ACFT Standards: 2025 AFT Charts & Passing Scores
ACFT Standards: 2025 AFT Charts & Passing Scores
ACFT standards have changed. As of June 1, 2025, the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) was replaced by the Army Fitness Test (AFT) as the official test of record, per Army’s official AFT overview.
This guide gives you a clear, current reference for AFT passing requirements, what changed from the ACFT, and where to find the official scoring charts.
AFT standards at a glance
- Test of record (as of 1 Jun 2025): Army Fitness Test (AFT)
- Events: 5 total (Standing Power Throw removed)
- General passing standard (most Soldiers): ≥60 points per event and ≥300 points total
- Combat specialty standard (21 MOS/AOCs): ≥60 points per event and ≥350 points total using a sex-neutral, age-normed scale
- Official score tables: AFT Scoring Scales PDF, effective 1 Jun 2025
ACFT vs. AFT: What changed in 2025?
For most Soldiers, the AFT will feel familiar—but the updates matter for scoring, standards, and career implications.
New test name and event list
The ACFT was renamed to the Army Fitness Test (AFT) effective June 1, 2025. The Standing Power Throw was removed, and the test now includes five events: MDL (3-Rep Max Deadlift), HRP (Hand-Release Push-Up), SDC (Sprint-Drag-Carry), PLK (Plank), and 2MR (Two-Mile Run) (see Army’s official AFT overview and GoArmy.com fitness requirements).
Combat specialty standard (21 MOS/AOCs)
The AFT introduces a higher scoring requirement for certain combat specialties—for example, combat arms roles like Infantry and related specialties such as Armor or Combat Engineer—using a sex-neutral, age-normed approach requiring 60+ in every event and a 350+ total (details in Army’s official AFT overview).
For other Soldiers, the general standard remains 60+ in every event and 300+ total, with sex- and age-normed scoring (as summarized on GoArmy.com fitness requirements).
If you’re not sure whether your MOS/AOC is included, confirm with your unit using current HQDA guidance.
Transition timeline
The Army’s AFT implementation timeline is:
- 1 Jun 2025: AFT becomes the test of record.
- 1 Jan 2026: Combat specialty scoring standard takes effect for the Active Component.
- 1 Jun 2026: Combat specialty scoring standard takes effect for the Reserve and National Guard.
AFT events and what they measure
Event protocols below are summarized from Army’s official AFT overview and GoArmy.com fitness requirements.
3-Rep Max Deadlift (MDL)
- What you do: Lift the maximum weight possible three times using a 60-pound hex bar and plates.
- What it measures: Total-body strength with an emphasis on posterior-chain (hip hinge) strength, plus bracing/stability under load.
Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP)
- What you do: Complete as many reps as possible in 2 minutes using the hand-release standard (including the required arm extension).
- What it measures: Upper-body pushing strength and endurance (chest/shoulders/triceps), plus trunk control to keep a rigid body line.
Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC)
- What you do: Five 50-meter shuttles (sprint, drag, lateral, carry, sprint) as fast as possible.
- What it measures: Muscular endurance, muscular strength, anaerobic power/endurance, plus balance/coordination/agility.
Plank (PLK)
- What you do: Hold a proper plank position as long as possible.
- What it measures: Core/trunk endurance and stability (anti-extension control) under sustained tension.
Two-Mile Run (2MR)
- What you do: Run two miles on a measured course for time.
- What it measures: Aerobic endurance.
Alternate aerobic events (profiles): The official AFT scoring tables PDF, June 2025 also lists alternate events (walk, bike, swim, row) as Go/No-Go options by age band for Soldiers with approved profiles.
AFT scoring basics: how the standards work
The Army describes AFT scoring as 0–100 points per event with 60 points as the minimum passing score for each event, for a maximum total of 500 points across five events (overview on GoArmy.com fitness requirements).
General standard vs. combat standard
- General AFT standard (most Soldiers): ≥60 in every event and ≥300 total.
- Combat specialty AFT standard (21 MOS/AOCs): ≥60 in every event and ≥350 total, using sex-neutral, age-normed scoring (details in Army’s official AFT overview).
Age and sex adjustments (what “normed” means)
- For the general standard, the official tables are organized by age band and sex.
- For combat specialties, the Army describes the standard as sex-neutral (same scale for men and women) while still being age-normed (see Army’s official AFT overview).
Where to get the official AFT standards charts
If you only use one link, make it this one:
- Official tables: AFT Scoring Scales PDF, effective 1 Jun 2025
For context and event descriptions:
- Policy details and implementation timeline: Army’s official AFT overview
- Event descriptions + basic scoring explanation: GoArmy.com fitness requirements
How to Read the AFT Score Tables
The official AFT scoring tables PDF, June 2025 is the authoritative source. Here’s the fastest way to use it.
