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.
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. A Drill Zero score calculator that turns your raw numbers into points is on the way and will be built directly from the official scales.
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