The U.S. Army’s physical fitness test is a six-event assessment that measures strength, power, endurance, and aerobic capacity. The current version, known as the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), has been the test of record since 2022. Starting June 1, 2025, the Army is transitioning to an updated version called the Army Fitness Test (AFT), which keeps the same six events but introduces revised scoring standards focused on combat readiness and injury prevention.
The Six Events, in Order
Every soldier takes the test in the same sequence: Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift, Standing Power Throw, Hand-Release Push-Up, Sprint-Drag-Carry, Plank, and Two-Mile Run. Each event targets a different physical demand that mirrors real combat tasks, from lifting heavy equipment to sprinting under load to sustaining effort over distance. You score between 0 and 100 points on each event, and you need at least 60 points on every single one to pass. That means a total passing score is 300 out of a possible 500.
Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift
The test opens with a hex-bar deadlift. You lift the heaviest weight you can manage for three consecutive repetitions. This event tests the lower-body and grip strength soldiers need for tasks like lifting casualties, loading equipment, or moving heavy supplies.
For men ages 22 to 36, the minimum passing weight is 130 pounds and the maximum score requires 340 pounds. For women in the same age range, passing starts at 110 pounds and maxing out requires 230 pounds. Standards adjust with age: men over 62 can max the event at 230 pounds, while women over 62 need 170 pounds. The youngest soldiers (17 to 21) have slightly higher minimums, at 140 pounds for men and 120 pounds for women.
Standing Power Throw
You stand facing away from the measuring lane, hold a 10-pound medicine ball, and heave it backward over your head for maximum distance. It looks a bit like an aggressive soccer throw-in done in reverse. The event measures explosive total-body power, the kind you’d use throwing equipment across obstacles or pushing an opponent away.
Hand-Release Push-Up
This isn’t a standard push-up. At the bottom of each rep, your chest touches the ground and you briefly lift your hands off the floor before pressing back up. That pause eliminates any bouncing or momentum, forcing your chest, shoulders, and triceps to do the full work on every repetition. You complete as many reps as possible within the time limit.
Sprint-Drag-Carry
The Sprint-Drag-Carry is the event most people find the hardest to prepare for, because it chains five different movements back-to-back with no rest. You work a 25-meter lane, completing each movement down and back (50 meters per shuttle, 250 meters total), and the clock runs the entire time.
The sequence goes like this:
- Sprint: Run 25 meters, touch the line with your foot and hand, sprint back.
- Drag: Pull a 90-pound sled backward for 25 meters, turn it around, pull it back.
- Lateral: Shuffle sideways for 25 meters, touch the line, shuffle back.
- Carry: Grab two 40-pound kettlebells and run them down and back.
- Sprint: Drop the kettlebells and finish with one more 50-meter sprint.
This event tests a combination of muscular endurance, raw strength, anaerobic power, and the ability to sustain high-intensity effort over a short burst. It closely simulates battlefield tasks like dragging a wounded soldier, carrying ammunition, or moving quickly between cover.
Plank
The plank replaced the leg tuck (which is no longer part of the test in any form). You hold a standard forearm plank position, maintaining a straight line from head to heels, for as long as possible. The scoring is the same for men and women within each age group. For soldiers ages 17 to 21, a perfect score requires holding for 1 minute and 30 seconds. That max time decreases with age, dropping to 1 minute and 10 seconds for anyone 37 and older.
Compared to the other five events, the plank is the most straightforward to train for, but it’s still a pass-or-fail gatekeeper. If your core gives out early, you fail the entire test regardless of how well you performed everywhere else.
Two-Mile Run
The test finishes with a timed two-mile run on a measured, generally flat course. For men ages 17 to 21, passing requires finishing in 22 minutes or less, while a perfect score demands a 13:22 pace. Women in the same age bracket need to finish within 23 minutes and 22 seconds to pass, with a max-score time of 15:29. Older age groups get progressively more lenient time standards.
Because the run comes last, fatigue from the previous five events is a real factor. Many soldiers who can comfortably run two miles fresh find their times suffer after deadlifting, throwing, and dragging a sled. Training specifically for running on tired legs makes a noticeable difference.
How Scoring Works
Each event is scored on a 0-to-100 scale, with performance thresholds adjusted by age group and gender. You need a minimum of 60 points per event, and there is no way to compensate for a failed event by scoring higher on another. A soldier who scores 100 on five events but only 55 on the plank still fails the test overall.
The age-and-gender adjustments reflect physiological differences. For the deadlift, a 25-year-old man needs to lift 340 pounds for a perfect score, while a 25-year-old woman needs 230 pounds. A 55-year-old man maxes the event at 290 pounds. The same scaling logic applies across all six events, getting progressively easier as soldiers age past their mid-thirties.
Alternate Events for Injuries or Profiles
Soldiers with documented medical limitations that prevent them from completing the standard two-mile run can take one of four alternate aerobic events instead: a 2.5-mile walk, a 12-kilometer bike ride, a 1-kilometer swim, or a 5-kilometer row. These alternatives are scored on a pass/fail basis rather than a point scale, so they won’t contribute to a competitive total score.
What Happens if You Fail
The Army is currently in a transition period as it shifts from the ACFT to the new AFT scoring standards. During this window, soldiers are exempt from adverse administrative action based solely on failing the fitness test. That grace period ends January 1, 2026, for active-duty soldiers and June 1, 2026, for Reserve and National Guard members. After those dates, a failing score triggers a “flag” under Army Regulation 600-8-2, which suspends favorable personnel actions. That means no promotions, no awards, no favorable reassignments, and no school slots until you pass. Repeated failures can lead to separation from the Army.
The 2025 Transition to the AFT
The Army Fitness Test, effective June 1, 2025, keeps the same six-event structure but updates the scoring scales. The Army describes the change as data-driven, built on several years of ACFT performance data collected across the force. The goal is to emphasize holistic fitness rather than event-specific training, meaning the updated standards are designed to reward soldiers who are broadly fit rather than those who specialize in gaming individual events. The test’s core purpose remains the same: ensuring every soldier is physically prepared for the demands of their job.