What beep test level does the military require?

The answer, service by service

Every level below comes from the service’s own recruitment page or document, read on 10 October 2026. Three UK sites refuse automated requests, so we read them through archived copies dated in the sources. Check the official page before you test, because the standards change.

Country and service	Beep test at entry	Minimum level	Depends on
Australian Army	yes, 20 m	7.5 or 6.1	role
Royal Australian Air Force	yes, 20 m	6.1 men, 5.1 women	sex and role
Royal Australian Navy	only Divers and PTIs	10.1 (8.5 female PTIs)	role
NZ Army and Air Force	yes, at Assessment Day	7.10 men, 5.09 women	sex and trade
Royal New Zealand Navy	yes, at Assessment Day	6.10 men, 5.01 women under 30	sex and age
Royal Navy (UK)	yes from 1 October 2026, 20 m	6.6	divers 10.5
Royal Air Force (UK)	no, 2.4 km treadmill run	none at entry	officers do an MSFT later
British Army	no	none	2 km run in the entry test

Australia: the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment

The ADF calls its entry test the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment, or PFA. It combines sit-ups, push-ups and a 20 m shuttle run. The level depends on the service and the role.

Service and role	Shuttle run score
Army, General Entry Combat and Officer Entry roles	7.5
Army, Combat Support and Specialist Service Officer roles	6.1
Army, Graduate, Postgraduate and Undergraduate Officer Entry	6.1
Army, Special Forces	10.1
Air Force, men	6.1
Air Force, women	5.1
Air Force, Security Forces Officer	6.5
Air Force, Physical Training Instructor	9.5
Navy Diver	10.1
Navy PTI	10.1 men, 8.5 women

The Army levels are the same for men and women. Push-up counts differ, for example 15 for men and 8 for women in combat and officer entry roles. Most Navy roles no longer have a PFA at all. During initial training, Navy recruits run 2.4 km or do a shuttle run, with an age-based target: 7.4 for men and 6.9 for women under 29.

New Zealand: graded at Assessment Day

The NZDF tests every applicant at Assessment Day with a beep test and press-ups. Results are graded, so a higher score makes you more competitive. For the Army and the Air Force, the minimum is 7.10 for men and 5.09 for women. “Satisfactory” is 9.06 and 7.06. “Strong” starts at 10.05 and 8.06.

The Navy sets its minimum by age:

Age	Men	Women
16 to 29	6.10	5.01
30 to 39	5.09	4.01
40 to 49	4.09	3.01
50 to 59	3.08	2.01
60+	3.04	1.04

Some trades ask for more: 9.05 for an RNZAF Physical Training Instructor and 12.01 for the NZSAS. Army recruits then pass a separate entry test on Induction Day: a 2.4 km run and press-ups.

United Kingdom: only the Royal Navy uses it at entry

Royal Navy. From 1 October 2026, the 2.4 km run leaves the Pre-joining Fitness Test. Candidates must reach level 6.6 on the 20 m multi-stage fitness test, whatever their age or sex. The test also adds a mid-thigh pull and a medicine ball throw. Diving candidates need level 10.5.

Royal Air Force. The Pre-Joining Fitness Test is a 2.4 km run on a treadmill, with a pass time by age and sex. The RAF says the multi-stage fitness test is not part of it. Prospective officers take a bleep test later at RAF Cranwell, and the standard is given during that visit.

British Army. The Role Fitness Test (Entry) is a seated medicine ball throw, a mid-thigh pull and a 2 km run. There is no bleep test in it.

Reading a level correctly

The number after the point is a shuttle count, not a decimal. NZDF writes 7.10 for level 7, shuttle 10, which is later in the test than 7.5. The ADF’s 6.1 is level 6, shuttle 1.

Train on a 20 m course with the standard audio, then put your result into the beep test calculator to see the speed you reached. The full chart is on the beep test page. Police standards are on a separate page: what beep test score you need for the police.

Each service sets its own standard, and recruiters confirm the one that applies to your role. The page you apply through on the day is the one that counts.