Step 1: Choose the right section
The PDF includes tables for:
- MDL (3-rep max deadlift)
- HRP (hand-release push-ups)
- SDC (sprint-drag-carry)
- PLK (plank)
- 2MR (two-mile run)
- Alternate aerobic events (Go/No-Go)
Step 2: Pick your age band (and your scoring category)
- Identify your age band.
- For the general standard, use the table that matches your sex.
- For combat specialties, use the sex-neutral scale as directed by your unit leadership/training NCO or the latest HQDA guidance.
Step 3: Convert performance into points
For each event, find your performance and read the corresponding points:
- MDL: heaviest successful 3-rep weight
- HRP: reps in 2 minutes
- SDC: time (minutes:seconds)
- PLK: hold time (minutes:seconds)
- 2MR: run time (minutes:seconds)
Faster times score higher in SDC and 2MR; longer holds score higher in PLK.
Training to meet (and exceed) AFT standards
Verify your standard and your total
- Confirm you hit ≥60 points in every event.
- Add your five event scores:
- ≥300 = meets the general AFT standard (see GoArmy.com fitness requirements)
- ≥350 = meets the combat specialty standard if applicable (details in Army’s official AFT overview)
Identify opportunities for quick gains
To train efficiently, focus on the 1–2 events where a small performance improvement is likely to yield the biggest point jump, then set micro-goals (e.g., “+5 HRP reps” or “-15 seconds on 2MR”).
Match your training to your weakest events
-
MDL needs work:
- Posterior-chain strength: hinges, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts
- Grip + trunk: loaded carries
- Progress load 2–3×/week using big, multi-joint lifts and the patterns in BodySpec’s guide to compound exercises.
-
HRP is the limiter:
- Frequent submax push-up practice
- Balance with pulling work to support shoulders
-
SDC is the problem:
- Short, hard intervals that combine sled drags, farmer’s carries, shuttles, and lateral movement
- Prioritize quality reps with full rest
-
PLK stalls out:
- Progressive plank variations (time, leverage, load)
- Loaded carries for “anti-extension” endurance
-
2MR is the concern:
- Mostly easy aerobic volume + 1–2 quality sessions/week (tempo or intervals)
- Use the framework in BodySpec’s science-backed endurance training guide.
Use periodic testing blocks
- Every 4–6 weeks: test 2–3 events under realistic conditions.
- Every 3–6 months: run a full mock AFT.
Use BodySpec DEXA scans to track AFT-relevant progress
AFT prep changes your body in ways a scale can’t separate:
- Track gains in lean mass in the legs/trunk that support MDL and SDC.
- Confirm fat mass is trending down without sacrificing the muscle you need to push, carry, and run.
A DEXA body composition scan breaks your body down into fat mass, lean mass, and bone, and shows where those tissues are distributed—so you can connect training blocks to measurable changes. For a deeper explainer of what DEXA measures and how to interpret results, see BodySpec’s Body Composition Scan: A Complete Guide.
A re-scan every 8–12 weeks lines up well with most training blocks, as explained in our guide on When to Get a DEXA Scan and How Often.
When you’re ready, you can book a BodySpec DEXA scan.
Train for readiness, not just minimums
Building above the minimum standards gives you more buffer for sleep disruption, travel, and bad days—and usually improves durability, too.
Common questions about ACFT / AFT standards
Is ACFT still valid, or is it all AFT now?
The AFT replaces the ACFT as the test of record starting June 1, 2025 (see Army’s official AFT overview). The Army also notes that ACFT scores recorded before May 31, 2025 remain valid for promotion considerations until September 30, 2025.
What’s a passing AFT score?
- General standard: ≥60 points per event and ≥300 total (see GoArmy.com fitness requirements)
- Combat specialties (21 MOS/AOCs): ≥60 points per event and ≥350 total (details in Army’s official AFT overview)
How often do Soldiers take the AFT?
GoArmy.com fitness requirements states:
- Active-duty: typically tested twice a year
- Army Reserve / Army National Guard: typically tested once a year
What if I can’t complete an event due to a profile?
The official AFT scoring tables PDF, June 2025 includes alternate aerobic events listed as Go/No-Go options by age band for those with approved profiles.
What happens if I fail the AFT?
The Army states that no administrative action will be taken for failing the AFT until January 1, 2026 (see Army’s official AFT overview). GoArmy.com also notes that failing a recorded AFT triggers additional support and a chance to retake it, while failing two consecutive recorded AFTs may lead to separation.
Conclusion
Treat the standards as a planning tool, not just a pass/fail gate:
- Use the official tables to set clear, event-by-event targets for your age/scoring category using the AFT Scoring Scales PDF, effective 1 Jun 2025.
- Train in blocks that match the test (strength for MDL, conditioning for SDC/2MR, endurance for HRP/PLK), then retest to confirm the work is translating.
- Track the right metrics—not only scale weight—so you know whether your training is building useful lean mass and trimming fat mass.
