Beep test · level 6 of 21
Beep test level 6
At level 6 of the Beep test, the required speed is 11 km/h: 10 shuttles of 6.55 s each. The level lasts 1 min 06 s; when it ends you have covered 1 020 m in 6 min 20 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 11 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 38.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
Level 6, 11 km/h, is the median of unprepared entry-test candidates, and it already meets the lowest thresholds of some police and fire standards. A healthy adult who does not run stops here. Two interval sessions a week take them to level 8 in six weeks.
The previous level, 5, was run at 10.5 km/h. The next one, 7, moves to 11.5 km/h. 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 × 6 = 11 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 6 in the table
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | s / shuttle | Level duration | Cumulative time | Cumulative distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.5 | 8 | 7.58 | 1 min 01 s | 1 min 01 s | 160 |
| 2 | 10 | 9 | 7.20 | 1 min 05 s | 2 min 05 s | 340 |
| 3 | 10.5 | 9 | 6.86 | 1 min 02 s | 3 min 07 s | 520 |
| 4 | 11 | 10 | 6.55 | 1 min 06 s | 4 min 13 s | 720 |
| 5 | 11.5 | 10 | 6.26 | 1 min 03 s | 5 min 15 s | 920 |
| 6 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 1 min 06 s | 6 min 21 s | 1 140 |
| 7 | 12.5 | 11 | 5.76 | 1 min 03 s | 7 min 25 s | 1 360 |
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 6 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 11 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level, so 10.5 km/h (level 5).
How long does level 6 last?
1 min 06 s, i.e. 10 shuttles of 6.55 s. From the start of the test that makes 6 min 20 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
11 km/h is 5:27 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.