The Royal Military College – Duntroon. Physical Conditioning Optimisation Review Project: RMC-D Fitness Profile Review 1999-2008. Supplemental Report: A review of the II Class S1 08 BFA failure rates

Executive Summary [Extract]
Following a higher than anticipated Basic Fitness Assessment (BFA) failure rate for II Class in Semester One, 2008 (S1 08), a review of II Class fitness levels and potential causal factors was undertaken by the Physical Conditioning Optimisation Review (PCOR) project officer.
The review found that II Class S1 08 had a 17% higher BFA failure rate than the comparative II Class S1 07 with the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cohort failure rates increasing by approximately 13% and the Royal Military College – Duntroon (RMC-D) cohort failure rates increasing by approximately 20%. The highest failure rates in II Class S1 08 were by the Officer Tertiary Recruitment Scheme (OTRS)/Army Reserve (ARes) cohort (50%), followed by the RMCD cadets who were required to repeat II Class (42.9%). These two cohorts were followed by the RMC-D II Class female (F) cohort (33%), the RMC-D II Class male (M) cohort (23.5%), the ADFA (M) cohort (19.5%) and finally the ADFA (F) cohort (7.7%).
The 2.4 km run component of the BFA was responsible for the majority of the RMC (M) cohort failures (70% of failures), with the Push up component responsible for the majority of the RMC (F) cohort (75%) failures. The 2.4 km run and Push up components were both equally responsible for ADFA cohort failures.
In order to determine whether the high incidence of failure was caused by previously lower fitness levels prior to entry into II Class or a loss of fitness over the semester break, III Class results were reviewed. The analysis found that III Class S2 07 had a higher average aerobic run fitness but lower Push up ability when compared to III Class S2 06.