AFT Events Explained

How Does the Army Use the AFT to Measure Fitness?

The Army uses the AFT as its record measure of physical readiness for Soldiers in the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. The AFT grades five fitness components through its events: muscular strength, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, core strength and endurance, and aerobic endurance.

Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers must pass two record AFTs per calendar year at least four months apart, and Reserve Component Soldiers test once per year. Since April 2026, Soldiers in combat specialties on active duty take one AFT and one Combat Field Test each year.

Recorded AFT results feed readiness decisions across a career. AFT scores count toward promotion points and appear on evaluation reports, which since April 2026 show both the pass/fail result and the actual points earned. A Soldier who fails a record AFT must pass a retest within 90 days in the Regular Army (180 days in the Reserve Component), which ties physical fitness to career progression.

What Does AFT Mean in the U.S. Army?

AFT means Army Fitness Test, the U.S. Army's record physical fitness test. The Army Fitness Test replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) on June 1, 2025, and the ACFT was not given after May 31, 2025. The AFT measures whether Soldiers hold the physical readiness their duties demand, using five events instead of the ACFT's six.

Which Five Events Make Up the Current AFT?

The five events that make up the current AFT are listed below in official order:

1. 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL): muscular strength.
2. Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension (HRP): upper-body muscular endurance.
3. Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC): anaerobic capacity.
4. Plank (PLK): core strength and endurance.
5. Two-Mile Run (2MR): aerobic endurance.

The five events run back to back in a single record test from start to finish.

How Do AFT Events Work?

AFT events work as one continuous record session: Soldiers complete all five events in order on the same day, inside a test period of no more than 120 minutes from the start of the preparation drill to the start of the two-mile run. Trained graders score each event against the published standards, and every event produces a raw result and a point score on the Soldier's DA Form 705-TEST scorecard.

Soldiers must attempt all five events and cannot stop after failing one. From the push-up onward, Soldiers rotate through each lane in groups of four, and the only programmed rest is 10 minutes after the plank, before the run. When only one or two Soldiers test, the schedule adds 5 minutes of rest between the earlier events.

What Is the Official AFT Event Order?

The official AFT event order is the 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift, the Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension, the Sprint-Drag-Carry, the Plank, and the Two-Mile Run. The Army fixes the order so every Soldier meets the same fatigue sequence and rest intervals: the heaviest lift comes first, the push-up, Sprint-Drag-Carry, and plank follow in group rotations, and the run starts after the 10-minute rest that follows the plank. Soldiers cannot reorder the events.

The fixed sequence sets the order for the event-by-event breakdown that follows.

What Are the Five AFT Events?

The five AFT events are summarized in the table below:

1. Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL)

The Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL) is the AFT's strength event: the Soldier lifts the heaviest load possible for three continuous repetitions on a hex bar. The MDL grades lower-body muscular strength, with grip and core strength behind it, and the Army describes the event as a strong predictor of a Soldier's ability to lift and carry a casualty on a litter and to lift and move personnel and equipment.

The hex bar surrounds the Soldier and keeps the load centered on the body instead of in front of the shins. The event rewards form under a heavy load as much as raw strength, because all three repetitions must meet the standard.

What Is the Required Setup for the AFT Deadlift?

The required setup for the AFT deadlift is a 60-pound hex bar loaded with bumper plates and secured with two collars. Graders build each lane's load in 10-pound steps, from a 120-pound floor (the bar plus four 15-pound plates) to 340 pounds on a standard lane, and Soldiers choose the lane that matches their target weight. The starting stance places the feet shoulder-width apart inside the bar, the hands on the center of the handles in a closed grip, the arms fully extended, the back flat, and both heels on the ground. From that loaded, braced position, every repetition is judged by the grader's validity rules.

What Makes an AFT Deadlift Repetition Valid?

The validity rules the grader enforces on an AFT deadlift repetition are listed below:

• Preparatory Phase: feet shoulder-width apart inside the bar, a closed grip on the center of the handles, arms extended, back flat, and heels down.
• Upward Phase: the hips and knees straighten together, and the hips never rise before or above the shoulders.
• Full Lockout: the knees and hips reach full extension in the upright Straddle Stance.
• Downward Phase and Controlled Lowering: the bar returns to the ground under control and the plates touch down, while a dropped bar ends the attempt.
• Attempt Rules: two attempts, where a successful first set earns one attempt at a heavier weight, a failed first set earns one re-attempt at the same or a lower weight, and a safety stop on the first repetition allows a restart without counting an attempt.

