The U.S. Army is shaking things up with its fitness test, and honestly, it’s about time. Starting June, the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) will get a new name — the Army Fitness Test (AFT) — and some pretty big changes in how it works. This isn’t just a rename; they’re cutting out one event that lots of people didn’t like and switching to gender-neutral standards for everyone. So, whether you’re active duty, in the Reserves, or the National Guard, these new rules will apply to you.
What’s Different About the New Army Fitness Test?
One of the biggest changes is that the Standing Power Throw is gone. If you don’t know, this event had soldiers throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads. Honestly, a lot of folks felt this didn’t really test strength or endurance but was more about technique — which made it feel a bit useless for what soldiers actually need. Now that it’s removed, the total score you can get on the test will drop from 600 points down to 500.
Why Did the Army Decide to Change Things?
The ACFT launched in 2022 after being tested for years. At first, it was designed to match different fitness standards to different military jobs — so, your test score depended on your role. But that ended up causing lots of problems with organizing and fairness. It made things complicated and hard to manage.
Now, with the new AFT, the Army wants one clear standard for everyone. No matter what job you have in the military, you’ll be held to the same level. It’s a way to keep things fair and easier to run.
Moving Toward Equal Standards for Men and Women
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has been pretty clear about his support for one fitness standard for both men and women. He even said on his social media that combat roles need the same standards regardless of gender. That’s a big deal because it means the test is no longer about separate benchmarks for men and women, but one standard that applies to all.
The AFT reflects this change by introducing gender-neutral scoring. So everyone has to meet the same requirements, which some see as a move toward fairness and modernizing the military.
What You Need to Know About Scoring and Passing
The full scoring details aren’t out yet, but here’s what we do know. To pass, male soldiers will need to finish a 2-mile run in under 22 minutes and do at least 10 hand-release push-ups. But passing is just the start — to get higher scores, soldiers have to show real strength, endurance, and good technique. Basically, you’ve got to be in pretty good shape to score near the top.
For soldiers in combat roles who get hurt and can’t do every event, there’s some flexibility. They’ll need to score at least 70 points on the events they can do, so injuries won’t automatically fail someone.
