Police Fitness Test Training: Pass Your Academy Test

Police fitness tests are not one national test. Each state, agency and academy sets its own events and cut scores. The good news is that most of them test the same qualities: aerobic fitness, short sprints, upper body endurance and the strength to drag, climb and carry.

This guide shows you the common events, one official state battery in detail, what the research says about who graduates, and a weekly plan that prepares you for any version.

The common police fitness test events

Most entry tests mix a few of these events. Your agency posts its exact list and minimums, so read that first and train to it.

• 1.5-mile run for aerobic fitness.
• 300-meter sprint for anaerobic power.
• Push-ups in one or two minutes for upper body endurance.
• Sit-ups in one minute for trunk endurance.
• Pull-ups at some agencies.
• Job tasks: an obstacle course, a body drag, and fence or wall climbs.

The California Highway Patrol is a good example of a full battery. Its recruitment preparation booklet says the academy PFT covers six events: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, a 1.5-mile run, a timed obstacle course and a 300-meter run. Cadets take it in weeks 2, 12 and 21, and must attend 80% of conditioning classes, currently 30 of 36 sessions.

The California POST Work Sample Test Battery

Every California officer must also pass the five-event POST Work Sample Test Battery. The CHP booklet lists the events:

1. A 99-yard obstacle course with curbs, turns, a wooden horse jump and a 40-yard sprint.
2. A 165-pound body drag for 32 feet on a flat surface.
3. A 6-foot chain link fence climb.
4. A 6-foot solid wall climb.
5. A 500-yard run on a flat track.

The booklet is clear about the stakes:

"This is a state-mandated examination and a cadet will not qualify to become a California law enforcement officer without meeting these standards."

California Highway Patrol, Cadet Recruitment Physical Preparation Booklet

Faster times earn more points, and you need a minimum total. The booklet also notes the first PFT comes in week two, so start training as soon as you apply.

What predicts academy graduation

Passing the entry test is step one. Finishing the academy is the real goal, and fitness on day one predicts it.

A study of 401 recruits at a Los Angeles County academy found 330 graduated and 71 separated. Recruits with better aerobic fitness on the multistage shuttle test and a faster 75-yard pursuit run had a better chance of completing academy (Lockie et al., 2019).

A second study of 311 recruits from four academies found that separated recruits scored lower on nearly every test, including push-ups, sit-ups and the shuttle run (Lockie et al., 2020). Aerobic fitness, upper body power and upper body endurance predicted graduation. The authors advise recruits to improve muscular endurance, power and aerobic fitness together.

The takeaway: do not train only for the minimums. Arrive with a buffer in every quality, because academy training adds volume fast.

How to train each quality

Aerobic base for the 1.5-mile run

Run three days a week. Make one day intervals: 6 x 400 meters at goal 1.5-mile pace or slightly faster, with equal rest. Make one day a 20-minute tempo run. Make one day an easy 30 to 40 minute run. Add 10% weekly running volume at most.

Speed for the 300 meters and the obstacle course

Sprint once a week after a full warm-up. Do 4 to 6 x 150 to 200 meters at near-max speed with 3 minutes rest. Add short change-of-direction drills, such as cone weaves, to cover obstacle course turns.

Push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups

Train them as volume three days a week. Do 5 to 8 sets of push-ups at 50 to 60% of your max. Do 3 to 5 sets of sit-ups at 60% of your max. For pull-ups, do 5 sets of 2 to 5 reps, or band-assisted sets if you cannot yet do one.

Strength for drags and climbs

Lift twice a week. Use 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps at 75 to 85% of one-rep max on a trap bar deadlift and a squat. Add rows and pull-ups for climbing strength. Drag a sled or heavy bag backward for 4 x 20 meters to rehearse the 165-pound body drag.

A sample police fitness test week

• Monday, strength and push-ups: trap bar deadlift 4 x 5, goblet squat 3 x 8, pull-ups 5 x 3, push-ups 6 x 50% of max.
• Tuesday, intervals: 6 x 400 m with equal rest, then sit-ups 4 x 60% of max.
• Wednesday, easy run: 30 to 40 minutes.
• Thursday, strength and drag: back squat 4 x 5, row 3 x 10, sled drag 4 x 20 m, push-ups 6 x 50% of max.
• Friday, speed: 5 x 200 m fast with 3 minutes rest, then cone drills.
• Saturday, tempo run: 20 minutes comfortably hard, then sit-ups and pull-ups.
• Sunday, rest.

Retest every four weeks with your agency's exact events and scoring. Shift extra sets to the event with the smallest buffer.

Build it in the free builder

Open the free program builder and enter your test date, your agency's events, and your current scores: 1.5-mile time, push-up and sit-up counts, and pull-ups. Choose four to six training days. The builder sets your run paces and rep targets so you arrive above the cut score. You can also start from one of the starter programs and edit it to match your academy.