How Is the AFT Deadlift Scored?

The AFT deadlift is scored by converting the heaviest load lifted for three valid repetitions into 0 to 100 points on the official tables, with 60 points as the event minimum. The load for each score shifts by age group and sex category. A male Soldier aged 17 to 21 needs 150 pounds for 60 points and 340 pounds for 100 points, a male Soldier aged 52 to 56 needs 140 and 330 pounds, and a female Soldier needs 120 pounds for 60 points in every age group, according to the "Army Fitness Test Score Tables" published by the U.S. Army, effective June 2025. Combat-standard Soldiers score on the same sex-neutral column as male Soldiers.

2. Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension (HRP)

The Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension (HRP) is a two-minute event in which the Soldier completes as many correct repetitions as possible. The HRP grades upper-body muscular endurance and tracks the repetitive pushing of combat tasks, such as pushing an opponent away in hand-to-hand contact, pushing a stuck vehicle, and pushing up from the ground during evade and maneuver.

The HRP clock runs for all lanes at once: the timer starts a 2:00 clock on "GO" and calls out one minute remaining, 30 seconds remaining, and a final 10-second countdown. The push-up works the shoulders, trunk, hips, and legs without equipment, and the score is the count of correct repetitions.

What Are the AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Standards and Valid-Repetition Rules?

The four movements of an AFT hand-release push-up repetition are listed below in order:

1. Push Up to the Front Leaning Rest: on "GO," push the whole body up as a single unit to full elbow extension.
2. Lower Under Control: bend the elbows until the chest, hips, and thighs touch the ground together.
3. Arm Extension to the T Position: without moving the head, body, or legs, extend both arms straight out to the sides, with the arms and hands free to touch or slide along the ground.
4. Return the Hands: bring the hands back to the starting position to complete the repetition.

The rules the AFT hand-release push-up grader enforces are listed below:

• Straight Body Line: the body stays straight from head to ankles on every repetition, with no arched back or extended neck to keep the chest up.
• Full T Position: both arms reach a generally straight T, and a partial extension does not count.
• Full Elbow Extension: the elbows lock out in the front leaning rest.
• Invalid Repetitions: a movement error on any of the four movements, or feet more than a boot's width apart, means the repetition does not count.
• Rest Position: the front leaning rest is the only authorized rest position inside the two-minute cap, and leaving it, lifting a hand or foot, or dropping a knee to the ground ends the event.

3. Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC)

The Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) is a timed event of five continuous 50-meter shuttles, 250 meters in total, run from a prone start on a 25-meter lane. The SDC grades anaerobic capacity along with muscular endurance and muscular strength, the multi-modal work capacity behind high-intensity tasks that last from a few seconds to a few minutes. The Army ties that capacity to reacting quickly to direct and indirect fire, building a hasty fighting position, and extracting a casualty and carrying the casualty to safety.

What Are the Required Segments of the AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry?

The five AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry segments are listed below in the order they are run:

1. Sprint: from the prone position, sprint 25 meters, touch the line with a foot and a hand, and sprint back.
2. Drag: pull the 90-pound sled backward until the whole sled crosses the 25-meter line, then drag the sled back to the start.
3. Lateral: move laterally 25 meters leading with one foot, touch the line with a foot and a hand, and return leading with the other foot while facing the same direction.
4. Carry: carry two 40-pound kettlebells at the sides for 25 meters, touch the line with a foot, and return, placing the kettlebells down without dropping them.
5. Final Sprint: sprint 25 meters, touch the line with a foot and a hand, and sprint back across the finish.

What Equipment Does the AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry Require?

The AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry equipment items are listed below:

• Sled: a heavy nylon sled (22 by 19.5 inches) with a 92-inch pull strap, loaded to 90 pounds with two 45-pound plates on grass or turf and to 180 pounds on a modified surface such as a gym floor or smooth concrete.
• Kettlebells: two 40-pound kettlebells per lane, each within 2 pounds of the 40-pound weight.
• Marked Lane: a 25-meter lane 2.5 to 3.0 meters wide, marked in 5-meter increments, with about 4 meters of turn-around room for the sled.
• Cones: cones mark the lanes and distances when the test site is not permanently marked.

Stopwatches for the start-line grader complete the SDC setup.

How Is the AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry Timed?

