Beep test · level 9 of 21
Beep test level 9
At level 9 of the Beep test, the required speed is 12.5 km/h: 11 shuttles of 5.76 s each. The level lasts 1 min 03 s; when it ends you have covered 1 660 m in 9 min 32 s. Completing it in full credits you with a MAS of 12.5 km/h. An adult who stops during this level has an estimated VO₂max of 47.6 ml/min/kg (Léger 1988 equation, age set to 18).
At 12.5 km/h you hold the pace of a 48-minute 10 km runner. For a candidate this is the safety margin above a minimum at level 7 or 8: reaching it in training means passing the test without relying on a good day.
The previous level, 8, was run at 12 km/h. The next one, 10, moves to 13 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 × 9 = 12.5 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 9 in the table
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | s / shuttle | Level duration | Cumulative time | Cumulative distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 10 | 6.55 | 1 min 06 s | 1 min 06 s | 200 |
| 2 | 11.5 | 10 | 6.26 | 1 min 03 s | 2 min 08 s | 400 |
| 3 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 1 min 06 s | 3 min 14 s | 620 |
| 4 | 12.5 | 11 | 5.76 | 1 min 03 s | 4 min 17 s | 840 |
| 5 | 13 | 11 | 5.54 | 1 min 01 s | 5 min 18 s | 1 060 |
| 6 | 13.5 | 12 | 5.33 | 1 min 04 s | 6 min 22 s | 1 300 |
| 7 | 14 | 12 | 5.14 | 1 min 02 s | 7 min 24 s | 1 540 |
Frequently asked questions
What MAS does level 9 of the Beep test give?
A MAS of 12.5 km/h, provided you complete the level. If you stop midway, the scoring rule credits the last full level, so 12 km/h (level 8).
How long does level 9 last?
1 min 03 s, i.e. 11 shuttles of 5.76 s. From the start of the test that makes 9 min 32 s of running.
What pace per kilometre is this level?
12.5 km/h is 4:48 /km. That is the pace you would hold on a track, without the turns: in a shuttle the same figure costs more.