The army presents a new aptitude test with tougher standards, could you pass it?

“Army Strong” is more than a motto: for soldiers, it is a requirement for duty.

The United States Army requires that all active service soldiers try their physical skill when passing a rigorous physical condition test. There have been multiple versions of the test over the years, and the army recently announced that a new version has been adopted.

On June 1, 2025, the military branch will launch its new Army Fitness (AFT) test as a replacement for the current army combat fitness test (ACFT).

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The new test, based on “18 months of data analysis and comments of thousands of test iterations”, will introduce updated score standards that emphasize the “preparation and effectiveness of combat”, according to a press release from the army.

The soldiers will have until January 1, 2026 to meet the new AFT requirements without facing “adverse actions.”

The AFT scores are recorded during the basic training for soldiers and initial training for officers, the army states on its website.

Active duty soldiers must complete the test twice a year, while the soldiers of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard must register the scores once a year.

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“The AFT is designed to improve the preparation of soldiers and guarantee physical standards [and] Prepare soldiers for the demands of modern war, “said Sergeant Major Christopher Mullinax, senior enlisted leader, deputy director of Operations Personnel, Army Headquarters, in the statement.

“It emphasizes holistic aptitude on specific events and is based on performance.”

“The AFT is designed to improve the preparation of soldiers and guarantee physical standards [and] Prepare soldiers for the demands of modern war. “

The punctuation requirements are more demanding for the new test, with soldiers in combat roles held at the highest standards.

“Combat standards are sexual neutral for the 21 direct combat roles, a change designed to guarantee equity and operational preparation,” says the launch.

5 test components

The AFT consists of the next five events, as described on the Army website.

1. Three Maximum Dead Weight Repetition

In this challenge, the soldier must lift the maximum possible weight three times using a 6 -pound hexadecimal bar and plates.

This movement evaluates muscle strength, balance and flexibility.

“Dead weight require a person to recruit the force of buttocks and sticks to lift a waist height bar,” said Miles Hill, a certified personal coach and boxing instructor in Rumble in New York City. “It is the most effective technique to collect heavy weights from the ground.”

Dead weight can also be dangerous for civilians if they use an incorrect form, he warned Dr. Hooman Melamed, an orthopedic column surgeon and Beverly Hills’s sports medicine expert.

“It is feasible, but only with intelligent and progressive training.”

“If your posture or shape is off, the risk for your lower back and hips is high, it could be an injury that ends your career for some,” Digital’s News told News.

2. Push-up by hand launch

The soldier must complete as much as possible of hand launch flexions in two minutes, using the appropriate technique.

“Hand release flexions require a person to fall to the ground, lift their hands in the air for a second and then push back to the high table,” said Hill, who is also a second -grade black belt in Taekwondo.

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Melamed said that while hand throwing flexions are excellent to build the force of the upper body, if the person is no longer strong, the sudden force can damage the shoulders.

Hand release flexion proves muscle resistance and flexibility.

3. Sprint-Drag-Carry

With the Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC), the soldier has the task of completing five 50-meter ferry (sprint, drag, side, hauling, sprint) as quickly as possible, using two kettlebells of 40 pounds and a slim of 90 pounds.

“The Sprint-Drag-Carry is probably the most difficult sequence here, since it requires explosive strength, muscle resistance and cardiovascular resistance,” said Hill.

Melamed calls the SDC a “brutal speed and explosive power.”

“If you are not conditioned, tearing an hamstring or pulling something halfway it can happen,” he said.

4. Board

The soldier must maintain an appropriate table position as long as possible, testing muscle resistance and balance.

“A table is a final test of strength and central resistance, since it requires that a person maintain their body weight all the time,” said Hill. “It can be a challenge, but it is the time requirement that determines the challenge.”

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Melamed said that while this movement seems simple, maintaining an adequate table for time is extremely challenging. “It exposes weaknesses on the back, nucleus and shoulder waist.”

5. Dos Miles race

The soldier must complete a two -mile timed race in a flat outdoor course in an aerobic resistance test.

“Two mile races are relatively easy for any healthy human, however, time limitations are those that make it challenging,” said Hill.

The permanent power launch event, which was part of the previous version of the test, is no longer included as a requirement.

“We eliminated the launch of standing power because I was not effectively promoting aptitude and preparation, as we would like,” said Mullinax.

“In addition, he presented a high risk of lesions due to excessive use and encouraged soldiers to focus on technique instead of demonstrating a true power.”

How hard is it?

According to Dr. Jason Perry, MD, Primary Care Sports Medicine with Orthopedic care of Deerfield, Florida, the hardness of a training or physical conditioning test is relative to the general aptitude of an individual, MD, MD, Medical of Sports Medicine of Primary Care with Orthopedic Care of Baptist Health in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

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“In general terms, AFT is a challenge, but not impossible for the average person with a basic physical conditioning base,” said Perry, who is not affiliated with the army, News Digital.

“It is designed to prove the strength of the full body, muscle resistance, speed, agility and cardiovascular resistance, all the essential elements for combat preparation, but also relevant to functional aptitude for civilians.”

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Compared to typical gym training, AFT is more demanding because it combines different physical domains in a single test, he said.

“Compared to Athletic Elite training, it is moderate, but it is not easy,” Perry added.

For civilians who regularly strengthen, enter, execute or perform functional training (such as Crossfit or HIIT), this test is available, he said.

For a civilian who exercises three to four times a week, the AFT is “realistic attainable” with a training focused for a period of eight to 12 weeks.

“Around 30 to 50% of healthy and active recreational adults could probably pass it with little moderate training,” he predicted. “Sedentary adults or those with chronic conditions would have a more difficult time and would probably need a focused conditioning plan of eight to 12 weeks (or possibly longer) to pass.”

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Melamed was not so optimistic, estimating that less than 5% of civilians could pass the AFT.

“If you try this without preparation, you could seriously hurt.”

“These are not weekend training, this is the conditioning at the military level,” Digital’s News told News. “You have to move forward to this level of intensity training.”

The expert also pointed out that there is a mental component for the test, but said that the mentality alone is not enough.

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“If you try this not prepared, you could seriously hurt,” he warned. “It is feasible, but only with intelligent and progressive training. You have to work gradually.”

“And this test is both the strategy and recovery and the brute force.”