Calculate your Army Combat Fitness Test score accurately. Get personalized insights, training recommendations, and track your progress over time.
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Alternate events only replace the 2-Mile Run portion of the ACFT. All other events must still be completed according to standard.
This conversion is an estimate only. The APFT and ACFT measure different physical capabilities, so a direct conversion is not always accurate.
The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) represents a significant evolution in how military readiness is assessed. Unlike its predecessor, the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), the ACFT is designed to measure functional fitness capabilities that directly translate to combat readiness and physical operational requirements of modern soldiers.
This comprehensive assessment consists of six distinct events, each targeting specific physical abilities essential for military operations. The test evaluates a broader range of physical competencies including muscular strength, power, endurance, speed, agility, cardiorespiratory fitness, balance, and coordination.
What makes the ACFT particularly innovative is its tiered scoring system that adjusts for age and gender while maintaining consistent baseline standards for combat readiness. This approach acknowledges biological differences while ensuring all soldiers meet the minimum physical requirements for their roles.
The deadlift measures lower body strength, specifically testing the posterior chain muscles including hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and grip strength. This movement directly correlates to physically demanding battlefield tasks such as evacuating casualties, handling heavy equipment, and carrying ammunition.
Proper technique is crucial for both performance and injury prevention. Soldiers must maintain a neutral spine, engage their core, and drive through their heels while lifting the weight from the ground to a standing position for three repetitions.
This event assesses explosive power, particularly in the upper body, shoulders, and core. Soldiers throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward and overhead for maximum distance, simulating tasks like loading equipment, scaling obstacles, or moving quickly with equipment.
Success in the SPT requires proper coordination between lower and upper body movements, effectively transferring power from the legs through the core to the arms for maximum throwing distance.
Unlike traditional push-ups, the hand-release variation demands greater chest strength and shoulder stability. After lowering to the ground, soldiers must briefly lift their hands off the floor before pushing back up, eliminating momentum and ensuring full muscle engagement.
This event measures upper body endurance and the ability to perform repeated pushing movements—skills needed for tasks like pushing disabled vehicles, moving obstacles, or maintaining body position during tactical operations.
The most comprehensive event in the ACFT, the Sprint-Drag-Carry simulates multiple battlefield movement patterns. Soldiers complete five 50-meter shuttles including a sprint, sled drag, lateral shuffle, kettlebell carry, and final sprint.
This event tests anaerobic endurance, strength, speed, and agility—qualities essential for combat maneuvers, casualty extraction, and rapid tactical movement under load.
The plank event replaced the leg tuck in the ACFT, offering a more accessible way to measure core strength and endurance. Soldiers must maintain a proper plank position with forearms on the ground and body forming a straight line from head to heels.
Core stability directly contributes to overall physical performance, injury prevention, and the ability to maintain posture while carrying heavy loads or performing dynamic movements in combat situations.
The final event measures aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Though carried over from the APFT, the 2-mile run now follows five physically demanding events, making it a true test of both aerobic capacity and recovery ability.
This event reflects a soldier's capacity to sustain physical activity over extended periods and recover between high-intensity efforts—crucial for prolonged operations and battlefield stamina.
ACFT scoring follows a point system where each event is worth up to 100 points, for a maximum total of 600 points. The minimum passing score is 60 points per event, meaning soldiers must achieve at least 360 points overall while meeting the minimum standard for each individual event.
Performance categories are determined by the total score:
The scoring standards account for physiological differences by establishing age and gender-specific scoring tables. This approach ensures fairness while maintaining combat readiness standards.
One notable feature of the ACFT is that scores are immediately convertible to actionable training goals. For example, increasing your deadlift by 20 pounds might translate to 10 additional points, providing clear objectives for improvement.
Effective ACFT preparation requires a balanced training approach targeting each physical domain tested. Unlike the APFT, which could be prepared for with primarily push-ups, sit-ups, and running, the ACFT demands a more comprehensive strategy.
