U.S. Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Requirements

The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and a Combat Fitness Test (CFT) once per fiscal year. Each test must have an interval of 6 months (same standards apply for reservists). The PFT ensures that Marines are keeping physically fit and in a state of physical readiness. It consists of pull-ups, crunches and a 3-mile run for males. For females it consists of flexed arm hang, crunches and a 3-mile run.1 October 2008, the Marine Corps introduced the additional pass/fail Combat Fitness Test (CFT) to the fitness requirements. The CFT is designed to measure abilities demanded of Marines in a war zone

Form

Pull-up

The standard Marine Corps pull-up begins at the “dead-hang” with arms locked out and the body hanging motionless. A successful pull-up is performed without excess motion, the body rising until the chin is above the bar, and body lowered back to the “dead-hang” position. Changes in grip are allowed as long as the feet don’t touch the ground and only the hands come in contact with the pull-up bar. There is no time limit.

Flexed arm hang

Female Marines may perform the flexed hang instead of the pull-up, although even a single pull-up will earn a higher score than any number of flexed hangs. The flexed hang is started with the chin above the pull-up bar. The timer is started and does not stop until the arms become fully extended. The feet may not touch the ground or any part of the pull-up bar at any time.

Crunches

Crunches are executed with the feet flat on the ground or 12 inches apart (which ever is more comfortable), knees bent at a 90 degree angle, and your arms on your ribcage or chest. One crunch is completed when the upper body is lifted until both arms touch the thighs and then lowered until the shoulder blades touch the ground. The arms must be in constant contact with the chest or rib cage; the buttocks must be in constant contact with the ground. The exercise is performed with the heel of your foot always on the ground. The Marine is given two minutes to complete the exercise. Males must complete 44 Crunches to pass exercise.

3-mile run

Three miles on reasonably flat ground are run as quickly as possible. (Actual distance may vary slightly.)

Scoring

Marine Corps PFTs are scored the following way for males:

Pull-ups: Each complete pull-up is worth 5 points up to a maximum of 100 points (20 pull-ups). Additional pull-ups beyond 20 are not counted and do not add to the score.

Crunches: Each completed crunch is worth 1 point up to a maximum of 100 points. Any crunches completed after the two minute time limit are not counted and do not add to the score.

Three mile run: A perfect score of 100 points is achieved by completing the run in less than 18 minutes. One point is deducted from the score for each additional ten seconds that it takes to complete the run. Completing the run in less than 18 minutes does not add to the score.

Marine Corps PFTs are scored the following way for females:

Flex-arm hang: The maximum score of 100 points is achieved when the Marine maintains the flex-arm hang for 70 seconds. The clock is stopped when the Marine drops off the bar or the arms become fully extended. The Marines chin at no time is allowed to touch the bar. The score is calculated by subtracting the actual hang time in seconds from the maximum hang time (70 seconds) and deducting two points for each second of difference.

Crunches: Each completed crunch is worth 1 point up to a maximum of 100 points. Any crunches completed after the two minute time limit are not counted and do not add to the score. (Note: This is the only event that is scored identically to the male event.

Three mile run: A perfect score of 100 points is achieved by completing the run in less than 21 minutes. One point is deducted from the score for each additional ten seconds that it takes to complete the run. Completing the run in less than 21 minutes does not add to the score.

To earn a perfect PFT score of 300 points, a male must do 20 pull-ups, 100 crunches in less than two minutes, and complete the three mile run in 18 minutes or less. A female perfect score is 70 seconds on the flexed arm hang, 100 crunches, and a 21 minute three mile run. Marines who score above a 285 receive certifications as an award for their higher than average fitness.

The minimum a male Marine must complete are 3 pull-ups, 50 crunches, and a 28 minute 3-mile run. The minimum a female Marine must complete are 15 seconds on a flexed arm hang, 44 crunches and a 30 minute 3-mile run. Note that merely completing the minimum in each category is not sufficient for passing the test (i.e., one must achieve a passing score and complete at least the minimum in each category in order to pass the test).