The ACFT/AFT 465 Body Fat Exemption Has Been Removed
Correction: This Policy No Longer Applies
Army Directive 2026-13 (effective July 7, 2026) removed the fitness-test body fat exemption described in earlier guidance. A high AFT score no longer exempts a Soldier from body composition assessment. Every Soldier must independently meet the Army waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) standard, regardless of their fitness test score.
Check Your WHtR Now →
Deadlift event of the Army Fitness Test, Fort Indiantown Gap, July 2026. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kenneth Shirk (DVIDS, public domain).
Earlier guidance on this page described a performance-based exemption: Soldiers who scored 465 or higher on their record fitness test, with at least 80 points in every event, were excused from the circumference-based body fat assessment. That exemption no longer exists. This article has been rewritten to explain what changed, why, and what it means for you.
What the Old Rule Said
Under prior policy, a Soldier who hit the 465-point threshold (with an 80-point floor in each event) was administratively "cleared" at height and weight screening: recorded on DA Form 5500 or 5501, but not taped, and with no body fat percentage calculated. The reasoning was that a Soldier fit enough to score in the Army's top tier was, by extension, fit enough to be presumed in compliance with body composition standards.
That reasoning is no longer reflected in Army policy.
What Changed: Army Directive 2026-13
On July 1, 2026, the Secretary of the Army signed Army Directive 2026-13, effective July 7, 2026. It rescinded the height and weight screening tables, the circumference-based tape test, and every prior supplemental body fat assessment method (including DXA, InBody, and Bod Pod). In their place, it established the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as the sole authorized body composition standard under AR 600-9, for the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve alike.
WHtR is calculated as waist circumference (measured at the navel) divided by height, both in inches. A result below 0.550 meets the standard. There is no age adjustment and no gender adjustment, and critically, no fitness-test exemption of any kind. The directive that created the 465-point exemption (Army Directive 2025-17) is now inactive.
AFT and WHtR Are Now Fully Decoupled
This is the change that matters most: fitness test performance and body composition are now assessed completely independently. A Soldier can post a maximum AFT score and still be required to meet the WHtR standard, and a Soldier who fails WHtR gets no credit toward it from a strong AFT score, or vice versa. Soldiers must clear both standards on their own terms.
If you were previously counting on a 465+ score to keep you off the tape, that protection is gone. Check your waist-to-height ratio directly: it is the only number that determines your body composition status now.
Hand-release push-ups during an Army Fitness Test at Landstuhl, Germany, Sept. 2026. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Elijah Campbell (DVIDS, public domain).
Terminology Update: ACFT Is Now the AFT
Separately from the body composition change, the fitness test itself has a new name. The Army Fitness Test (AFT) replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) as the test of record on June 1, 2025. References to "ACFT" in older Army guidance and on this site refer to what is now called the AFT. The two are the same lineage of test, but the exemption discussed above applied under the old ACFT-era policy and does not carry over under the AFT-era WHtR standard.
What This Means for You
- Check your WHtR now, regardless of your AFT score. Use the Army WHtR Calculator: it takes just your height and waist measurement, no signup required.
- If your result is 0.550 or higher: a confirmation measurement is conducted on the same duty day by a different team. If confirmed, you're enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) and flagged, and remain enrolled until you meet the standard. Use the ABCP Calculator to see exactly what enrollment involves. The Army is conducting a 180-day review of the WHtR standard: no Soldier will be separated for a WHtR failure until that review is complete and further guidance is issued. Source: ABCP FAQ (army.mil)
- Free support is available. Military OneSource offers free, confidential fitness and nutrition coaching for service members and families, 24/7, or call 800-342-9647.
- Still want to see your AFT score in points? Use the AFT Calculator, it's fully decoupled from your WHtR result but useful in its own right.
Sources
Recommended Exemptions Reads
Quick links to the most relevant pages for the WHtR standard, AR 600-9, and the Army Fitness Test.
- Army WHtR CalculatorCheck your waist-to-height ratio against the current 0.550 standard (Army Directive 2026-13).
- ABCP CalculatorSee what a result at or above 0.550 means: confirmation retest, enrollment, and the 180-day review.
- Browse All Blog ArticlesGuides on the WHtR standard, AR 600-9, and the Army Fitness Test.
- AFT standards and score chart
- AR 600-9 explained
Related Exemptions Articles
The AR 600-9 One-Site Tape Test (Rescinded July 2026)
The one-site tape test was rescinded July 7, 2026 and replaced by waist-to-height ratio. This guide explains how the old method worked and what replaced it.
US Army Height and Weight Standards: What Changed July 7, 2026
The AR 600-9 height/weight screening tables and body fat limits were rescinded July 7, 2026. Here is what replaced them, plus the old tables for historical reference.
Related Calculators
- Army WHtR CalculatorCheck your current waist-to-height ratio against the 0.550 ABCP standard.
- Army Body Fat CalculatorSee what replaced the old body fat percentage standard, archived for reference.
- ABCP CalculatorCheck your WHtR against the ABCP standard and see what enrollment would mean.
- AFT CalculatorScore your Army Fitness Test events using the official scoring tables.
Check Your Standards Now
Use the Army WHtR Calculator to check your waist-to-height ratio against the current 0.550 standard.