APFT vs ACFT vs AFT: How the Army Fitness Test Changed

APFT vs ACFT vs AFT at a Glance

The APFT, ACFT, and AFT differ in event count, scoring, standards, and equipment, as the comparison table shows.

The Army Fitness Test (AFT) became the Army’s current test of record on June 1, 2025. The AFT figures in the comparison, five events with a 350-point combat minimum, a 300-point general minimum, and at least 60 points per event, follow "Army establishes new fitness test of record to strengthen readiness and lethality" by Army Public Affairs, April 2025.

Key Differences Between the Three Army Fitness Tests

The key differences between the APFT, ACFT, and AFT fall into five areas: events, scoring scale, passing score, age and sex standards, and equipment. The APFT used three bodyweight events and a 300-point scale; the ACFT expanded to six events and 600 points; the AFT uses five events and a 500-point scale.

Each Army fitness test applies its own scoring standards and passing requirements. The AFT sets separate combat and general standards, while the AFT event lineup removes the Standing Power Throw and retains the Plank in place of the Leg Tuck. Test equipment ranges from the APFT’s bodyweight setup to the ACFT’s strength and power equipment, with the AFT using gear for its five remaining events.

The event-by-event comparison shows how the Army changed the lineup from three events to six and then five.

Event Differences From Three Events to Six to Five

The event differences run from three APFT events to six ACFT events to five AFT events. The AFT retains four ACFT events and replaces the Leg Tuck with the Plank.

The AFT dropped the Standing Power Throw and replaced the Leg Tuck with the Plank.

Standing Power Throw Removed From the AFT

The Army removed the Standing Power Throw from the AFT when the AFT replaced the ACFT on June 1, 2025. The Standing Power Throw measured explosive upper- and lower-body power by asking Soldiers to throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward for distance. Sgt. Maj. Christopher Mullinax said the Army eliminated the throwing event because the throw was not building fitness and readiness to the level the Army wanted, carried an elevated risk of overuse injury, and pushed Soldiers to focus on technique rather than true power, as reported in "Army introduces new fitness test for 2025" by Sgt. Woodlyne Escarne, May 2025.

Leg Tuck Replaced by the Plank

The Plank replaced the Leg Tuck in the revised ACFT in 2022, following concerns about lower pass rates among some Soldier groups. Army analysis found that Leg Tuck performance depended partly on upper-body pulling strength, which made the hanging event less consistent as a measure of core strength. The Plank measures core strength and muscular endurance as Soldiers hold a straight-body position. The revised test introduced the Plank during diagnostic testing in April 2022 and record testing in October 2022, according to "Army implements ACFT based on scores, RAND study, and Soldier feedback" by Sgt. 1st Class Will Reinier, March 2022. The AFT retained the Plank as its core-strength event.

Scoring Scale Differences: 300 vs 600 vs 500 Points

The scoring scale differences follow event count: the APFT offered 300 points across three events, while the ACFT offered 600 points across six events, as shown in the comparison table. The AFT offers 500 points across five events, with each event worth up to 100 points.

A maximum score represents full points in every event, not an equivalent fitness level across tests. Each test sets its own minimum passing score, so the point scales must be read alongside their pass requirements.

Passing Score Differences Between the Tests

Passing an AFT requires at least 60 points in every event and the applicable total minimum. A Soldier who scores below 60 in any event fails, even when the five-event total reaches the required score.

The AFT general standard requires 300 total points, while the combat standard requires 350. Army Directive 2025-06, "Army Fitness Test," signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in April 2025, sets the higher total for Soldiers assigned to designated combat specialties.

Age and Sex Scoring Differences

The age and sex scoring differences start with the APFT, which used age- and sex-based scoring tables and compared Soldiers’ results against standards for their age bracket and sex. The ACFT first used age- and sex-neutral scoring, then revisions introduced age- and sex-normed standards for general fitness while retaining a combat-oriented standard.

The AFT separates scoring into combat and general standards. The AFT combat standard uses sex-neutral, age-normed scoring, while the general standard adjusts scoring for both age and sex.

