Army PFT: What the Old Physical Fitness Test Involved

The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), commonly shortened to "Army PFT," was the Army's test of record for physical fitness for nearly four decades, from the early 1980s until it began to be phased out in 2020. If you served under it, or you're researching how Army fitness testing evolved, here's what it actually measured and why it changed.

The Three APFT Events

Unlike the current five-event Army Fitness Test (AFT), the APFT scored just three events:

1. Push-ups: maximum repetitions in 2 minutes, using strict form standards.
2. Sit-ups: maximum repetitions in 2 minutes.
3. 2-mile run: a timed run on a track or approved course.

Each event was scored on a 0-100 point scale, adjusted by age group and sex, with a passing score requiring a minimum in each event plus a combined total, similar in structure to how today's AFT applies a per-event floor alongside a category total.

A graded sit-up event during the Army Physical Fitness Test, 2017. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Scar (DVIDS, public domain).

Why the APFT Was Replaced

The Army determined that three muscular-endurance and cardio events didn't adequately represent the physical demands of modern combat: carrying a loaded rucksack, dragging an injured teammate, or lifting equipment overhead. Push-ups and sit-ups measure a narrow slice of fitness, and neither tests functional strength or power in a way that transfers directly to those tasks.

That gap is what the APFT's successors were built to close. The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), phased in starting 2020, added a deadlift, a standing power throw, a sprint-drag-carry, and a plank, alongside a retained 2-mile run, while dropping sit-ups and push-ups (later reintroducing a hand-release push-up variant). The current Army Fitness Test (AFT), effective since June 1, 2025, refined that further to five events.

APFT vs. the Current AFT

Checking Your Current Score

If you're an active Soldier, the APFT has no bearing on your current fitness requirement: the AFT is the test of record. See our AFT standards and score chart for the current five events and scoring structure, or get an instant score from your own numbers with the AFT Calculator. Neither the old APFT nor the current AFT has any bearing on body composition: check your WHtR Calculator result separately.

Sources

1. Army Fitness Test (army.mil)
2. AFT Scoring Scales, effective June 1, 2025 (Army Publishing)