A well-designed training program should include:
Focus on compound movements that build functional strength, particularly in the posterior chain. Key exercises include:
Incorporate explosive movements to improve performance on the Standing Power Throw:
Build both anaerobic and aerobic endurance with these strategies:
Develop the core strength needed for the plank and all other events:
Progressive overload principles should guide your training, gradually increasing intensity and volume over time. Periodization is also crucial—cycling between phases that focus on strength building, power development, and endurance improvement.
Soldiers preparing for the ACFT often face specific obstacles in their training journey. Recognizing and addressing these challenges proactively can significantly improve performance outcomes.
Not all soldiers have access to specialized equipment like trap bars, sleds, or kettlebells. Alternative training methods include:
Most soldiers find certain events more challenging than others. Common problem areas include:
Standing Power Throw technique: Many soldiers struggle with the coordination required. Regular practice with lighter balls focusing on the hip hinge and explosive extension can improve technique before adding distance goals.
Sprint-Drag-Carry pacing: This event demands both energy management and technique across multiple movement patterns. Breaking the event into segments during training and gradually combining them helps build specific endurance and transitions.
Plank endurance: Building core stamina requires consistent progressive training, starting with shorter holds and gradually increasing time under tension, along with varied core exercises to strengthen supporting muscles.
Optimal nutrition is fundamental to both training effectiveness and test-day performance. A strategic approach to fueling the body can make a significant difference in ACFT scores.
ACFT training demands a well-balanced intake of all macronutrients:
Strategic nutrient timing can optimize both training sessions and recovery:
Proper hydration directly impacts performance and recovery:
Test-day nutrition deserves special consideration. The night before, focus on carbohydrate-rich foods to maximize glycogen stores. On test morning, consume a familiar, easily digestible meal 2-3 hours before your ACFT, emphasizing carbohydrates with moderate protein and minimal fat.
Recovery is not merely the absence of training—it's an active process that facilitates adaptation and performance improvement. Effective recovery strategies are especially important for the multi-event demands of ACFT preparation.
Quality sleep is perhaps the most powerful recovery tool available:
Low-intensity movement can enhance recovery between training sessions:
Proactive measures to reduce injury risk include:
The integrated approach to ACFT preparation—combining structured training, strategic nutrition, and deliberate recovery—creates a sustainable system for not only passing the test but developing genuine functional fitness that transfers to military operations and overall health.
Use our comprehensive ACFT Calculator to identify your strengths and weaknesses, track your progress over time, and receive customized training recommendations based on your current performance level.
Start Calculating Your ScoreThe ACFT consists of six events, each worth up to a maximum of 100 points, for a total possible score of 600 points. The minimum passing standard is 60 points for each event, meaning soldiers must score at least 360 points overall while meeting the minimum standard for each individual event. The scoring system accounts for age and gender with adjusted scoring tables, while maintaining consistent baseline standards for combat readiness.
To pass the ACFT, soldiers must:
Performance categories are determined by total score:
Failing to achieve 60 points in any single event or a total of 360 points results in a failed test.
The minimum deadlift weight required to earn 100 points varies by gender:
Keep in mind that these weights represent the maximum score threshold, and successful completion of three repetitions at these weights will earn the full 100 points for the event.
To improve your Standing Power Throw performance:
Regular practice with proper technique is key to consistent improvement in this technical event.
The Army provides alternate aerobic events for soldiers with permanent profiles that prevent them from performing the 2-Mile Run. These alternate events include:
Important notes about alternate events:
The Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) is one of the most complex events, requiring a combination of speed, strength, and anaerobic endurance. An effective training approach includes:
A key to SDC success is pacing strategy—finding the right balance between maximum effort and sustainable intensity across all five shuttles.
Our ACFT Calculator is designed to provide highly accurate scoring based on the most up-to-date Army standards. We maintain accuracy through:
The calculator implements the complete scoring logic for all six events, including event minimums and maximums, point gradations, and proper total score calculations. While we strive for complete accuracy, the calculator should be used as a training tool, and soldiers should always refer to official Army documentation for definitive scoring during formal assessments.