Beep test · level 5 of 21
Beep test level 5
At level 5 of the Beep test, the required speed is 10.5 km/h: 9 shuttles of 6.86 s each. The level lasts 1 min 02 s; when it ends you have covered 820 m in 5 min 14 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 10.5 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 35.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
At 10.5 km/h a shuttle takes 6.86 seconds and the turn starts to weigh on the rhythm. This is where runners who set off too fast find they spent at level 2 what they need now.
The previous level, 4, was run at 10 km/h. The next one, 6, moves to 11 km/h and counts 10 shuttles instead of 9. 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 × 5 = 10.5 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 5 in the table
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | s / shuttle | Level duration | Cumulative time | Cumulative distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 1 min 04 s | 1 min 04 s | 160 |
| 2 | 9.5 | 8 | 7.58 | 1 min 01 s | 2 min 05 s | 320 |
| 3 | 10 | 9 | 7.20 | 1 min 05 s | 3 min 09 s | 500 |
| 4 | 10.5 | 9 | 6.86 | 1 min 02 s | 4 min 11 s | 680 |
| 5 | 11 | 10 | 6.55 | 1 min 06 s | 5 min 17 s | 880 |
| 6 | 11.5 | 10 | 6.26 | 1 min 03 s | 6 min 19 s | 1 080 |
| 7 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 1 min 06 s | 7 min 25 s | 1 300 |
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 5 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 10.5 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level, so 10 km/h (level 4).
How long does level 5 last?
1 min 02 s, i.e. 9 shuttles of 6.86 s. From the start of the test that makes 5 min 14 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
10.5 km/h is 5:43 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.