The ACFT — the Army Combat Fitness Test — defines what physical readiness looks like for every soldier in uniform. In 2026, the test most people still call the ACFT is officially the Army Fitness Test (AFT). The Army made the switch on June 1, 2025, dropping one injury-prone event and tightening the standards for combat jobs.
This guide walks through every event, the current scoring tables, and the training that actually moves the needle. It is written for new recruits, current soldiers, and family members who want to understand what their soldier is being tested on.
Rank and Pay also publishes related career and pay guides — see our Military Pay and Military Retirement pillars for the financial side of an Army career.
Quick Navigation
- What the ACFT (AFT) Is
- The Five Events
- 2026 Scoring Standards
- Combat MOS vs General Standard
- ACFT vs APFT
- Training Tips by Event
- What Happens If You Fail
- FAQs
What the ACFT Is in 2026
The Army Combat Fitness Test launched as the Army's record fitness test in 2022, replacing the decades-old APFT. After five years of feedback and injury data, the Army restructured the test again. As of June 1, 2025, the record fitness test is the Army Fitness Test (AFT).
The change removed the Standing Power Throw (SPT). Army medical commands found the SPT was the single largest source of fitness-test musculoskeletal injuries. Cutting it brought the test from six events down to five and the max score from 600 to 500.
The AFT keeps everything most soldiers think of as the ACFT — the heavy deadlift, the push-ups, the sled and kettlebell shuttle, the plank, and the run. For the rest of this guide we use ACFT and AFT interchangeably, since most units and recruiters still use both names.
Why the test exists
The Army's official position is that combat readiness depends on more than aerobic capacity. The ACFT measures muscular strength, power, anaerobic capacity, core stability, and endurance in one sitting. It is meant to predict how well a soldier can carry a casualty, load a vehicle, breach a door, and still run to cover.
The Five ACFT Events
The events run in a fixed order, with short rest between each. Total time on the clock is roughly 50 to 70 minutes including setup. Order matters — the deadlift comes first while you are fresh, the run comes last.
1. Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL)
You perform three consecutive deadlifts at the heaviest weight you can lift with proper form. The bar is a 60-pound hex (trap) bar loaded with bumper plates. Lift technique must show a flat back, locked-out hips, and controlled lowering.
Top scorers move 340 pounds or more. The minimum passing weight for the general standard is 140 pounds; the combat standard starts higher.
2. Hand-Release Push-Up – Arm Extension (HRP)
You have two minutes to complete as many hand-release push-ups as possible. At the bottom of every rep, both hands leave the ground and arms extend out to the sides in a T. That extension forces a full chest-to-deck position and stops people from bouncing reps.
Sixty points usually requires about 10 reps; a perfect 100 needs roughly 60.
3. Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC)
The SDC is five 50-meter shuttles back-to-back: sprint, drag a 90-pound sled, lateral shuffle, carry two 40-pound kettlebells, then sprint again. Total distance is 250 meters and you must finish in under three minutes to pass.
Elite soldiers finish in roughly 1:30. This event punishes poor conditioning more than any other.
4. Plank (PLK)
You hold a standard forearm plank — elbows under shoulders, body straight, glutes squeezed. The grader stops the clock the moment your form breaks. The plank replaced the leg tuck after the Army found it gave a more consistent core measurement across body types.
The 60-point hold is roughly 1 minute 20 seconds. A maxed plank requires 4 minutes 20 seconds or more.
5. Two-Mile Run (2MR)
You run two miles on a flat measured course, usually a track or paved loop. No music, no pacers. The clock starts on a group "go" and stops when you cross the line.
For the general standard, men under 22 need about 22:00 to pass; women under 22 need about 23:22. Maxing the run takes roughly 13:30 for men and 15:30 for women.
2026 ACFT Scoring Standards
The AFT uses two parallel scoring systems. Which one applies to you depends on your job.
| Standard | Who It Applies To | Minimum Per Event | Minimum Total | Scoring Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | All non-combat MOS soldiers | 60 points | 300 / 500 | Sex- and age-normed |
| Combat | 21 designated combat MOS/AOCs | 60 points | 350 / 500 | Sex-neutral, age-normed |
Age groups
Both standards use six age brackets:
- 17 – 21
- 22 – 26
- 27 – 31
- 32 – 36
- 37 – 41
- 42 and older
Standards loosen slightly as soldiers age, especially on the run and plank. The deadlift and push-up requirements stay surprisingly stable across age groups for the combat standard.
Sample passing numbers (general standard, ages 22-26)
| Event | Male — 60 pts | Female — 60 pts | Max (100 pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Rep Deadlift | 140 lb | 120 lb | 340 lb |
| Hand-Release Push-Up | 10 reps | 10 reps | 60 reps |
| Sprint-Drag-Carry | 2:09 | 2:34 | 1:33 |
| Plank | 1:20 | 1:20 | 4:20 |
| 2-Mile Run | 22:00 | 23:22 | 13:22 |
These figures are pulled from the official AFT Scoring Scales (June 1, 2025). Always verify the latest published PDF before a record test.
Combat MOS vs General Standard
The combat standard is the same chart, regardless of sex. The Army's reasoning: a soldier in an Infantry or Armor unit will carry the same casualty, lift the same ammunition can, and ruck the same load as the soldier next to them.
Combat MOS list
Twenty-one specialties fall under the combat standard, including:
- 11B Infantryman, 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman
- 12B Combat Engineer
- 18-series Special Forces
- 19D Cavalry Scout, 19K Armor Crewman
- Select aviation, Ranger, and Civil Affairs roles
Compliance deadlines
- Active Component Combat MOS: must meet 350 / 60-per-event by January 1, 2026
- Reserve and National Guard Combat MOS: must comply by June 1, 2026
- All other soldiers: general standard already in effect
Soldiers who can't meet the combat standard after the deadline may be reclassified into a non-combat MOS, which has career and pay implications. See our Military Pay guide for how MOS shifts affect base pay and special pay.
