The beep test is a 20-metre shuttle run that gets faster every minute until you can’t keep up. For a man in his twenties, around level 9 is average, 11 is above average and 12 to 13 is excellent. Recruiters use it too: the Army asks for 7.5 for combat roles, Queensland Police for 5/7.
Here’s how the test works, every level and how far it really is, what counts as a good score at your age, the current ADF and police targets, and how to train for a better number.
- Also called: the 20 m multistage fitness test, shuttle run or bleep test
- Distance: 20 m between two lines, back and forth in time with recorded beeps
- Speed: starts at a jog (8 km/h), jumps to 9 km/h at level 2, then rises 0.5 km/h a level, roughly every minute
- Levels: 21 on the standard track
- Score: written as level and shuttle, so 7/5 (or 7.5) means level 7, shuttle 5
- Men aged 21–30: average about level 9 · above average 11 · excellent 12–13+
- Army combat entry: 7.5 (1,120 m) · Queensland Police: 5/7 (780 m)
How the beep test works
Two lines are marked 20 m apart on a flat, non-slip surface. You run from one to the other and must reach the line before the next beep. Get there early and you wait for the beep before turning. Each level lasts about a minute, and when a new level starts the beeps come closer together.
Miss the line and you get a warning. Rules vary slightly by tester, but the common version ends your test when you miss twice in a row. Queensland Police, for example, allows two verbal warnings and resets them if you catch back up, and it requires a full stop and turn at each line rather than a looping run. Your score is the last shuttle you completed, not the one you stopped on.
One thing that catches people out: the voice on the recording calls the level and shuttle you’re about to start, not the one you just finished.
Beep test levels: speed, shuttles and distance
| Level | km/h | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (7 shuttles) | 8.0 | 140 m |
| 2 (8 shuttles) | 9.0 | 300 m |
| 3 (8 shuttles) | 9.5 | 460 m |
| 4 (9 shuttles) | 10.0 | 640 m |
| 5 (9 shuttles) | 10.5 | 820 m |
| 6 (10 shuttles) | 11.0 | 1,020 m |
| 7 (10 shuttles) | 11.5 | 1,220 m |
| 8 (11 shuttles) | 12.0 | 1,440 m |
| 9 (11 shuttles) | 12.5 | 1,660 m |
| 10 (11 shuttles) | 13.0 | 1,880 m |
| 11 (12 shuttles) | 13.5 | 2,120 m |
| 12 (12 shuttles) | 14.0 | 2,360 m |
| 13 (13 shuttles) | 14.5 | 2,620 m |
| 14 (13 shuttles) | 15.0 | 2,880 m |
| 15 (13 shuttles) | 15.5 | 3,140 m |
| 16 (14 shuttles) | 16.0 | 3,420 m |
| 17 (14 shuttles) | 16.5 | 3,700 m |
| 18 (15 shuttles) | 17.0 | 4,000 m |
| 19 (15 shuttles) | 17.5 | 4,300 m |
| 20 (16 shuttles) | 18.0 | 4,620 m |
| 21 (16 shuttles) | 18.5 | 4,940 m |
To work out the distance for any score, take the total at the end of the previous level and add 20 m per shuttle. Level 7.5 is 1,020 m plus five shuttles, so 1,120 m. Level 10.1 is 1,680 m.
What’s a good beep test score for your age?
These ratings for men come from research norms (Bizley et al., 2010, as published by BrianMac Sports Coach). Scores are level and shuttle.
| Age | Average | Excellent |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | 9/2 | 12/12 |
| 21–30 | 9/3 | 12/12 |
| 31–40 | 6/10 | 11/7 |
| 41–50 | 6/9 | 10/4 |
Other guides line up with this. NSW Health’s school fitness program rates boys 17 and over as average at level 9, good at 10–11 and excellent at 12–13 and up, and Topend Sports gives a rough adult scale of 7–9 average, 9–11 good and 13+ excellent. Our read: if you’re a reasonably active bloke and can’t get past level 7, cardio is your weak link.
ADF and police beep test levels
The Defence Force’s Pre-entry Fitness Assessment (PFA) includes the shuttle run, plus push-ups and sit-ups. The current targets from ADF Careers:
| Role | Beep test level |
|---|---|
| Army: General Entry Combat and Officer Entry | 7.5 (1,120 m) |
| Army: Combat Support, Specialist Service Officer, graduate and undergraduate officers | 6.1 (840 m) |
| Army Special Forces | 10.1 (1,680 m) |
| Air Force (men) | 6.1 |
| Air Force Security Forces Officer | 6.5 |
| Air Force PT Instructor | 9.5 |
| Navy Diver and (male) PT Instructor | 10.1 |
| Other Navy roles | No PFA required |
Police: standards differ by state and change over time. Queensland Police currently requires level 5/7, plus 10 push-ups to a two-second cadence and a 90-second prone bridge (its October 2025 standard). Other forces set their own levels, so check the recruiting site for your state before you train for a number.
What’s the beep test record?
There’s no official world record, and many claimed scores were never verified. The highest men’s score on Topend Sports’ record list is 17/1, credited to former North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs footballer Jose Romero, and to Royal New Zealand Navy sailor Marek Schirnack, whose score was witnessed by two Physical Training Instructors in 2021.
Beep test and VO2 max
Your beep test score is a decent estimate of aerobic fitness. A common formula is VO2 max = 3.46 × (level + shuttles ÷ total shuttles in that level) + 12.2. Level 7.5 works out to roughly 38 ml/kg/min, level 10.1 to about 47, and level 13 to about 57. Treat it as a ballpark: a lab test is more accurate. Our Fitness Toolbox has more ways to see where you stand.
How to improve your beep test score
This is our six-week plan, built on standard conditioning principles rather than any official program. Test yourself in week 1 and again in week 6.
- Shuttle intervals, twice a week: run 20 m shuttles at about one level above your current score for 60 seconds, rest 60 seconds, repeat 6–10 times. This trains the turns as well as your engine.
- One longer easy run a week: 30–45 minutes at a pace where you can still talk. The beep test’s later levels run on aerobic base.
- Practise the turn: plant one foot on the line, drop your hips and push off. Sloppy, wide turns waste seconds that add up by level 8.
- Pace the early levels: arrive at the line just as the beep sounds. Sprinting the slow levels and waiting burns energy you’ll want later.
- Lose the excess: every kilo you carry has to stop and change direction about 60 times by the end of level 7.
For a structured bodyweight base to go with it, try our free 28-day military calisthenics plan, which covers the push-ups and sit-ups in the ADF assessment too.
Beep test FAQ
How far is the beep test?
Each shuttle is 20 m. The full 21 levels add up to 4,940 m. Level 7.5 is 1,120 m and level 10.1 is 1,680 m.
What does 7.5 mean on the beep test?
Level 7, shuttle 5. It’s the Army’s target for General Entry Combat and Officer Entry roles.
What is a good beep test score?
For a man in his twenties, around level 9 is average, 11 is above average and 12–13 is excellent. Expect the benchmarks to drop a level or two each decade after 30.
How many levels are in the beep test?
The standard 20 m beep test has 21 levels. Some versions run to 23.
Does the Navy still do the beep test?
Only for some roles. ADF Careers says the pre-entry fitness assessment is no longer required for most Navy roles, but Divers and Physical Training Instructors still have to pass it.
