How it works: You’ll start behind a line, keeping your knees and body behind it during the throw. Using an overhead motion, launch the basketball as far as you can. Your score is based on the distance the ball travels before it hits the ground. You get three attempts, and your furthest throw is the only one that counts.

Max Scores:

• Men: 102 feet
• Women: 66 feet

Tip: All the other events are probably familiar to most people. But not everybody throws balls around their yard for fun. The key here is practice. Focus on your form, coordination, and power. Use your core and lower body to stabilize yourself.

Pull-ups and Flexed Arm Hang

This event is unique in that it differs depending on your gender. For men, it’s pull-ups. For women, it’s pull-ups or the flexed arm hang.

How it works: For pull-ups, you’ll use your upper back and arm muscles to hoist your body upward, placing your chin above the bar. Then, lower yourself back down to a dead hang. You’ll have two minutes to complete as many reps as possible. For flexed arm hangs, it works the same as pull-ups to start, except that once your chin goes above the bar on your first rep, your goal is to hold it there in place for as long as possible.

Max Scores:

• Men: 18 pull-ups
• Women: 7 pull-ups (or a 39-second flexed arm hang)

Tip: Focus on building your upper-body strength in the weeks and months leading up to your assessment. Be sure to train more than just your arms – a good pull-up activates your back muscles as much as it does your biceps and forearms. 

The Shuttle Run

This event measures your speed, agility, and ability to shift direction quickly. You’ll run back and forth between two lines 30 feet apart, touching the lines with both your hands and feet as you reach them. 

How it works: Shuttle runs are similar to Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, or as many high schoolers know them, PACER tests. The key difference is that you aren’t racing a beep that gradually speeds up with time. You’ll sprint from one line to the other, touching the line with both your hand and foot before

turning around and sprinting back. That’s it. Event complete. You’ll perform the run twice, and your fastest time is what the assessors will record.

Max Scores:

• Men: 7.8 seconds
• Women: 8.6 seconds

Tip: Agility drills and short sprints can help you improve your shuttle run performance. Practice accelerating quickly and focus on making sharp, controlled turns to save time. Also, incorporate weight/ resistance training into your weekly leg workouts. This event depends on explosive, lower-body power.

Sit-Ups

An event that needs no introduction. Sit-ups are a classic test of core strength and endurance. You’ll need to complete as many as you can in two minutes. Someone will hold your feet while you cross your arms over your chest. Then you simply bend upward, holding your arms in place, until they connect with your knees. Rinse and repeat. 

Max Scores:

• Men: 95 sit-ups
• Women: 95 sit-ups

Tips: There’s no way around it: The best way to get better at sit-ups is by doing them. You can also integrate other core-focused exercises into your routine, like leg lifts, planks, and standing oblique crunches.

Push-Ups

Push-ups test upper-body endurance and strength. Like sit-ups, you’ll perform as many push-ups as you can in two minutes.

Max Scores:

• Men: 75 push-ups
• Women: 50 push-ups

Tip: Push-ups can be tough. They require good core stabilization and a strong upper body. But much like with sit-ups, the best practice is to do them. A few times a day, crank out a few push-ups. Keep track of your personal best and watch that number increase with time. In the beginning, focus on getting your form right (no sagging mid-section, hands at shoulder-width, etc.).

1-Mile Run

The final event in the CFA is the one-mile run, which tests cardiovascular endurance and stamina. The hard part about this one isn’t just that it’s a run. You’re also exhausted from the five other events you just finished. 

Max Scores:

• Men: 5:20
• Women: 6:00

Tip: If running is your weakness, you’ll want to build up your aerobic and cardiovascular fitness ahead of time. While going on runs or jogs is best, you can also supplement them with other exercises that get the heart pumping. Rows, bikes, and stairs can all help increase your performance on the track.

How to prepare for the Assessment

The most effective way to succeed in the CFA is to practice the events. The test is essentially calisthenics, meaning you don’t necessarily need access to a commercial gym to train.

Practice the full CFA
When you’re checking your progress, do the CFA on your own, just like the real thing. Do the events back-to-back, with a three-minute rest period in between.

Start working out now
The earlier you start preparing, the better your results will be. You should begin regularly exercising at least three months before your assessment date. This will give you enough time to build strength and stamina, as well as get your body used to the experience.

Track your progress
If you don’t own one already, buy a small journal and keep track of your weekly workouts. Monitor your performance during practice tests and track improvements in your time and rep counts. This will help you build confidence as your fitness improves and also shine a light on your weak spots.

Conclusion

You can be the brightest student in your class, but if your fitness isn’t up to standard, it could pose problems for your Academy application. Similarly, life as a cadet will prove difficult, since physical training will be a regular part of your daily routine. Start slow, give yourself enough time to improve, and you’ll be in Assessment-ready shape in no time!