a sprint. But, it is a faster, harder run and for many runners learning to be racers, a fun workout.  It is a measuring stick workout.  It will tell you if you are improving.  Your goal is to gradually reduce your interval time over the course of three or four months of training. 

Day 3:  2 miles easy pace.  No stopping or walking.

Day 4:  2 miles at tempo pace.  Tempo pace is slightly lower then your normal pace per mile.  If your normal mile time is 10 minutes per mile you should run these two miles at 9:50 per mile pace.  Adjust accordingly as you get faster.  

Day 5:  Rest.  Work on all the other aspects of the CFA. 

Day 6:  Warm up with a very easy one mile jog.  Stop and stretch for two minutes.  Complete a timed mile.  Record your time on a piece of paper and tape it to your bedroom door.  Look at it every day and determine how to go a little faster the next week. Form a plan to address the parts of your training that needs attention. 

Each week you should know what your previous week’s timed mile was and your goal in the current week’s timed mile should be ten seconds faster than the previous week.  

Day 7:  Easy pace longer run.  3 miles to begin with and adding a half mile every other week until your long easy run is 4-5 miles.  This is an important run.  Just as important as the track workout and achieving your interval goals.  The two runs together will give you the speed, the strength and the grit to pass the Timed Mile for the CFA.  

ADVANCED SCHEDULE

This schedule is for runners that are already running on their own and have been doing so for quite some time.  Most runners in this category are members of a cross country, track, soccer or high school sports team that incorporates running and racing into its practices.  Swimmers would also qualify for this category.  Advanced means advanced.  Adjust this workout to what you can achieve if you are an Intermediate runner working your way to Advanced standing.  Make sure you have a good base of 22-25 miles per week before beginning this schedule. 

Day 1:   4 or 5 miles easy running.  

Day 2:  1 mile easy jog warm up, Track 8 x 440 intervals at 1:35 to 1:50 per interval with 1:00 to 2:00 minutes rest between each interval depending on the level of your running before beginning this schedule.  2 x ½ mile (880 yards) intervals  for time.  3 minutes rest between intervals. 

Day 3:  Easy longer run of 5-6 miles.  

Day 4:  Rest.  Work on all other aspects of the CFA.  

Day 5:  1 mile easy pace run. Dynamic stretching.  Four to six 80 yard strides.  

Complete a timed mile. Record your quarter mile splits.  The timed mile split goal is equal splits for each quarter mile.  Equal splits is critical.  Don’t go out too fast in the first quarter nor have too much gas left in the last 200 yards of the last quarter mile lap.  

Day 6:  Find a hill.  Easy repeat hills for ten minutes. Three minute rest.  Ten minute intermediate pace working the hills and slower recovery jog on the downhill part of the hill.  Three minutes rest.  Five minutes fast on the uphill, but cut the uphill portion in half.  Short, fast and very slow jog on the downhill.  

Day 7: Easy pace three mile run.  Have fun.  Run with a friend.  

One last point about the CFA.  Probably the most important.  Set up a CFA course near your home.  Measure out the mile.  Set flags for the basketball throw every ten feet.  Have a pull up bar available.  Tape out a thirty foot section on your driveway for the shuttle run.  After several months of training in all aspects do a practice CFA every Saturday morning at 8 AM.  Follow the rules of the CFA on times and rest periods.  It’s the best barometer to tell you what you need to improve and if you are not doing well overall or you are doing great.  Most of all it will demystify the CFA.  You will know how hard it is by doing it 7, 8, 9, 10 weekends in a row.  

I have watched All-State athletes in one sport brought to their knees by the CFA because they did not train. It is a competition for an Appointment to West Point.  If you don’t train you will not pass.  I have also watched, just this last month, an applicant who’s first timed mile five month’s ago was a DNF.  Did Not Finish.  This week I expect her to run a sub 8 minute mile…or better. Grit. Discipline. Effort. Accepting the challenge.  This applicant has done 14 consecutive practice CFA’s.  It’s very doable.  It requires consistent practice.  Nothing that happened in her actual CFA test surprised her.  Preparation is everything. 

A Final Note

As you finish this CFA guide, remember that the hard work and struggles are worth it. Stay focused, keep pushing through, and trust yourself. Everyone has to fight their own battle to succeed and that is a fact of life. Success comes to those who don’t give up. Wishing you all the best in your journey to conquering the CFA and becoming a qualified candidate for USMA. You can do this!