AFT Retake and Failure Policy: Retests, Two Failures and Separation
Updated November 5, 2026
The AFT retake and failure policy is the set of Army rules governing the response to a failed record Army Fitness Test (AFT): an administrative flag, a retest window, and possible separation after two consecutive failures. A record AFT fails when a Soldier scores below 60 points in any event or below 300 total points; a higher total cannot make up for an event score below its minimum. Army Directive 2025-06 requires commanders to flag and counsel a Soldier after a first failure, including a fitness improvement plan.
Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers generally have 90 days to retest, while Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers generally have 180 days. The AFT retest uses one complete five-event record test, and the Soldier must meet the applicable per-event and total-score minimums. Two consecutive record failures can lead to separation; Soldiers in combat military occupational specialties face a separate 350-point standard that can lead to reclassification if unmet.
Soldiers can track practice scores, use an AFT Calculator to measure gaps, and follow a preparation plan guided by a diagnostic test. Temporary or permanent medical profiles and basic-training status can change the applicable rules, while a failure flag can restrict promotion and other career opportunities. Passing the retest can restore eligibility under Army procedures, but the passing thresholds remain the same per-event and total-score standards that define failure.
What Counts as a Failed AFT Under the Army Retake Policy?
A failed AFT under the Army retake policy is a record AFT in which a Soldier scores below 60 points in any event or misses the total-score requirement. The general standard requires at least 300 points across five events, and designated combat MOS Soldiers must score at least 350 while meeting the 60-point minimum in every event, according to "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)" issued by the Secretary of the Army, April 2025. A high total cannot offset an event score below 60.
Only a record AFT determines official pass-or-fail status; a diagnostic AFT measures readiness but does not replace the record test. A Soldier who misses the required record-test period has no valid passing result and faces the policy consequences for failing to meet the AFT requirement.
Missing 60 Points on One Event vs Missing the Total Score
Missing 60 points on one event and missing the total score are two separate ways to fail the AFT: the first is an event shortfall below 60 points, and the second is a total below the required score. A high total cannot offset an event score below 60, so the event shortfall and the insufficient total each result in a failed record AFT.
Both failure types carry the same retest consequence: the Soldier must retake the record AFT within the applicable window. Army Directive 2025-06 establishes the governing failure and retest requirements.
What Does Army Directive 2025-06 Require After a Failed Record AFT?
Army Directive 2025-06 requires a commander to flag and counsel a Soldier after a failed record Army Fitness Test (AFT). The commander must enroll the Soldier in a structured physical fitness improvement program to address performance and prepare for retesting.
The retest clock begins on the date of the failed record test. "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)", signed by the Secretary of the Army on 17 April 2025, requires Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers to pass a record AFT within 90 days of a failure, and Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who are not AGR to pass within 180 days. The flag and counseling requirements lead to the administrative restrictions and fitness-improvement steps explained below.
Administrative Flag Under AR 600-8-2 After the First Failure
The administrative flag under AR 600-8-2 after a first record AFT failure is a Flag code J, which the unit commander initiates using DA Form 268. The flag suspends favorable personnel actions, including promotion, reenlistment or extension, awards, school attendance or selection, and certain transfers or assignments, as the Department of the Army sets out in "Army Regulation 600-8-2: Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)", 5 April 2021.
The commander removes the flag when the Soldier passes a subsequent record AFT, subject to applicable medical-profile rules. A diagnostic test does not replace the passing record test required to resolve the flag.
Failure Counseling and the Physical Fitness Improvement Plan
Failure counseling records the failed AFT and establishes a physical fitness improvement plan on DA Form 4856. The improvement plan identifies the failed event or score, explains the applicable standard and retest requirement, and sets measurable conditioning objectives focused on the Soldier’s weaker events.
The commander or designated leaders schedule and supervise progressive remedial training, then document attendance, reassessments, and performance before the retest. The physical fitness improvement plan must fit within the retest deadline: generally 90 days for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers, or 180 days for Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers.
How Long Do Soldiers Have to Retake the AFT After Failing?
