The fitness test, explained | Schoolhouse

The test of record: the AFT

As of 1 June 2025, the Army’s physical fitness test of record is the Army Fitness Test (AFT). It replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test. The old Standing Power Throw is gone; the AFT has five events.

The five events

MDL 3-Rep Max Deadlift. Lift the heaviest weight you can for three continuous reps with a hex bar. Tests lower-body and grip strength.
HRP Hand-Release Push-Up. As many correct reps as possible in two minutes, hands lifting off the ground at the bottom. Tests upper-body endurance.
SDC Sprint-Drag-Carry. Five 50-meter shuttles for time: sprint, drag a sled, lateral, carry kettlebells, sprint. Tests power and agility.
PLK Plank. Hold a correct plank as long as you can. Tests core endurance.
2MR Two-Mile Run. Run two miles for time. Tests aerobic endurance.

The two standards

There are two ways your score is judged, and which one applies depends on your job:

GENERAL Scored by age and sex. You need at least 60 points per event and 300 total. This covers most specialties.
COMBAT Sex-neutral, age-normed: men and women meet the same bar. You need 60 per event and 350 total. It applies to 21 designated combat jobs, and for the National Guard and Reserve those combat-job standards took effect 1 June 2026.

One more number worth knowing: the Army has stated that a score of 465 or higher exempts a Soldier from separate body-fat standards under current directive guidance.

The standard for your age

Here is what each event takes, by age. The pass value is the 60 points you need on that event; the max value is a perfect 100. You need at least 60 on every event, and 300 total for the General standard or 350 for the Combat standard. The men and combat columns are the men’s scale under the General standard and the single scale everyone is scored on under Combat; the women’s columns are the General standard for women.

3 REP MAX DEADLIFT (LB)

Age	Pass, men & combat	Max, men & combat	Pass, women	Max, women
17-21	150 lb	340 lb	120 lb	220 lb
22-26	150 lb	350 lb	120 lb	230 lb
27-31	150 lb	350 lb	120 lb	240 lb
32-36	140 lb	350 lb	120 lb	230 lb
37-41	140 lb	350 lb	120 lb	220 lb
42-46	140 lb	350 lb	120 lb	210 lb
47-51	140 lb	340 lb	120 lb	200 lb
52-56	140 lb	330 lb	120 lb	190 lb
57-61	140 lb	250 lb	120 lb	170 lb
62+	140 lb	230 lb	120 lb	170 lb

HAND-RELEASE PUSH-UP (REPS)

Age	Pass, men & combat	Max, men & combat	Pass, women	Max, women
17-21	15 reps	58 reps	11 reps	53 reps
22-26	14 reps	61 reps	11 reps	50 reps
27-31	14 reps	62 reps	11 reps	48 reps
32-36	13 reps	60 reps	11 reps	47 reps
37-41	12 reps	59 reps	10 reps	43 reps
42-46	11 reps	57 reps	10 reps	40 reps
47-51	11 reps	55 reps	10 reps	38 reps
52-56	10 reps	51 reps	10 reps	36 reps
57-61	10 reps	46 reps	10 reps	24 reps
62+	10 reps	43 reps	10 reps	24 reps

SPRINT-DRAG-CARRY (MIN:SEC)

Age	Pass, men & combat	Max, men & combat	Pass, women	Max, women
17-21	2:28	1:29	3:15	1:55
22-26	2:31	1:30	3:15	1:55
27-31	2:32	1:30	3:15	1:55
32-36	2:36	1:33	3:22	1:59
37-41	2:41	1:36	3:27	2:02
42-46	2:45	1:40	3:42	2:09
47-51	2:53	1:45	3:51	2:11
52-56	3:00	1:52	4:03	2:18
57-61	3:12	1:58	4:48	2:26
62+	3:16	2:09	4:48	2:26

PLANK (MIN:SEC)

Age	Pass, men & combat	Max, men & combat	Pass, women	Max, women
17-21	1:30	3:40	1:30	3:40
22-26	1:25	3:35	1:25	3:35
27-31	1:20	3:30	1:20	3:30
32-36	1:15	3:25	1:15	3:25
37-41	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20
42-46	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20
47-51	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20
52-56	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20
57-61	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20
62+	1:10	3:20	1:10	3:20

TWO-MILE RUN (MIN:SEC)