Equipment Differences From Bodyweight to the Hex Bar

The equipment differences begin with the APFT, which used bodyweight exercises and a running course, with no specialized fitness equipment. The ACFT introduced a hex bar and plates for the three-repetition maximum deadlift, a medicine ball for the Standing Power Throw, kettlebells and a sled for the Sprint-Drag-Carry, and a pull-up bar for the Leg Tuck.

The AFT kept the hex bar, plates, kettlebells, and sled for events that remain in its five-event lineup. Removing the Standing Power Throw eliminated the medicine ball, while replacing the Leg Tuck with the Plank removed the pull-up bar requirement. The shift from bodyweight-only testing to hex-bar lifting sits alongside the push-up and two-mile run, which all three tests retained; the push-up became the hand-release push-up.

What the Three Army Fitness Tests Have in Common

The APFT, ACFT, and AFT have in common their role as the Army’s record physical-readiness test for Soldiers. Each Army fitness test assessed fitness for military duty through scored events, although the event lineup and scoring system changed.

The two-mile run remained the aerobic-endurance event across all three tests. The push-up movement continued as well: the APFT used the standard push-up, while the ACFT and AFT use the hand-release push-up. Across their different events, the three tests assess overlapping qualities, including muscular strength, muscular endurance, core endurance, anaerobic capacity, and aerobic endurance.

The Two-Mile Run in Every Test

The two-mile run is the aerobic-endurance event shared by the APFT, ACFT, and AFT. Soldiers complete the measured course for time, with walking permitted and outside assistance prohibited.

The APFT ended with the run and awarded up to 100 of its 300 points using age- and sex-based time tables. The ACFT placed the two-mile run sixth, scored it from 60 to 100 points, and required at least 60 run points and 360 total points to pass. The AFT places the run fifth and last, scoring it on a 0-to-100 scale under general or combat standards.

From the Standard Push-Up to the Hand-Release Push-Up

The Army replaced the APFT standard push-up with the hand-release push-up when it introduced the ACFT. Both push-up events allow two minutes, but the standard push-up begins in a front-leaning rest position; Soldiers lower their bodies until their upper arms reach at least parallel with the ground, then press back up. A standard push-up repetition counts when the Soldier completes the movement to standard, and the Soldier may briefly rest in the up position.

The hand-release push-up begins with the chest, hips, and thighs on the ground. Soldiers extend their arms into a “T,” bring their hands beneath their shoulders, then push up until their arms reach full extension; only repetitions meeting the movement standard count. The Army adopted the hand-release form to test controlled, full-body pushing associated with combat tasks, including rising from the ground.

How the Army Fitness Test Changed From 1980 to 2026

The Army fitness test changed from the APFT to the ACFT and then to the AFT, which became the record test on June 1, 2025. The Army adopted the APFT in 1980, and the three-event test remained the standard for roughly four decades. The Army tested the ACFT in diagnostic and phased rollout periods before the ACFT replaced the APFT as the record test in 2022.

The AFT replaced the ACFT as the record test on June 1, 2025; ACFT results from earlier dates remain legacy scores under transition rules. In 2026, the Army added the Combat Field Test for designated combat specialties, alongside the AFT. The sequence began with the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT.

APFT: The Three-Event Army Physical Fitness Test

The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) was the Army’s three-event record fitness test from 1980 until 2022. Soldiers completed two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a timed two-mile run; each APFT event earned up to 100 points, for a maximum score of 300.

The APFT used age- and sex-based scoring brackets, and Soldiers generally needed at least 60 points in each event to pass. The Army retired the APFT after criticism that the three-event test measured too few fitness qualities and gave weak predictions of combat-task and job performance.

Army Physical Readiness Test: The Prototype That Never Launched

The Army Physical Readiness Test (APRT) was a proposed five-event replacement for the APFT, but the APRT never became the Army’s record test. The APRT events were the 60-yard shuttle run, one-minute push-ups, one-minute rowing, standing long jump, and 1.5-mile run. Army field testing involved more than 10,000 Soldiers at approximately eight locations. An independent panel of experts found that the five events had only face validity and recommended further study rather than implementation, as TRADOC reported in "Three-event APFT retained pending baseline Soldier physical readiness study" by Stephanie Slater, August 2012.