Soldiers have 90 days to retake the AFT after failing in the Regular Army and AGR, under Army Directive 2025-06. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers generally receive 180 days, unless they serve on active-duty orders exceeding 60 days.
| Component | Retest window | When the clock starts | Status if the window passes without a retest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Army | Within 90 days | Date of the failed record AFT | Soldier remains in failed status and faces applicable administrative actions; the commander must ensure a retest occurs. |
| Active Guard Reserve (AGR) | Within 90 days | Date of the failed record AFT | Soldier remains in failed status and faces applicable administrative actions; the commander must ensure a retest occurs. |
| Army Reserve | Within 90 days on active-duty orders exceeding 60 days; otherwise within 180 days | Date of the failed record AFT | Soldier remains in failed status and faces applicable administrative actions; the commander must ensure a retest occurs. |
| Army National Guard | Within 90 days on active-duty orders exceeding 60 days; otherwise within 180 days | Date of the failed record AFT | Soldier remains in failed status and faces applicable administrative actions; the commander must ensure a retest occurs. |
Soldiers must pass a record AFT within the applicable window, as documented in "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)" by the Secretary of the Army, April 2025.
90-Day Retest Window for Regular Army and AGR Soldiers
The 90-day retest window for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers starts on the date of the failed record AFT, and the Soldier must pass a retest within those 90 days. The Soldier and commander may schedule an earlier retest after sufficient reconditioning.
A Soldier who reaches the 90-day deadline without passing has an unresolved failure. The AFT failure flag remains in effect, and the Soldier may face applicable administrative actions, including consequences associated with a second consecutive failure under Army Directive 2025-06.
180-Day Retest Window for Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers
The 180-day retest window applies to Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers outside the Active Guard Reserve program who need to retake a failed record AFT. The longer window accommodates drill and battle assembly schedules, which can restrict opportunities to arrange supervised training and testing.
The 180-day clock runs from the failed test, and the Soldier and commander may schedule an earlier retest after sufficient reconditioning. A reserve component Soldier who reaches the deadline without completing the required retest has an unresolved failure and faces applicable administrative consequences under Army Directive 2025-06.
How Does an AFT Retest Work?
An AFT retest works as a commander-scheduled record test that follows the official Army testing procedures. Qualified graders administer the retest, record each event’s result, and score the Soldier against the applicable standard for the Soldier’s MOS.
The graders document raw performances, event points, and the total score on the official fitness record. The AFT retest covers all five events as one record test, rather than repeating only the event that fell short.
Retaking All Five Events on One Record Test
Retaking all five events on one record test is the AFT retest requirement; the Army does not replace a failed event with a single-event retest. Soldiers perform the events in sequence: three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run, according to "ATP 7-22.01, Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" published by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026.
Prescribed rest periods and record-test procedures apply across the full test. Earlier passing event scores do not carry over, and the new five-event result determines whether the Soldier passes.
What Happens After Two Consecutive AFT Failures?
After two consecutive AFT failures, a Soldier without an applicable medical limitation can face commander-initiated separation proceedings. Consecutive failures mean two failed record tests in sequence, with no passing record AFT between them; diagnostic tests do not count as record failures.
Under chapter 13 of "Army Regulation 635-200: Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations", published by the Department of the Army in June 2021, the commander considers separation after providing counseling, rehabilitation, and a reasonable opportunity to meet physical fitness standards. A commander may initiate a bar to continued service when authorized, but a medical profile or condition requires individual review before the Army relies on AFT failure as the basis for separation.
The second consecutive failure moves the case from retesting to formal separation processing, where notification and rebuttal rights apply.
Separation Under AR 635-200 for Repeated AFT Failure
Separation under AR 635-200 for repeated AFT failure falls under Chapter 13 of AR 635-200, which covers unsatisfactory performance after required counseling and rehabilitation. The Chapter 13 discharge type depends on the Soldier’s record and applicable rules; separation pay depends on eligibility and is not automatic, as set out in 10 U.S.C. § 1174, "Separation pay upon discharge or release from active duty," published in the United States Code by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
Before separation, the command must notify the Soldier of the proposed action and its basis. The Soldier may consult counsel, review supporting documents, and submit a response under the notification procedures in "Army Regulation 635-200: Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations" by the Department of the Army, June 2021; applicable board rights depend on the Soldier’s circumstances and service history. Army regulations set no single processing deadline, so separation timing depends on the required review and the separation authority’s decision.
What Happens When a Combat MOS Soldier Scores Below 350?
When a combat MOS Soldier scores below 350, the Soldier fails the combat AFT standard, and the same result applies to any event score below 60 points. A total score from 300 to 349 can meet the general standard, but the score does not meet the separate combat MOS requirement of 350 points across five events.