ACFT vs APFT: What Changed
The old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) had three events — push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run. It was simple but narrow. The ACFT/AFT covers strength, power, and stamina.
| Feature | APFT (retired) | AFT (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Events | 3 | 5 |
| Max score | 300 | 500 |
| Strength tested? | No | Yes (deadlift) |
| Power tested? | No | Indirectly (SDC) |
| Equipment needed | None | Hex bar, plates, sled, KBs |
| Sex norms | Yes | Yes (general) / No (combat) |
How to Train for Each ACFT Event
Most soldiers struggle with one or two events and crush the rest. Identify your weak event early and program it twice a week.
Deadlift
Build the deadlift with a five-week linear progression. Three sets of five at 70 percent of your one-rep max, adding five pounds per session. Hex-bar pulls translate best, but Romanian deadlifts and kettlebell swings build the same posterior chain.
Hand-release push-ups
The HRP rewards rep economy. Practice pacing — most failures come from sprinting the first 20 reps and stalling. Three sets to two reps shy of failure, three times a week, will add 10-15 reps over a month.
Sprint-drag-carry
The SDC is anaerobic. Train it with full-distance practice runs once a week and 200-meter sled drags twice a week. Grip endurance for the kettlebell carry is the most common weakness — add farmer's carries on accessory days.
Plank
Plank capacity climbs fast. Add 10 seconds per session to a daily hold and most soldiers reach a 3-minute plank in six weeks. Combine with hollow-body holds and dead bugs for transferable core strength.
Two-mile run
Mix steady-state aerobic runs (30-45 minutes at conversational pace) with weekly interval work — 6 to 8 sets of 400 meters at goal-mile pace. Long ruck marches do not improve the 2MR; dedicated running does.
For a complete program, the Army publishes the free FM 7-22 Holistic Health and Fitness manual, which includes ACFT-specific workouts.
What Happens If You Fail
A first failure is not the end of a career, but the clock starts immediately.
- Counseling. Your first-line leader counsels you in writing within five duty days.
- Remedial PT. You are placed in a unit remedial program — usually one hour, three days a week.
- Retest. You get a record retest no sooner than 90 days after the failure.
- Flag. A failed record test triggers a non-transferable flag, blocking promotion, awards, schools, and reenlistment.
- Separation. Two consecutive record failures can result in administrative separation under AR 635-200 Chapter 13.
Profiles complicate the picture. Soldiers with a temporary profile of more than 30 days are exempt from the record test until the profile resolves. Soldiers with permanent profiles can take alternate aerobic events.
ACFT, Promotions, and Career Impact
The fitness domain is worth up to 120 promotion points toward E-5 and E-6 boards. The AFT itself contributes up to 30 of those points on a sliding scale: 360 record score earns about 12 points; 500 earns the full 30.
Selection boards for Ranger, Air Assault, Sapper, and the Sergeants Major Academy all weigh recent AFT scores. A maxed record test is one of the cheapest ways to strengthen a board file.
Fitness scores also feed into evaluation reports (NCOERs and OERs). A "below standards" note for fitness can derail an otherwise strong rating.
Equipment and What to Expect on Test Day
Most units schedule the AFT for early morning on a Thursday or Friday. Bring:
- Approved Army PT uniform
- Running shoes — no minimalist or weighted footwear
- Water and a small snack for after
- Hair pulled back per AR 670-1
The grading team uses a hex bar, bumper plates from 10 lb to 45 lb, a 90-lb nylon sled, two 40-lb kettlebells (or 30-lb for some units), cones, and a stopwatch. Climate, altitude, and footing all affect scores — record tests at altitude often get a small adjustment per Forces Command policy.
The ACFT and Your Long-Term Health
The ACFT is a fitness floor, not a peak. Soldiers who hit 350 once a year and stop training tend to lose conditioning fast — and that affects long-term VA disability ratings down the road. Joint health, cardiovascular fitness, and lean mass earned in service make a measurable difference in post-service VA exams.
If you are nearing retirement, build a transition fitness plan now. Our Military Retirement hub covers the pay-and-benefits side; the fitness side is on you. Many retirees lose 10 to 15 pounds of muscle in the first year out of uniform without a deliberate program.
Related Rank and Pay Guides
- Military Pay — base pay, BAH, BAS, and special pay tables
- Military Retirement — High-3, BRS, and pension math
- Blended Retirement System Explainer
- VA Benefits — what you earn for service-connected conditions
- VA Claims — how to file after separation
- Military Pay Calculator
- Military Retirement Calculator
Conclusion: Make the ACFT Work For You
The ACFT — now formally the Army Fitness Test — is the single most public measure of a soldier's readiness. The 2026 standards are tougher and clearer than they have ever been: 60 points per event, 300 to pass for general jobs, 350 for combat MOS, no excuses for the sex-neutral combat scale.
The good news is that the test rewards consistent, balanced training. Eight weeks of focused work on your weakest event can move you from a borderline 60 to a comfortable 80. A maxed record test will pay you back in promotion points, school slots, and confidence on every ruck and range you do.
Ready to plan the financial side of your Army career? Run the numbers in our Military Pay Calculator or jump to the Military Retirement guide to see how today's PT score connects to tomorrow's pension.
This guide is informational and does not replace official unit PT guidance, medical advice, or AR 600-9 / AR 350-1 policy. Always confirm current standards with your chain of command and the official Army Fitness Test page.