Beep test · level 15 of 21
Beep test level 15
At level 15 of the Beep test, the required speed is 15.5 km/h: 13 shuttles of 4.65 s each. The level lasts 1 min; when it ends you have covered 3 140 m in 15 min 46 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 15.5 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 65.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
At 15.5 km/h only top amateur athletes and endurance specialists are still running. Level 15 is roughly the limit of what an examiner will see in a year.
The previous level, 14, was run at 15 km/h. The next one, 16, moves to 16 km/h and counts 14 shuttles instead of 13. 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 × 15 = 15.5 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 15 in the table
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | s / shuttle | Level duration | Cumulative time | Cumulative distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | 12 | 5.14 | 1 min 02 s | 1 min 02 s | 240 |
| 2 | 14.5 | 13 | 4.97 | 1 min 05 s | 2 min 06 s | 500 |
| 3 | 15 | 13 | 4.80 | 1 min 02 s | 3 min 09 s | 760 |
| 4 | 15.5 | 13 | 4.65 | 1 min | 4 min 09 s | 1 020 |
| 5 | 16 | 14 | 4.50 | 1 min 03 s | 5 min 12 s | 1 300 |
| 6 | 16.5 | 14 | 4.36 | 1 min 01 s | 6 min 13 s | 1 580 |
| 7 | 17 | 15 | 4.24 | 1 min 04 s | 7 min 17 s | 1 880 |
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 15 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 15.5 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level, so 15 km/h (level 14).
How long does level 15 last?
1 min, i.e. 13 shuttles of 4.65 s. From the start of the test that makes 15 min 46 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
15.5 km/h is 3:52 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.