A Secretary of the Army directive, "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)" from April 2025, sets January 1, 2026, as the deadline for Regular Army, AGR, and qualifying Reserve Component Soldiers on active-duty orders. Other Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers have until June 1, 2026; Soldiers who miss the applicable deadline may face in-service reclassification or utilization according to Army requirements. The reclassification path for Soldiers who do not meet the combat standard is described in the next section.
In-Service Reclassification to a Non-Combat MOS
In-service reclassification to a non-combat MOS gives eligible Soldiers who miss the combat AFT standard a path out of a combat specialty, as the Secretary of the Army set out in "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)", April 2025. During the voluntary reclassification phase, PVTs through SSGs with fewer than 18 years of total active federal service may request reclassification. Unit career counselors review preferred MOS choices from the Army’s priority list, while HRC makes the final assignment decision based on Army needs and the Soldier’s qualifications.
The reclassified Soldier must meet the receiving MOS requirements and complete its required retraining or MOS-producing course. The reclassification timeline follows current Army implementation guidance; AR 614-200, Enlisted Assignments and Utilization Management, governs enlisted assignments and qualifications but does not establish one universal deadline for the combat-AFT pathway. AR 614-200 does not set an automatic rank reduction, so rank and retention depend on the Soldier’s qualifications, HRC’s decision, Army requirements, and applicable personnel rules.
How Many Points Does a Soldier Need to Pass the AFT Retest?
A Soldier needs at least 60 points in every AFT event to pass the AFT retest, plus the total-score minimum for the applicable standard.
| Standard | MOS category | Minimum points per event | Minimum total score | Number of events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General standard | Combat-enabling and other non-combat specialties | 60 | 300 | 5 |
| Combat standard | Designated combat specialties | 60 | 350 | 5 |
Army Public Affairs reports the 60-point event minimum and the 300-point and 350-point totals set by Army Directive 2025-06 in "Army establishes new fitness test of record to strengthen readiness and lethality," 21 April 2025. Consult the Army AFT standards page for full event scoring tables and per-event performance requirements.
How Can Practice Scores Be Tracked Between a Failed AFT and the Retest?
Practice scores can be tracked between a failed AFT and the retest with the AFT score improvement tracker, which records practice results and shows progress against the retest target. Soldiers can use the score tracker to compare event scores and identify training priorities.
- Log each practice event’s date and raw result, such as repetitions, weight, or time.
- Compare every event score with the retest target: at least 60 points per event and the required total score.
- Identify the weakest event by finding the largest gap between its current score and target.
How Does the AFT Score Calculator Show the Score a Retest Must Reach?
The AFT score calculator shows the score a retest must reach by converting each raw result into points using the Soldier’s selected age, sex, and AFT standard. The AFT Calculator totals the five event scores and compares each event and the total score with the applicable passing threshold: at least 60 points per event and 300 total for the general standard, or 350 total for the combat standard.
The calculator’s score gap shows how many points each event and the total still need to reach the retest target. Entering practice results reveals the weakest event and guides the next steps for reviewing scores before the retest.
Entering Practice Event Results Before the Retest Date
Entering practice event results before the retest date means recording them in the AFT Calculator to compare current performance with the retest target.
- Select the General or Combat standard and enter the Soldier’s age, sex, and MOS category.
- Enter raw results for the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run.
- Review each event’s converted points and the combined score against the required per-event and total minimums.
How Can a Soldier Prepare for the AFT Retest Inside the Window?
A Soldier can prepare for the AFT retest inside the window by following a phased plan that fits the 90-day Regular Army or AGR window or the 180-day Reserve Component window. The retest preparation plan should build fitness progressively, prioritize the weakest event, and leave time for recovery before the record test.
Phase 1: Establish a baseline.
The Soldier should complete a diagnostic AFT at the start of the retest window and record raw results for all five events. The baseline identifies current strengths, weak events, recovery needs, and applicable profile restrictions.
Phase 2: Set event targets.
The Soldier should confirm whether the general or combat standard applies, then compare each event score with its required minimum. The AFT Calculator or score tracker can show the score gap and identify which event needs the most attention.
Phase 3: Prioritize the weakest event.
The Soldier should devote focused practice to the event closest to falling below its minimum while maintaining the other four events. A high total score cannot replace a passing score on every required event.
Phase 4: Progress training each week.
The Soldier should alternate strength and endurance sessions, avoid consecutive running days, and increase running volume gradually. Army training doctrine in "FM 7-22, Holistic Health and Fitness" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, October 2020, supports structured physical training and progressive conditioning.
