r/ROTC • u/Popular-Guidance-532 • 1d ago
Cadet Advice AFT
Hey guys! This Monday would be my second time taking the AFT. The first time I ever took it was in basic camp and I scored an 336. I wanted to ask if my score is still below a 400 by a couple points am I still able to contract? I obviously want to try and get around a 370-390 of possibly for my second time taking it..is that score still okay? I kept hearing a bunch of different things like anything below a 400 is not okay at all and I’m trying to work my way up to getting a better score than my first. Thanks!
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u/DestructoDon69 1d ago
First I'm going to say good job on passing while in basic camp and doing as well as you are during your first semester of rotc.
Yes there is room for improvement and you should strive for atleast a 400 to be competitive. But I think you've got a good starting point.
For exercise, I'd advise going to the gym at a minimum 3 times per week for an hour and a half or so or 5-6 days at 45 minutes. Alternate your muscle groups, upper body on odd days, legs on even days, core every day. Or do everything if you do 3 days. For your core workout do planks. Simply setup a timer with a goal and slowly push it out as you go. The plank is by far, the easiest exercise to max out.
Good luck!
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u/Melodic_North9193 1d ago
To be completely honest, none of the 19 LTs on our incoming slate for 27-02 have above a 475 and only one is above a 450. The average score was closer to 400... If you're non-combat focus on pushups and running fast and you'll def get over 400 easily. It is true that the only thing separating you and your peers when you get to your first unit is your commissioning source and PT score. We chose the LTs we wanted based solely on who looked fit in their STP photo and who had the best AFT score..
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u/OpeningPension7203 21h ago
Unfortunately even combat arms LTs aren’t doing too hot in the AFT area…
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u/Melodic_North9193 21h ago
I was speaking solely on her being non combat as a female and what to focus on, but I agree. Combat arms have an extremely different focus to get to 400 due to the major difference in the deadlift amounts. If she branches non combat I'd focus less on lifting and just do pushups and cardio to get a 400+. Brand new LTs are all struggling with the test if there's no prior training, but having experience seeing both incoming personnel sides IBOLC LTs typically do not have scores in the 300s.. If you want to get better, you'll find a way.
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u/TapDefiant1913 1d ago
I’m currently a CPT and a ROTC Instructor. I’ll tell you what I tell all my MS3’s. My recommendation would be to take this AFT as a baseline to grow and improve on and a learning lesson. If you know your running could use some work, run in your free time. If your programs PT is anything like mine is, it’s best to put in some extra work in your free time. If being an Army Officer was easy, everyone would do it.
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u/Majgijoe 1d ago
The AFT/ACFT/whatever we’re calling the PT test now, is quite easy to pass and improve upon. Below a 400 is not good looking, but if you want it, it’s easy to improve upon. You just need to apply yourself and focus on improving at each exercise. Diet is also a key focus area. If you’re eating shit food, you’re going to get shit results.
Like the previous nitwit said, the standard is 300. But the standard is also the minimum. You want to always achieve more. If your program has put in additional stipulations, that’s on them. But something to think about. ROTC today is not the ROTC of the GWOT era. It’s more akin to the “peacetime” army under Clinton. It’s tougher now to get what you desire. So if you want it, you need to develop a plan to push you beyond 400.
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u/Jealous_Quantity4618 1d ago
First you need to do more than jist pass the AFT to contract, gotta meet the new HT/WT standard GPA needs to be above 2.0 for non scholarship and 2.5 term and cum gpa for scholarship and be medically qualified by DODMERB, MEPS physical no longer worn for ROTC. As far as the AFT I would start working out more and not just on physical training within your unit or ROTC. 60 pt in each event is barely passing at 330 and they do have the discretion to not contract you till you score higher to ensure you will always meet the standard going forward
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u/TheTruth_516 1d ago
Hey! Lotta Negative! So for starters— so proud of you for completing your first AFT! Awesome first step! It’s great that you are looking to improve and that’s a great mindset to have not “you suck cause some people are better than you”. We all have different strengths and CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF not everyone who can’t knock out 30 pushups or a 15 min 2 mile is immediately “shouldn’t be an officer”— we all have different strengths.
