Beep test · level 12 of 21
Beep test level 12
At level 12 of the Beep test, the required speed is 14 km/h: 12 shuttles of 5.14 s each. The level lasts 1 min 02 s; when it ends you have covered 2 360 m in 12 min 38 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 14 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 56.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
Level 12, 14 km/h, is the classic “athletic” MAS landmark: a sub-45-minute 10 km. For an adult who stops during this level, the Léger (1988) equation, with age set to 18, puts estimated VO₂max at 56.6 ml/min/kg. This is the level of good amateur footballers and regular runners.
The previous level, 11, was run at 13.5 km/h. The next one, 13, moves to 14.5 km/h and counts 13 shuttles instead of 12. On this test the gap between two levels is small in speed and large in feel, because fatigue carries over from one level to the next.
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 × 12 = 14 km/h. It also depends on age, capped at 18; the figure above is for an adult. 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 12 in the table
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | s / shuttle | Level duration | Cumulative time | Cumulative distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.5 | 11 | 5.76 | 1 min 03 s | 1 min 03 s | 220 |
| 2 | 13 | 11 | 5.54 | 1 min 01 s | 2 min 04 s | 440 |
| 3 | 13.5 | 12 | 5.33 | 1 min 04 s | 3 min 08 s | 680 |
| 4 | 14 | 12 | 5.14 | 1 min 02 s | 4 min 10 s | 920 |
| 5 | 14.5 | 13 | 4.97 | 1 min 05 s | 5 min 15 s | 1 180 |
| 6 | 15 | 13 | 4.80 | 1 min 02 s | 6 min 17 s | 1 440 |
| 7 | 15.5 | 13 | 4.65 | 1 min | 7 min 17 s | 1 700 |
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 12 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 14 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level, so 13.5 km/h (level 11).
How long does level 12 last?
1 min 02 s, i.e. 12 shuttles of 5.14 s. From the start of the test that makes 12 min 38 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
14 km/h is 4:17 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.