The AFT Sprint-Drag-Carry is timed on one continuous clock that the start-line grader starts on the command "GO" and stops when the Soldier crosses the finish line after the final sprint. The time is recorded in minutes and seconds on the DA Form 705-TEST, and a faster time earns more points. Faults do not stop the clock: a Soldier who misses a line touch, stops the sled short of the 25-meter line, or drops the kettlebells at the start line is called back to fix the fault while the time keeps running.

4. Plank (PLK)

The Plank (PLK) is a timed hold in which the Soldier keeps a straight-line forearm plank for as long as possible. The plank grades core-static strength and endurance, the trunk stability that supports carrying loads and holding stable positions. The plank replaced the leg tuck as the ACFT's core event in the March 2022 revision and carried into the AFT.

What Is the Required Position for the AFT Plank?

The required position for the AFT plank rests the body on the forearms and toes in a straight line from head to heels. The elbows align with the shoulders, and the forearms lie flat on the ground, forming a triangle. The hands sit no more than a fist-width apart, either as fists with the pinky side down or flat with palms down, with the fingers not interlocked, and the feet may be up to a boot-width apart. The ankles stay flexed with the bottoms of the toes on the ground and the eyes focused on the ground.

How Is the AFT Plank Timed?

The AFT plank clock starts on the command "GO," when the Soldier moves into the plank position and the grader starts the stopwatch. The hold is continuous, with no rest breaks, and the grader records the time held in minutes and seconds. The minimum hold for 60 points is 1:30 at ages 17 to 21 and 1:10 from age 37, and the maximum hold for 100 points runs from 3:40 at ages 17 to 21 down to 3:20 from age 37, with the same times for male and female Soldiers.

What Ends an AFT Plank Attempt?

The conditions that end an AFT plank attempt are listed below:

• Sagging Hips: the hips drop below the straight head-to-heel line and stay uncorrected.
• Raised Hips: the hips rise above the straight line and stay uncorrected.
• Knee Contact: a knee touches the ground.
• Other Body Part Contact: any body part other than the feet, forearms, and fists or palms touches the ground, or a foot or hand lifts off the floor.
• Failure to Correct After a Warning: the grader gives one verbal warning for a position fault, and a Soldier who cannot correct or hold the position is terminated.

Shaking or trembling from maximum effort is allowed as long as the plank position holds.

5. Two-Mile Run (2MR)

The Two-Mile Run (2MR) is the final AFT event and grades aerobic endurance. The run starts no more than 10 minutes after the plank, so Soldiers run on the fatigue built up by the deadlift, push-up, Sprint-Drag-Carry, and plank. The Army ties the 2MR to dismounted movement, ruck marching, and infiltration, tasks where sustained movement follows hard physical effort.

What Course Does the AFT Two-Mile Run Use?

The AFT Two-Mile Run uses a measured, generally flat course with a solid, improved surface, no more than a 3 percent uphill grade, and no net decline, so the start and finish sit at the same altitude. A track gives exact lap distances and an even surface, while a road course needs a measured route with a clear start, finish, and turnaround. The course never runs on unimproved terrain, and units do not have to survey it. When weather or other environmental conditions prevent outdoor testing, Soldiers can run on an indoor track.

How Is the AFT Two-Mile Run Timed?

The AFT Two-Mile Run is timed on a single clock that starts on the command "GO" and records each Soldier's time in minutes and seconds at the finish line. The timer calls out the running time as Soldiers approach the finish, and the grader enters it on the DA Form 705-TEST. For a male Soldier aged 17 to 21, 19:57 earns the 60-point minimum and 13:22 earns 100 points, and for a female Soldier in the same band, the times are 22:55 and 16:00.

What Counts as Completing the AFT Two-Mile Run?

Completing the AFT Two-Mile Run means covering the full two miles on the course without physical help. Soldiers may walk or pause, run at their own pace, be paced by a fellow Soldier, and hear verbal encouragement, but no one may pick up, pull, or push them. The event is terminated if the Soldier leaves the running course before finishing the distance. The finish time becomes the last raw result, and the scoring below converts it and the other four results into points.

How Are AFT Events Scored?

AFT events are scored one at a time, each on its own 0 to 100 point scale. The five event scores combine into one total with a 500-point maximum, and the total decides the pass line together with the per-event minimum.

A single DA Form 705-TEST scorecard carries each Soldier through the test. Graders record and initial each raw result (weight, repetitions, or time), and the Soldier signs the card before leaving the test site to confirm the recorded scores.

How Does the AFT Scoring Scale Convert Raw Results Into Points?

