The changes to Army fitness testing have been constant and confusing, even to soldiers, over the past decade. The first version of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) was renamed the Army Fitness Test (AFT), which all soldiers now take, but a new Army Combat Fitness Test has been developed, modeled after the Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT), for all combat MOSs.
Now, the ACFT is the mandatory baseline fitness test for all combat arms military occupational specialties (MOS), while the Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT) is an elite, mission-specific functional fitness test required to enter the U.S. Army Ranger School. But both are so similar, it is easy to confuse one with the other. The Army’s CFT and the RPAT are both functional, combat-focused assessments used to evaluate warfighting readiness. However, while the CFT is a broad assessment for combat specialty units, the RPAT is a specialized screening test specifically designed to measure a candidate’s physical capacity to endure the rigorous Ranger Course. The RPAT has a second section of the assessment that is not part of the CFT, making it an advanced-level test (pullups and a 4-mile run).
Army Fitness Test (AFT)
It is important to note that the old ACFT is now the AFT for all soldiers. Combat soldiers still take the new Army Fitness Test (AFT), which is the baseline fitness assessment for all soldiers. The AFT assesses overall combat readiness using the following events:
- 3-rep max hex bar deadlift
- Hand-release pushup
- Sprint-drag-carry: 25-meter sprint (2), 25-meter sled pull (2), 25-meter farmer walk (2), 25-meter sprint (2)
- Plank pose
- 2-mile run
Army Combat Field Test (CFT)
The CFT is a sex-neutral, continuous pass/fail test for combat arms personnel, focusing on endurance and explosive power. A soldier with a combat arms MOS needs to do the following in less than 30 minutes:
CFT Events
- 1-mile run
- 30 dead-stop pushups
- 100-meter sprint
- 16 forty-pound sandbag lifts onto a platform
- 2-water-cans carry (40 pounds), 50 meters
- Movement drill (high crawl/rush), 50 meters
- 1-mile run, 30 min. or faster
CFT Main Goal
Assesses physical readiness for combat tasks; performed in ACUs with boots. If this test takes longer than 30 minutes, or you fail to complete any of the events, you fail.
Army Ranger Physical Assessment (RPAT)
The New Army Combat Fitness Test looks very similar to the RPAT, with a few differences to make the RPAT a tougher assessment for Ranger School. As the entry test for Ranger School, the RPAT screens for advanced physical endurance. It requires completing a similar, but much faster version of the ACFT. The soldier seeking to become a Ranger needs to do the following in less than 14 minutes, plus the additional testing:
RPAT Events
- Part 1: 800m run, 30 pushups, 100m sprint, 16 sandbag lifts (to 68 inches), 50m farmer’s carry, 50m movement drill, and an 800m run. (14 min or faster)
- Part 2: The second section of the RPAT is a 4-mile run and six chin-ups.
RPAT Main Goal
Evaluates suitability for high-intensity training; performed in ACUs and boots.
Compare and Contrast the CFT and RPAT
Army Rangers and Ranger School have long set the Army’s advanced fitness standard. It is not surprising that the Army modeled its combat fitness standards on the Rangers’, with a test nearly identical to that of the Ranger training assessment. Anyone attending Ranger School or Ranger Assessment and Selection will take the RPAT, while all combat MOS soldiers will take the ACFT. These soldiers, including infantry, special forces, combat engineers, armor/cavalry scouts and EOD, will take the ACFT and the AFT each year. Soldiers in the technical fields will take the AFT.
To say the last decade has produced significant changes in the military fitness testing process would be an understatement. Throughout the military, all branches have made changes to both training and testing to produce a stronger, smarter recruit capable of performing their job-related tasks. For many military members in combat arms professions, a higher level of physical fitness across all components of fitness is required. Gone are the days of sole reliance on calisthenics and running fitness tests that measured only endurance and muscle stamina. Now, all tests focus on strength, power, speed, agility, grip, core stability, endurance and muscle stamina. For more details on fitness testing, workouts to help improve scores, and recovery tips, check out the Military.com Fitness Section.
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