Beep test · level 1 of 21
Beep test level 1
At level 1 of the Beep test, the required speed is 8 km/h: 7 shuttles of 9 s each. The level lasts 1 min 03 s; when it ends you have covered 140 m in 1 min 03 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 8 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 23.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
Level 1 is almost a walk: 8 km/h, seven shuttles, one minute. It exists so the body settles into the rhythm of the beeps, not to sort anyone out. No examiner ever counts it as a score.
The VO₂max shown comes from the equation Léger and colleagues published with the test in 1988. It starts from the last level announced, the one during which you stop, not the last one completed: S = 8 + 0.5 × 1 = 8.5 km/h. It also depends on age, capped at 18; the figure above is for an adult. At level 1 the equation counts 8.5 km/h, as in the 1988 protocol, while the chart starts at 8 km/h. For a child or a teenager the same level gives a higher figure: the VO₂max calculator gives it for every age from 8 to 17. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Level 1 in the table
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 1 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 8 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level.
How long does level 1 last?
1 min 03 s, i.e. 7 shuttles of 9 s. From the start of the test that makes 1 min 03 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
8 km/h is 7:30 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.