The U.S. Army Physical Fitness Test - APFT

The U.S. Army Physical Fitness Test - APFT - is used to test the physical fitness level of soldiers. Every 6 months, all soldiers, regardless of age, are required to take the test and have their height and weight measured to determine if they are physically fit and not overweight or obese.

The following are the three components of the APFT in the order they are administered. Each examinee is allowed to rest at least 10 minutes between the tests but ideally no more than 20 minutes. The test is not considered valid if all three of its components are not completed within 2 hours.

PUSHUPS:The pushup component of the test is intended to measure the endurance of the muscles of the chest (pectorals) frontal shoulder (deltoids), and rear upper arms (triceps). The examinee's score is the number of pushups that can be performed in two minutes. Required Form: The body must be generally straight and the feet must be 12 or fewer inches apart. The body must be lowered until the upper arms become parallel with the ground (the chest is not required to touch the ground). The body must be raised until the arms are close to fully extended. The examinee may rest during the two minute test, but only while the arms are fully extended. However, the body may sag or bend upwards during the rest period. See the APFT pushup component scoring table.


SITUPS: The situp component of the test is intended to measure the endurance of the abdominal and hip flexor muscles. Required Form: The examinee lies on the floor with his hands clasped behind his neck, his feet no more than 12 inches apart and held down by an examiner, and his knees bent at a 90-degree angle. For each repetition, the examinee raises his torso until an imaginary line between the bases or the neck and base of the spinal column reaches vertical. The body must be lowered until the bottoms of the shoulder blades touch the ground (the head and arms need not touch the ground). See the APFT situp component scoring table.


Two-Mile Run: The two-mile run component of the APFT is intended to measure cardiovascular/respiratory (aerobic) endurance. The examinee is timed while running as quickly as possible over a relatively flat, measured, 2-mile course. It is best to run on a track to ensure a flat surface and accurate distance. Automobile odometers are generally not accurate for such measurements, although a calibrated electronic bicycle odometer may be used. It should be noted that modern high-school and college tracks are 400 meters long, a bit short of a quarter-mile. For an accurate two miles on such tracks, a starting line should be marked 61 feet (18.7 meters) before the 8-lap finish line to ensure the distance is properly extended. See the 2-mile run component scoring table.

Scoring the APFT: The overall score on the APFT is the total of the scores of the three test components (pushups, situps, and 2-mile run), with a maximum of 300. In order to pass the test according to Army standards, the examinee must achieve at least 60 points in each test component. An examinee scoring at least 90 points on each test component is awarded a Physical Fitness Badge.

NOTE:Special units within the Army have their own physical fitness standards. For example, all Airborne troops, regardless of age, must pass the fitness standards for the 17-21 year-old age group. Army Rangers must run 5 miles within 40 minutes and do at least 49 pushups, 59 situps, and 6 chinups.

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