The APRT field-testing informed later efforts to build a test around combat-related tasks, leading to the six-event ACFT design.

ACFT: The Six-Event Army Combat Fitness Test

The ACFT was the Army’s six-event, 600-point fitness test before the AFT replaced it. The ACFT events were the three-repetition maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run. The Army introduced diagnostic testing before making the ACFT the official test of record on October 1, 2022.

During rollout, the Army revised ACFT scoring guidance and replaced the leg tuck with the plank. The ACFT stopped being the record test on May 31, 2025, when the AFT took over; Soldiers searching the ACFT name today are looking for a retired test. Scoring and pass-rate concerns helped drive the AFT’s five-event redesign and separate combat and general standards.

AFT: The Five-Event Army Fitness Test Since June 2025

The Army Fitness Test (AFT) has served as the Army’s five-event record fitness test since June 1, 2025, replacing the six-event ACFT. Soldiers complete the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run; each AFT event scores up to 100 points, for a 500-point maximum.

The AFT uses combat and general standards. The combat standard applies to Soldiers in designated combat specialties, while the general standard applies to other Soldiers; the active component began using the combat standard on January 1, 2026, and the Reserve and National Guard follow on June 1, 2026.

Combat Field Test: The 2026 Addition for Combat Specialties

The Combat Field Test (CFT) is a pass/fail assessment for Soldiers in designated combat specialties. The CFT supplements the AFT combat standard rather than replacing it, measuring field-task fitness through a continuous sequence of seven events: a one-mile run, 30 dead-stop push-ups, a 100-meter sprint, 16 sandbag lifts, a 50-meter water-can carry, a 50-meter crawl-and-rush drill, and a final one-mile run. Soldiers must complete the CFT sequence in 30 minutes or less, wearing an Army Combat Uniform and combat boots, according to "US Army announces new Combat Field Test to enhance Soldier readiness" by U.S. Army Public Affairs, April 2026.

The Army began diagnostic CFT testing in April 2026, with record testing scheduled to begin after a 365-day diagnostic period, in April 2027. Before that date, failed attempts carry no adverse administrative action under the announced rollout schedule; the Combat Field Test adds a field-based measure of speed, loaded movement, and repeated aerobic effort to the AFT’s scored fitness standards.

Which Army Fitness Test Applies to You Now?

The Army fitness test that applies to Soldiers now is the Army Fitness Test (AFT), the current record fitness test. Soldiers in designated combat specialties take the sex-neutral AFT combat standard; Soldiers in other specialties take the general standard, which adjusts scoring for age and sex. Army Directive 2026-07, "Army Physical Fitness Standards," signed in April 2026, applies the Combat Field Test separately to designated combat specialties, with a diagnostic period that began that month.

The APFT and ACFT are retired tests, not the current record test. Soldiers searching either legacy name should use current AFT standards for present-day requirements.

Is the AFT Harder Than the ACFT and the APFT?

No, the AFT is not universally harder than the ACFT or APFT; difficulty depends on each Soldier’s fitness strengths and scoring standard. The AFT has five events, compared with six in the ACFT and three in the APFT. The AFT drops the Standing Power Throw, while the AFT Plank had replaced the Leg Tuck in the ACFT before the AFT began. Soldiers in designated combat specialties face a higher AFT threshold: at least 60 points per event and 350 total points. The general standard requires 60 points per event and 300 total points.

A 2024 Defense Health Agency technical report found a marked pass-rate gap in early ACFT field testing: 75.6% of men passed, compared with 27.2% of women, according to "Changes in Physical Training, Physical Fitness, and Injury following Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) Field Testing, 2018-2020," July 2024. RAND found that women and some other Soldier groups passed the gender-neutral ACFT at lower rates, as documented in "Independent Review of the Army Combat Fitness Test: Summary of Key Findings and Recommendations" by the RAND Corporation, March 2022, but early ACFT results do not establish current AFT pass rates. The ACFT could feel harder for Soldiers challenged by the Leg Tuck or equipment-based events; the APFT could feel harder for Soldiers less suited to standard push-ups, sit-ups, and running, while the AFT combat standard sets a higher bar for many combat-specialty Soldiers.