Phase 5: Rehearse the full test.
The Soldier should periodically practice all five events in their prescribed order, following event standards and planned rest periods. Full-sequence practice helps reveal pacing and fatigue problems that isolated event workouts may not show.
Phase 6: Adjust to the available window.
The 90-day and 180-day windows allow different amounts of training time, so the Soldier should schedule the retest with enough time for preparation, recovery, and coordination. When only about four weeks remain, the AFT 4-week crash training plan can organize a diagnostic assessment, focused work on the weakest event, controlled progression, and reduced workload near test day.
Phase 7: Taper before the record test.
During the final several days, the Soldier should reduce demanding training while retaining brief, low-fatigue practice. Sleep, hydration, nutrition, and recovery help reduce fatigue on test day.
Phase 8: Execute the retest deliberately.
The Soldier should complete the required warm-up, follow grader instructions, and pace effort across the events. The goal of the record retest is to meet the required minimum on every event and reach the applicable total score.
Using a Diagnostic AFT Before the Record Retest
Using a diagnostic AFT before the record retest gives the Soldier a practice assessment, not a record test, so a failing diagnostic score does not trigger record-test consequences. Soldiers should schedule the diagnostic AFT with enough time left in the 90-day or 180-day retest window to allow corrective training. Diagnostic event scores and the diagnostic total score then set final training targets for the record retest.
Which Soldiers Face Different AFT Failure Rules?
The Soldiers who face different AFT failure rules are Soldiers with temporary or permanent medical profiles and recruits in initial entry training. Medical profiles can delay or restrict testing, while initial entry training recruits follow separate testing and graduation requirements.
Temporary-profile Soldiers follow recovery guidance before taking a record AFT. Permanent-profile Soldiers take permitted events and an authorized alternate aerobic event when their profile prohibits the two-mile run. Initial entry training recruits must meet training requirements, with failures potentially leading to retraining, recycling, or other training actions.
Soldiers on a Temporary Profile
Soldiers on a temporary profile have the AFT retest clock paused, so profile days do not count against the applicable 90- or 180-day deadline. After the temporary profile ends, the Soldier must complete the required recovery and reconditioning period before taking the record AFT; an earlier failure remains on record, since "Army Regulation 600-8-2: Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)" by the Department of the Army, April 2021, keeps a Soldier whose profile starts after the failed test flagged until a record test is passed.
Soldiers on a Permanent Profile Taking Alternate Aerobic Events
Soldiers on a permanent profile taking alternate aerobic events take every AFT event the profile permits, and the approved aerobic alternatives include a 5,000-meter row, 12,000-meter stationary bike, 1,000-meter swim, or 2.5-mile walk, as documented in "ATP 7-22.01, Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026. The permanent-profile Soldier must earn a “GO” on the alternate event and at least 60 points on each other event taken; profile-prohibited events receive 60 points in the Army Training Information System (ATIS). A failed alternate aerobic event counts as an AFT failure and requires a complete record AFT retest, not an isolated event retest.
Recruits Who Fail the AFT in Basic Training
Recruits who fail the AFT in basic training cannot graduate until they pass the required record AFT, according to "TRADOC Regulation 350-6: Enlisted Initial Entry Training Policies and Administration" by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, August 2025. A basic-training failure can lead to a holdover or recycle for further training and retesting; the number of opportunities depends on the applicable course policy.
Recruits who still fail to meet graduation standards after authorized opportunities may be separated from initial entry training under TRADOC Regulation 350-6.
How Does a Failed AFT Affect Promotion Points?
A failed AFT affects promotion points by blocking promotion and promotion-board eligibility while the Army flag remains active. For enlisted Soldiers, the recorded fitness score determines physical-fitness promotion points, and the active flag separately prevents promotion actions, as the Department of the Army documents in "AR 600-8-19, Enlisted Promotions and Reductions", March 2026.
The promotion restriction lasts until the Soldier passes a subsequent record AFT and the commander removes the flag.
Restoring Career Eligibility After Passing the AFT Retest
Restoring career eligibility after passing the AFT retest starts when the commander removes the failure flag effective on the test date, which reinstates eligibility for promotion, schools, and other favorable actions subject to each action’s requirements and processing timelines. The Army records the new score in the Army Training Information System (ATIS), where the updated result informs promotion-point calculations. Restored eligibility completes the failure-policy cycle, from the initial flag and retest window to a passing score under the applicable AFT thresholds.