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Phase 4: Canadian Forces Applicant Physical Fitness Test

Pre-enrollment Physical Fitness Evaluation

To ensure that you are ready for the demands of the service, you will be asked to undergo a physical fitness evaluation as part of the recruiting process. Successful completion of this evaluation is a necessary step toward being accepted into the Canadian Forces.

You should begin your preparation now to achieve the highest level of physical fitness possible before Basic Training. Don't put it off. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to meet or surpass the objectives in the evaluation. Remember, your enrollment in the Canadian Forces will be delayed unless you are sufficiently fit.

There are four test items in the evaluation: a step test to measure your aerobic fitness, push-up and sit-up tests to measure your muscular endurance, and a hand-grip (squeeze) test to measure your muscular strength.

Minimum Performance Objectives

Push-ups

Sit-ups

Hand Grip (Pounds)

Step Test
(See 2.4 km run below)

The step test is designed to measure your aerobic fitness state. It is also used to measure your performance ability for Basic Training.

How to Prepare

Performing the following exercises several times per week will assist you in preparing for Basic Training.

Push-ups

Lie flat on your stomach, legs together, using your toes as the pivot point. With your fingers pointing forward, place your hands below your shoulders. Push up by straightening your arms until your elbows are locked, then return to the starting position (with your chest just touching the floor). Keep your body in a straight line throughout. Exhale as you push up; inhale on the way back down. Perform this motion in a continuous manner. Do as many repetitions as you can, without a time limit. Stop the test when the movement becomes forcibly strained.

Sit-ups

Lie on your back, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and put your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the side of your head (covering your ears). Press your lower back against the floor to begin the movement, curl up and touch your elbows to your knees (count one), then return to the starting position. Exhale as you come up; inhale on the way back down. Perform as many sit-ups as you can in 60 seconds. Stop the test when the movement becomes forcibly strained or when you start to lift your buttocks off the floor at the beginning of a repetition.

Aerobic Fitness: 2.4 km Run

During your Pre-enrollment Physical Fitness Evaluation, a qualified instructor will conduct a step test to measure your aerobic fitness. For the self-assessment, however, you will have to do a 2.4 km run to gauge your level. Be sure to pursue a gradual running program over several weeks prior to the test. You should be able to run 5 km before you attempt the test. Complete the test on a regulation running track (six laps of a 400 metre track) or over a measured course. (If necessary, you can measure out a course using the odometer on a car.) Use the chart below to assess your results. Remember, achieving an acceptable rating would be equivalent to reaching the required objective on the Step Test in the Evaluation.

2.4 km Run - Fitness Categories (Times in minutes)

Successful completion of the Physical Fitness Test is the final step prior to enrollment. In order to book a Fitness Test, you must have completed the Fitness Self-Test and met the standard indicated in the briefing guide. If you are under 18 years of age, you must have parental consent to conduct this test.