How Do Old APFT and ACFT Scores Compare With an AFT Score?

Old APFT and ACFT scores do not compare directly with an AFT score, because no official Army conversion translates an APFT or ACFT score into an AFT score. The APFT used three events and a 300-point scale, the ACFT used six events and a 600-point scale, and the AFT uses five events and a 500-point scale. Different events and scoring standards make the point totals non-equivalent.

An old APFT or ACFT result records a Soldier’s performance on the test taken at that time. The legacy result does not establish a current AFT score or confirm that the Soldier meets today’s passing standard; Soldiers must complete the five AFT events and use the applicable scoring table.

Scoring an Old APFT Result

To score an old APFT result, enter push-up repetitions, sit-up repetitions, and the two-mile run time into the legacy APFT calculator. Select the Soldier’s age and sex category; the legacy APFT calculator assigns up to 100 points per event, for a maximum of 300 points.

Scoring a Legacy ACFT Result

To score a legacy ACFT result, enter the six raw event results: 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift, Standing Power Throw, Hand-Release Push-Up, Sprint-Drag-Carry, Plank or Leg Tuck, and Two-Mile Run. Apply the scoring table version that matches the test date, because ACFT standards changed over time.

The Legacy ACFT Calculator converts each event result into points and totals the six scores, up to 600 points.

Scoring the Current AFT With AFT Calculator

To score the current AFT with AFT Calculator, enter five event results and read the event points against the total and the passing standard. The steps for scoring the current Army Fitness Test are listed below:

1. Open AFT Calculator and select the Soldier’s age, sex, and standard: General or Combat.
2. Enter the raw results for the Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift, Hand-Release Push-Up, Sprint-Drag-Carry, Plank, and Two-Mile Run.
3. Review the points awarded for each event and the total score. Each event is worth up to 100 points, for a maximum total of 500.
4. Check the passing requirements: every event must earn at least 60 points. The General Standard requires 300 total points, while the Combat Standard requires 350.

How the AFT Scores Soldiers After the ACFT Era

The AFT scores Soldiers from 0 to 100 points in each of five events, for a maximum of 500 points. Soldiers follow either the combat standard or the general standard, and both AFT standards require at least 60 points per event. The general standard requires 300 total points, while the combat standard requires 350.

AFT scores can generate up to 120 promotion points for the physical-fitness category. Soldiers with qualifying profiles may use an authorized alternate aerobic event, such as a walk, stationary bike, swim, or row; a passing result receives applicable promotion credit under Army rules. The AFT two-standard system sets the combat threshold described below.

AFT Combat Standard for Combat Specialties

The AFT combat standard applies to Soldiers in 24 designated combat military occupational specialties, including infantry, armor, field artillery, combat engineering, and special operations roles. The combat standard uses sex-neutral, age-normed scoring and requires at least 60 points in each event and 350 points in total.

The combat standard’s implementation dates are January 1, 2026, for active-component Soldiers and June 1, 2026, for Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, according to Army Directive 2025-06, "Army Fitness Test," April 2025. As of November 2026, both implementation dates have passed.

AFT General Standard by Age and Sex

The AFT general standard uses age- and sex-normed scoring for Soldiers outside designated combat specialties. The Army’s official general-standard scoring tables divide Soldiers into five-year age brackets, beginning at 17–21 and continuing through over 62, with separate male and female performance standards, as set out in "Army Fitness Test Score Tables" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, approved May 2025.

Soldiers must earn at least 60 points in each event and 300 total points to pass the general standard. The general-standard scoring tables assign points for the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run.

AFT Promotion Points Compared With ACFT Points

AFT promotion points come from a revised conversion table for sergeant (SGT) and staff sergeant (SSG), which keeps the fitness category maximum at 120 points. Table 3-4 of Army Regulation 600-8-19, "Enlisted Promotions and Reductions," published by Headquarters, Department of the Army in March 2026, converts AFT results through that promotion-point table, so the 500-point AFT total does not transfer directly from the ACFT’s 600-point scale.