The AFT scoring scale converts each raw result into points by matching it to the scoring table for the Soldier's age band and sex category, which returns a value from 0 to 100 for that event. The five event values add up to a total out of 500. The "Army Fitness Test Score Tables," approved on 15 May 2025, set each row as a point value and each column as an age band from 17-21 through Over 62 paired with a Male and Combat (M|C) or a Female (F) standard, so the same two-mile run time earns different points in different age bands. The point total then meets the pass thresholds below.

What Are the Minimum Passing Requirements for AFT Events?

The minimum passing requirements for AFT events are 60 points per event under both standards, with a 300-point total under the General standard and a 350-point total under the Combat standard, according to "Army establishes new fitness test of record to strengthen readiness and lethality" by Army Public Affairs, April 2025. The AFT passing standards are compared in the table below:

A score below 60 points on any single event fails the whole AFT, regardless of the total. Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test), signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in April 2025, requires Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers to pass a record AFT within 90 days of a failure and Reserve Component Soldiers within 180 days. The minimum pass line marks baseline fitness, while the stronger scores below mark competitive fitness.

What Is Considered a Good AFT Score?

A good AFT score clears the pass line with a margin in every event and sits well above the 300-point General and 350-point Combat minimums. The Army's own high-performance marker was 465 points with at least 80 points in every event, the level that exempted Soldiers from body-fat standards under "Army Directive 2025-17 (Army Body Fat Standard for Army Fitness Test Score)" by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, September 2025, until Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded that exemption in July 2026. A perfect 500 requires 100 points in all five events, such as a 340-pound deadlift, 58 hand-release push-ups, a 1:29 Sprint-Drag-Carry, a 3:40 plank, and a 13:22 two-mile run for a male Soldier aged 17 to 21.

AFT scores feed promotion points, with the General standard used for promotion actions since 1 October 2025 and the Combat standard since 1 January 2026.

How Are AFT Events Administered?

AFT events are administered by a test officer or noncommissioned officer in charge (OIC or NCOIC) and trained graders, with one grader for every four Soldiers, and Soldiers cannot self-administer a record AFT, according to "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026. Each unit runs the test on a designated site with standardized equipment and measured lanes, ideally 16 lanes that can test 64 Soldiers every 120 minutes, and the OIC or NCOIC inspects the equipment for serviceability before testing.

A record test must run to standard: all five events in order on one day within the 120-minute window, with the instructions read aloud before the preparation drill. Graders correct Soldiers differently by event: the deadlift uses a safety stop on the first repetition, the plank allows one verbal warning, and on the push-up an incorrect repetition does not count. Graders record and initial every result, and Soldiers sign their scorecards before leaving the site.

What Equipment and Course Setup Does Each AFT Event Require?

The equipment and course setup each AFT event requires are shown in the table below:

Which Technique Faults Can Cause an AFT No-Rep or Event Termination?

The technique faults that cost AFT repetitions or end an attempt are listed below by event:

• 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL): knees caving, hips rising first, a rounding back, or a loss of balance draws a safety stop and a restart on the first repetition but fails the attempt on the second or third, while incomplete lockout, a dropped bar, hands off the bar, no ground touch, or resting on the ground ends the attempt.
• Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension (HRP): a sagging or arched body line, a partial T, elbows short of lockout, hands not returned, or feet wider than a boot's width costs that repetition, while leaving the front leaning rest, lifting a hand or foot, a knee on the ground, or a stalled effort ends the event.
• Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC): a missed line touch, a sled short of the 25-meter line, or dropped kettlebells sends the Soldier back to correct it on the running clock.
• Plank (PLK): a hip or alignment fault earns one verbal warning, and a failure to correct it ends the event, while any body part other than the feet, forearms, and hands touching the ground, or a lifted hand or foot, ends it at once.
• Two-Mile Run (2MR): leaving the course ends the event, and physical help from anyone else is not allowed.

Every fault costs time, repetitions, or the whole attempt, so the training below builds the technique that avoids them.

How Should Soldiers Prepare for AFT Events?