Age	Pass, men & combat	Max, men & combat	Pass, women	Max, women
17-21	19:57	13:22	22:55	16:00
22-26	19:45	13:25	22:45	15:30
27-31	19:45	13:25	22:45	15:30
32-36	20:44	13:42	22:50	15:48
37-41	20:44	13:42	22:59	15:51
42-46	22:04	14:05	23:15	16:00
47-51	22:04	14:30	23:30	16:30
52-56	22:50	15:09	24:00	16:59
57-61	23:36	15:28	24:48	17:18
62+	23:36	15:28	25:00	17:18

How a PT session actually runs

Army physical training is not just showing up and running. Every session follows the same shape, so knowing it means you are never the person standing around looking lost. It goes: the Preparation Drill first, the work in the middle, the Recovery Drill last. Same order, every time.

The Preparation Drill

Ten exercises, always in this order, done before every session to warm up and get the body ready. You are expected to know them by name and sequence. Learn them here, then drill yourself at the bottom of the page.

01 Bend and Reach · hips, back, shoulders, legs
02 Rear Lunge · hip flexors and balance
03 High Jumper · leg power and rhythm
04 Rower · trunk and hip flexors
05 Squat Bender · legs, hips, hamstrings, lower back
06 Windmill · trunk rotation, shoulders, hamstrings
07 Forward Lunge · single-leg strength and balance
08 Prone Row · upper back and rear shoulders
09 Bent-Leg Body Twist · controlled trunk rotation
10 Push-Up · chest, shoulders, triceps, core

Strength and mobility, the middle of the session

This is where the real conditioning happens, and it is what actually moves your AFT score. The Army does not train at random; it uses a set of named drills, and your cadre or trainer picks from them. The ones you will hear:

CD 1-3 Conditioning Drills, calisthenics that build whole-body strength and endurance
4C Four for the Core, four exercises for trunk strength
HSD Hip Stability Drill, five exercises for the hips and legs
MMD Military Movement Drills, running form, skips, and shuttle work
STC Strength Training Circuit, timed stations with equipment or sandbags

Nobody expects you to memorize every rep. Know the names, know that this is the part that moves your score, and let our PT sessions coach you through the form.

The Recovery Drill

Five stretches to close out every session, each held 20 to 30 seconds. It is not optional filler. It is how you avoid the nagging injuries that stall a lot of people before they ever ship.

01 Overhead Arm Pull
02 Rear Lunge
03 Extend and Flex
04 Thigh Stretch
05 Single-Leg Over

What is still moving

A separate pass or fail Combat Field Test was announced in 2026 for a set of combat jobs and is expected to become a test of record around 2027. It is its own event and does not change how the AFT above is scored. We will update this note as it firms up.

The real scoring tables

Point values for each event, by age and sex, come from the Army’s official AFT scoring scales published by the Army (the current tables are dated 1 June 2025). Those tables are the authority; anything else is a summary. The calculator below runs those official scales.

SCORE YOURSELF

Put in your age and your raw numbers. This runs the official scoring tables and tells you where you land. It happens in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is saved.

SCALES: AFT SCORING TABLES, EFFECTIVE 1 JUNE 2025 (ARMY.MIL/AFT), VERIFIED CURRENT JUL 2026 · PUBLIC DOMAIN U.S. GOVERNMENT WORK · THE OFFICIAL TABLES ARE THE AUTHORITY, THIS IS A CONVENIENCE

DRILL YOURSELF

The Preparation Drill runs in a fixed order, and you are expected to know it. Name each exercise by its position, then tap to check.

Why this matters before you sign

You do not have to max the AFT to enlist, but you do have to move toward the standard, and the deadlift and the two-mile run reward months of preparation, not a week of it. That is exactly what our PT sessions are for: we run the Preparation Drill, coach the work, and close with the Recovery Drill, the same way the Army does. Come find out where you stand while it still costs you nothing.

SOURCES: ARMY.MIL/AFT (ARMY FITNESS TEST) · AFT SCORING SCALES, 1 JUNE 2025 (ARMY.MIL) · ARMY DIRECTIVE 2025-06 (ARMY FITNESS TEST) · FM 7-22, HOLISTIC HEALTH AND FITNESS, AND ATP 7-22.02, H2F DRILLS AND EXERCISES (PREPARATION, STRENGTH AND MOBILITY, AND RECOVERY DRILLS) · CURRENT AS OF PULSE CHECK DATE

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