How long is the beep test?
The full beep test lasts about 22 minutes: 21 levels of roughly one minute each, 247 shuttles of 20 m. Almost nobody finishes it. The test ends when you miss the line twice, so your time is the time to the end of your last level: level 5 ends at 5 min 14 s, level 8 at 8 min 28 s, level 10 at 10 min 32 s and level 12 at 12 min 38 s.
The short answer
A level lasts about a minute and the test has 21 levels. If you ran to the end, you would spend 22 minutes on the course for 247 shuttles and 4,940 m. That almost never happens. How long you run depends on the level where you stop.
Time by level reached
Each level has a number of shuttles fixed by the test table, from 7 to 16, and a speed. One shuttle takes 20 m divided by the speed in m/s. The table gives the time elapsed at the end of the level, counted from the first beep.
| Level completed | Speed | Shuttles so far | Time elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.0 km/h | 7 | 1 min 03 s |
| 3 | 9.5 km/h | 23 | 3 min 08 s |
| 5 | 10.5 km/h | 41 | 5 min 14 s |
| 7 | 11.5 km/h | 61 | 7 min 22 s |
| 8 | 12.0 km/h | 72 | 8 min 28 s |
| 10 | 13.0 km/h | 94 | 10 min 32 s |
| 12 | 14.0 km/h | 118 | 12 min 38 s |
| 15 | 15.5 km/h | 157 | 15 min 46 s |
| 18 | 17.0 km/h | 200 | 18 min 53 s |
| 21 | 18.5 km/h | 247 | 22 min 01 s |
Times are rounded to the second. For the shuttle count of every level, see how many laps are in each beep test level. For speed, distance and time per level, see the full level chart.
Why a level is not exactly one minute
At 12 km/h, a 20 m shuttle takes 6 seconds, so 60 seconds would hold ten. Level 8 has eleven, so it lasts 66 seconds. The table is empirical and it is the table that counts, not the sum. Levels therefore run from 60 to 66 seconds.
When the test ends
The test ends for each runner when they fail to reach the line before the beep twice in a row. Their score is the last level completed. By level 10 they have run for more than ten and a half minutes without a break, with a turn every 5.5 seconds or so.
How long to plan for a session
The test is only part of the session.
- Warm-up: 10 to 15 minutes, with a few accelerations.
- Test: 22 minutes at most, less for anyone who drops out before level 21.
- Cool-down: a few minutes of walking.
- Scoring: the time to record each runner’s level, with one scorer per runner.
With a team or a class, the test is run in groups, and the session has to make room for each one. Pair runners so that one runs while the other counts and records.
What the time does not tell you
A time says how long you ran, not whether it was enough. A level is only good or poor against a standard, and that depends on who sets it. To work out what a level means in speed, use the beep test calculator. To move up levels, see how to improve your beep test score.
Go further
Frequently asked questions
How long is each level of the beep test?
Between 60 and 66 seconds. The number of shuttles per level is fixed by the test table, not worked out from the clock, so the levels are not all exactly a minute long.
How long should I plan for a team or a class?
Run the test in groups. For each group, count the time to the level of its last runner, then add the warm-up, the scoring and the change of group.
Is there a wait before the first beep?
The recording has a countdown and instructions before level 1. The times on this page start from the first beep and do not include them.
Sources
- 20 m multistage shuttle run speed and shuttle table, 8.0 km/h version — shuttles and speeds per level; elapsed times computed from them (20 m divided by the speed, times the number of shuttles)