Soldiers should prepare for AFT events with a structured plan that trains every event and the fitness behind it. The AFT preparation directives are listed below:

1. Program Each Event: build deadlift strength with progressive overload on a hex bar, push-up endurance with repeated high-repetition sets, Sprint-Drag-Carry capacity with sled, lateral, and carry intervals, plank endurance with longer timed holds, and run fitness with runs that build gradually in distance and pace.
2. Balance Strength and Endurance: schedule two to three strength sessions a week alongside running sessions of varied intensity, and pair muscular endurance work with aerobic work to prepare for five events in a row.
3. Train the Job, Not Only the Test: include carries, sled drags, and loaded movements that mirror field tasks, which build readiness beyond test day.
4. Recover and Sleep: space hard sessions to allow muscle repair and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every 24 hours, the range Army doctrine sets for most Soldiers.
5. Fuel With Nutrition: eat enough protein and carbohydrate for repair and glycogen stores, and stay hydrated to sustain training intensity.
6. Prevent Injury: warm up with dynamic movement, cool down, keep joints mobile, and raise training volume and intensity gradually.

A 2022 study of ROTC cadets by Newman, Armonda, and Braun in Military Medicine found that three 60-minute sessions per week of moderate-to-high-intensity training improved Army Combat Fitness Test scores, with programs that train a wide variety of movements the most likely to succeed.

How Does AFT Testing Begin in Basic Training and Initial Entry Training?

AFT testing begins during initial entry training, where trainees take diagnostic AFTs throughout the training cycle and a record AFT near the end. In Basic Combat Training, the record AFT falls within the last three weeks of training and before the FORGE culminating event, and in One Station Unit Training it falls within the last two weeks, according to "TRADOC Regulation 350-6: Enlisted Initial Entry Training Policies and Administration" by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, August 2025. Trainees must score at least 60 points per event to graduate, and trainees headed to a combat MOS must reach a 350-point total. A diagnostic AFT measures progress without affecting the record, while the record AFT is the official score.

After initial training, Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers take two record AFTs per calendar year, at least four months apart, and Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers take one per year. Officers enter the same testing cycle after their initial officer training.

How Do AFT Events Support Army Physical Readiness?

AFT events support Army physical readiness by mapping each event to a combat task demand: the deadlift to lifting and carrying casualties and equipment, the hand-release push-up to pushing opponents and vehicles, the Sprint-Drag-Carry to reacting under fire and extracting casualties, the plank to trunk stability under load, and the two-mile run to dismounted movement and ruck marching. The Army states that performance data from close to one million ACFTs and RAND analysis informed the AFT standards, and RAND's 2024 report "Setting Higher Close Combat Standards for the Army Combat Fitness Test: Evidence and Recommendations" by Robson et al. drew on an ACFT practice phase in which more than 44,000 Soldiers took part.

The Army places readiness inside its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System, which pairs physical training with nutrition, sleep, mental readiness, and spiritual readiness to build total wellness and lower injury risk.

What Changed When the AFT Replaced the ACFT?

The AFT replaced the ACFT with a five-event test in place of six, removing the Standing Power Throw and renaming the Army Combat Fitness Test the Army Fitness Test. The AFT split scoring into a sex-neutral Combat standard with a 350-point minimum for combat specialties and an age- and sex-normed General standard with a 300-point minimum for everyone else. Implementation was phased: the AFT became the test of record on 1 June 2025, and the Combat standard applied from 1 January 2026 for the active component and from 1 June 2026 for the Reserve and National Guard, according to "Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test)" by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, April 2025. The shorter event list follows from the reasoning behind dropping the Standing Power Throw.

Why Was the Standing Power Throw Removed From Army Fitness Testing?

The Standing Power Throw was removed from Army fitness testing because the Army found that it did not advance fitness and readiness well enough and carried a higher risk of overuse injury, according to Sgt. Maj. Christopher Mullinax in "Army introduces new fitness test for 2025" by Sgt. Woodlyne Escarne, May 2025. The throw measured explosive power with a medicine ball, and in practice it pushed Soldiers to focus on throwing technique instead of showing true power, while the deadlift and the Sprint-Drag-Carry carry the remaining strength and power demands. With the event list already changed once, Soldiers need to confirm which standards are current.

Where Can Soldiers Verify Current AFT Events Requirements and Effective Dates?

Soldiers can verify current AFT event requirements and effective dates on official Army channels: the Army Fitness Test page at army.mil/aft, the fitness requirements pages on goarmy.com, and the Army Publishing Directorate, which hosts Army Directive 2025-06, Army Directive 2026-07, and ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing. The army.mil page carries the Army Fitness Test Score Tables, effective 1 June 2025, with event descriptions and instructional videos.

The Combat standard phased in on January 1, 2026, for active-component Soldiers in combat roles and on June 1, 2026, for the Reserve and National Guard, and later directives such as the April 2026 addition of three combat MOSs change who tests under which standard. The official pages remain the reference for all five AFT events explained here.