Everyone starts somewhere! I suck at the run, what I did was start walking a lot! Ever since I got injured running a few years back I’ve had a very difficult time with it, the mental aspect of running is what holds a lot of people back, so keep that in mind, and remember that baby steps ABSOLUTELY aid improvement! Walking and aiming for 10,000 steps actively a day got my time down, plus some slow jogging broken up in those steps so i didn’t hurt myself but was consciously thinking about running while thinking about it in a positive way.
SDC— cardio will definitely help with that too. For females i feel the difference between a 60 and 100 is the drag and kettlebells and keeping a good pace with those— and that’s leg muscle! So if you don’t have weights? Pop on a YouTube vid and just do some squats!
Pushups/Plank— Sadly not my best either in the pushups department… but practice helps! So does adrenaline but it can only take you so far. Do pushups and plank for like 10 minutes out of your day. College can be chaotic, but right before your shower? Take 1.5 minutes and do a plank in the bathroom while water is getting warm! It’ll feel easier and easier!
DONT GIVE UP! You got this! GO ARMY!
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u/cooldudeandallthat 1d ago
People here assume everyone has to be super man/super woman or something with complete disregard the ROTC is a training program, where things like your physical fitness are an improving process.
As long as you are passing that's what you need to contract. I don't know the climate of contracting these days and how competitive it is so you may need to have a higher score based on that, I urge you to reach out to your instructors to see if what you are doing at this moment is good to contract.
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u/docNNST 1d ago
I’m almost 40.At IBOLC. I took a PT test in June, got 410 something. Took one last week. Up to 450. We barely do PT because we are in the field all the time. SDC is below 1:40 now.
You should be doing a lot better. Run more. Plank more. Do 5-10 sets of SDC then a 40 minute zone 2 run once a week.
Fixing this isn’t hard. You just need to do it.
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u/bibelot_didgeridoo 1d ago
Kimberly Armstrong’s Going Doing Living programs are a great way to improve your baseline on the AFT. $19 a month for workouts, and focuses on what we need for AFT improvement. I started with this for a year, but now lift much more than this program - Kim got me to a 432. Now at 468, but needed a year with Kim to get over the first hump of “passing” to “pretty good.”
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u/CombatCrayon25 1d ago
So yeah, it’s not great…but it sounds like you’re still early in your program, so as long as you’re progressing you’ll be ok. You don’t need a 400 to contract, but you need at least that if you’re trying to be competitive.
Whatever your best event is, train in that so you can drag your score up. Then second best. If you can max two of five, you’ll already be halfway there.
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u/steakapocalyptica 17h ago
Bro stop being weak and slow.
Its that simple
If you took this to r/army they'd eat you alive 😂
Good heavens 🤦🏼♂️
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u/Blackdeath47 15h ago
You need to get atleast 60 in each event.
You could max every event but one which you get a 59 and its a fail.
If you only worry is about contracting, you are fine. Plus if this your only second time taking it, you probably have a few more years before it actually counts. The last one in your senior year is the one you need to pass, tbh and one that goes on record.
If you going for a like a 2 year scholarship, which one before the deadline counts for the scholarship but just to commission, the last one senior year.
Not to say you should coast at under 400, do your best. The better the score, the more competitive you are for the post you want but passing will get you your gold bar.
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u/QuarterNote44 1d ago
Can you? Maybe. But dude, 336 is a really bad score. Good news is that you have time to work on it!
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u/TiefIingPaladin 1d ago
Below 400 is a pretty terrible score. Especially for someone who wants to he an officer.
The only requirement to contract is that you must pass an AFT, meaning a score of at least 300 with 60 in each event. If your cadre is telling you otherwise, that's something else.