AFT scores began replacing ACFT scores in promotion actions on October 1, 2025. ACFT scores recorded before May 31, 2025, remained eligible through September 30, 2025; the revised table changes how test scores map to promotion points, not the 120-point maximum.

Alternate Aerobic Events From the APFT to the AFT

Army alternate aerobic events replace the two-mile run when a Soldier’s permanent medical profile prevents running. The authorized event and distance changed between test versions, while the ACFT and AFT use the same four options.

Army guidance assigns the alternate event through the Soldier’s medical profile, generally recorded on DA Form 3349. The alternate aerobic event replaces the two-mile run and counts as the test’s aerobic event, as Headquarters, Department of the Army notes in ATP 7-22.01, "Holistic Health and Fitness Testing," March 2026.

How the AFT Compares With Other Military Fitness Tests

The AFT compares with other military fitness tests through its five events and 500-point scale, while the other services’ tests use different event combinations and scoring rules. The Marine Corps PFT has three events and a 300-point scale, with age- and sex-based standards. The Navy PRT combines push-ups, a plank or curl-ups, and a cardio event; Navy scoring uses age- and sex-based performance standards. The Air Force PFA tests push-ups, abdominal exercises, and a 1.5-mile run, with a 100-point scale and age- and sex-adjusted standards.

The Ranger Physical Assessment is a selection assessment, not an Army-wide record fitness test. The RPA uses events such as hand-release push-ups, a plank, and a two-mile run, then applies pass/fail minimums rather than an AFT-style point total. The AFT differs further by separating a sex-neutral combat standard from an age- and sex-normed general standard.

AFT vs the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

The AFT uses five events: the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run; the Marine Corps PFT uses pull-ups or push-ups, a plank, and a three-mile run. The AFT scores Soldiers on a 500-point scale, while the Marine Corps PFT uses a 300-point scale. AFT scoring pairs an age- and sex-normed general standard with a sex-neutral combat standard, while the Marine Corps PFT uses age- and sex-based scoring tables.

AFT vs the Ranger Physical Assessment

The Ranger Physical Assessment (RPA) is a pass/fail assessment with push-ups, sit-ups, a timed five-mile run, pull-ups, and a 12-mile foot march with a combat load. Unlike the AFT’s 500-point scale, the RPA uses per-event minimums and completion requirements. The AFT combat standard requires at least 60 points in each event and 350 total points, so the AFT combat thresholds do not convert directly to RPA requirements.

Why the Army Fitness Test Changed Three Times

The Army fitness test changed three times because the Army sought to better reflect combat demands, address scoring concerns, and respond to evidence reviews. The three changes and the reason the Army gave for each are listed below:

• The ACFT replaced the APFT to measure combat-related fitness. The Army considered the APFT’s push-ups, sit-ups, and two-mile run too narrow to assess strength, power, speed, and agility. The ACFT added events such as the deadlift and Sprint-Drag-Carry to represent a wider range of physical demands. The Army described injury reduction and improved readiness as goals of the broader test design, rather than guaranteed outcomes.
• The Plank replaced the Leg Tuck within the ACFT after pass-rate concerns emerged. Army results showed differences in pass rates across sex and occupational groups, prompting scrutiny of whether the Leg Tuck measured core fitness on equal terms across the force. The Army changed the core event to the Plank in 2022, retaining a core-strength assessment while reducing the movement-dependent demand. RAND’s congressionally required review reported that women and other groups passed the gender-neutral ACFT at lower rates, in "Independent Review of the Army Combat Fitness Test: Summary of Key Findings and Recommendations," March 2022.
• The AFT replaced the ACFT after Army and congressional review raised concerns about scoring and implementation. Army leaders reviewed test records, field feedback, readiness goals, and demographic outcomes. The five-event AFT removed the Standing Power Throw and established separate combat and general scoring standards, as Army Public Affairs announced in "Army establishes new fitness test of record to strengthen readiness and lethality," April 2025.

The AFT applies as the Army’s current record fitness test, reflecting the Army’s shift to combat relevance, reviewed standards, and a revised event lineup.