Coach Mike Ockrim Coach Mike Ockrim

What Is the Air Force PFRA? The New 2026 Fitness Test, Explained

The Air Force Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment is scored out of 100: cardio, push-ups, core and waist-to-height ratio. Here is how it works and how to train.

Mighty Oak Athletic guide to the Air Force PFRA fitness test: two-mile run or HAMR, push-ups, core and waist-to-height ratio

Key Takeaways

  • The Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment (PFRA) is the Air Force's fitness test. Scored testing started July 1, 2026.

  • It has four parts worth 100 points: cardio (50), waist-to-height ratio (20), push-ups (15) and core (15).

  • For cardio you choose a two-mile run or the 20-meter HAMR shuttle run on each test.

  • You need 75 points and the minimum in each part. A score of 90 or more is Excellent.

  • Half the score is cardio, so that is where most points are won and lost.

The short version

If you are joining the Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard or Air Force ROTC, your test is the Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment. It replaced the old test in 2026. After a practice period that ran from March through June, every test since July 1, 2026 counts. Airmen test twice a year.

The biggest change for most people is the run. It went from a mile and a half to two miles. Airmen can also choose the HAMR, a shuttle run between two lines 20 meters apart, instead of the run on any test.

The four parts

  1. Cardio, 50 points. A two-mile run, or the 20-meter High Aerobic Multi-shuttle Run (HAMR).

  2. Body composition, 20 points. Your waist-to-height ratio: waist in inches divided by height in inches.

  3. Strength, 15 points. Push-ups for one minute, or hand-release push-ups for two minutes.

  4. Core, 15 points. Sit-ups for one minute, the cross-leg reverse crunch for two minutes, or a forearm plank held as long as you can.

What the scores actually mean

You need 75 points in total and at least the minimum in cardio, strength and core. Miss a minimum and you fail, whatever your total. A score of 90 or more is rated Excellent.

Here is the range for men and women under 25, from the minimum to full points:

  • Two-mile run: men 19:45 to 13:25, women 25:23 to 15:30

  • HAMR: men 42 to 87 shuttles, women 21 to 68 shuttles

  • Push-ups (one minute): men 30 to 67, women 15 to 50

  • Sit-ups (one minute): men 33 to 58, women 29 to 54

  • Waist-to-height ratio: 0.49 or lower earns all 20 points. 0.60 or higher earns none.

Score your numbers free in our calculator. It adds up all four parts and shows the one holding you back.

How to train for it

Start with cardio, because it is half the test. Most candidates only run easy miles and then fade on test day. We teach goal pace with quarter-mile repeats. Eight laps of a track is two miles. If you are a natural sprinter, try the HAMR: here is a short HAMR demo showing how the beeps and turns work. Train both for a month, score each in the calculator, and test with the one that earns more.

For strength, watch the push-up demo or the hand-release push-up demo. For core, pick one event and practice it exactly: the sit-up, the cross-leg reverse crunch or the plank. A rep that does not meet the standard does not count.

For the waist-to-height ratio, learn to measure your waist the right way: halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. That number improves with steady strength training, daily walking and simple eating habits kept up for months.

Every program is in our free Air Force and Space Force prep guide.

For parents

A stronger athlete runs with better posture when tired, does more push-ups and holds a core position longer. At Mighty Oak Athletic, military prep sits on top of the barbell, kettlebell and bodyweight training every athlete here does, and it is included in our membership. Your first session is free.

Joining the Space Force instead? Guardians take a similar test with different scoring. Read What Is the Space Force HPA? For every branch in one place, see our military fitness test calculator post.

Half the points ride on one event. Build the engine first.

Be strong to be useful.

  • Four parts: a two-mile run or 20-meter HAMR (50 points), waist-to-height ratio (20 points), push-ups or hand-release push-ups (15 points), and sit-ups, the cross-leg reverse crunch or a forearm plank (15 points).

  • 75 points out of 100, plus the minimum in cardio, strength and core. A score of 90 or more is Excellent.

  • No. On each test you can choose the two-mile run or the 20-meter HAMR shuttle run. Both are worth up to 50 points.

  • Your waist is measured halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after a normal breath out, then divided by your height. 0.49 or lower earns all 20 points.

  • Official, scored testing began July 1, 2026, after a practice period from March through June. Airmen test twice a year.

Read More