PFT stands for Physical Fitness Test, and in the US military it means four different tests with one shared logic. The Marine Corps tests pull-ups or push-ups, a plank, and a 3-mile run. The Army tests strength, endurance, and agility across its own events. The Navy and Air Force each test push-ups, sit-ups or planks, and a run, with their own tables and age brackets. The details differ by service, but the structure never does: each event is scored separately, each has a minimum, and a total in the passing range still fails if any event falls below its minimum. This guide explains that structure service by service, works the USMC scoring in detail, and names the training implication of the per-event floor.

USMC: pull-ups or push-ups, plank, 3-mile run

The Marine Corps PFT has three events, each scored 0 to 100 for a maximum of 300. The upper-body event is a choice: pull-ups, scored to 100, or push-ups, scored to a maximum of 70. The abdominal event is the plank, scored on one gender-neutral table: 3 minutes 45 seconds earns 100 points and 1 minute 10 seconds is the 40-point minimum. The cardio event is the 3-mile run, scored by age and sex — for example, 18:00 earns 100 points for younger male Marines and 21:00 for younger female Marines, with the standard easing by age bracket.

The pass rule is the per-event floor plus a total: at least 40 points in every event, and a total in the passing range. The calculator on this page applies the full MCO 6100.13A tables by age and sex, so a Marine can see the exact points for a given performance rather than the summary figures here. From January 2026, Marines in combat arms occupations are scored on the male tables regardless of sex and must reach 210 points, a change worth checking against the current order before testing.

Army: the Army Fitness Test and its predecessor

The Army’s current test, the Army Fitness Test, replaced the six-event Army Combat Fitness Test with a streamlined set of events scored to a general standard, with combat standards for close-combat roles. The events emphasise strength, endurance, and agility together, and, like the USMC test, they are scored per event with minimums that must all be met. The Army’s scoring tables are age- and sex-normed, and the calculator pages for the Army tests on this site apply the official scales for their respective tests.

The lesson of the Army’s change is that fitness tests are revised regularly, and a table memorised from an earlier test may not describe the current one. Always confirm the test in force and its tables before training to a number, because training to a retired table is training to the wrong test.

Navy and Air Force: push-ups, core, and a run

The Navy’s Physical Readiness Test and the Air Force’s fitness assessment both combine an upper-body event, a core event, and a cardio event, usually push-ups, a plank or sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run, scored by age and sex with per-event minimums and a composite result. The Air Force assessment also includes a body-composition component, which the other services handle through separate standards rather than inside the test score.

The shared structure means the same training logic applies across all four services: the weakest event deserves the training time, because the per-event floor makes it the event that decides pass or fail. A sailor or airman who excels at push-ups and fails the run has not passed with a good average; the test has no averaging that rescues a failed event.

The 40-point floor, and what it means for training

The per-event floor changes training priorities completely. Without it, the rational strategy would be to maximise total points by training the strongest event hardest. With it, the rational strategy is to bring the weakest event above its floor first, then raise the total, because a point that lifts an event from 35 to 45 changes the verdict, while a point that lifts an event from 85 to 95 changes nothing about it.

The practical routine is: test all events, rank them by points, train the lowest first until it clears its floor with margin, then distribute training across events by the points each additional hour buys. The calculator’s scorecard makes the ranking visible, and the floor makes the priority obvious.

The other half of the year: the Combat Fitness Test

Marines take a second annual test, the Combat Fitness Test, covering battle-related fitness: an 880-yard movement to contact, ammunition-can lifts, and a manoeuvre-under-fire course, each scored to 100 for a 300 total, with the same per-event minimum logic. The PFT measures baseline fitness; the CFT measures combat-task fitness, and together they cover the year. A Marine preparing for one and ignoring the other is preparing for half the requirement.

Frequently asked questions

What events are in the USMC PFT?

Pull-ups or push-ups, a plank, and a 3-mile run, each scored 0 to 100 for a maximum of 300, under MCO 6100.13A tables by age and sex.

Can I pass a military PFT with a high total but one weak event?

No. Each event must meet its minimum — 40 points per event in the USMC PFT. A passing total with a failing event is still a fail.

Why do push-ups cap at 70 points in the USMC PFT?

Push-ups are the alternative upper-body event, and their table tops out at 70 points, capping the whole PFT at 270. A perfect 300 requires pull-ups.

Is the USMC plank scored the same for everyone?

Yes. The plank is gender-neutral: 3:45 earns 100 points and 1:10 is the 40-point minimum, on one table for every Marine.

What is the difference between the PFT and the CFT?

The PFT measures baseline fitness across three events. The Combat Fitness Test measures combat-task fitness: movement to contact, ammunition-can lifts, and a manoeuvre-under-fire course, also scored to 300.

Do PFT standards change?

Yes, regularly. From January 2026, Marines in combat arms occupations are scored on the male tables and must reach 210 points. Always confirm the current order and tables before testing.