Establishing higher close combat standards for the Army Combat Fitness Test: Evidence and recommendations

Key Chapter Title List

1. Introduction
2. Preliminary Evidence for Setting Higher ACFT Standards
3. Practice Phase Design and Results
4. Perspectives on Higher ACFT Standards for Close Combat MOS
5. Conclusion and Action Plan
6. Appendix A: Supplementary Background on ACFT Evidence Sources
7. Appendix B: Supplementary Methodological Details
8. Appendix C: Supplementary Details on Workshop Methodology and Results
9. Appendix D: Subgroup Pass Rates for Each Alternative Standard

Document Introduction

In October 2022, the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) officially became the standard physical fitness test for the U.S. Army's active-duty forces, extending to the reserve components in April 2023. The test consists of six events. It was initially designed as a single, gender- and age-neutral standard linked to the physical demands of Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), but was adjusted to an age- and gender-normed scoring system prior to full implementation. This adjustment raised concerns about whether soldiers, particularly those in physically demanding MOS such as close combat roles, would meet the physical requirements of their duties.

The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) explicitly required the establishment of higher minimum physical fitness standards for soldiers in close combat MOS. The U.S. Army commissioned the RAND Arroyo Center to conduct this study, aiming to provide actionable plans that meet Congressional requirements. The research focused on three core questions: whether sufficient evidence exists to establish gender- and age-neutral ACFT standards for close combat MOS; whether evidence supports that higher standards would maintain or enhance the overall fitness of close combat soldiers; and what impact higher standards would have on different subgroups of soldiers (by gender, age, MOS, and component).

The study employed a systematic analytical approach, including a review of ACFT-related research, analysis of historical physical fitness test data, designing defensible standard options that meet legislative requirements, supporting the implementation and analysis of a practice phase, and gathering soldier concerns and mitigation strategies regarding higher standards through workshops. The practice phase was conducted from May to August 2024, involving over 44,000 soldiers and testing eight different standard options. Ultimately, the Army selected a hybrid option requiring a total score of 450 points (90 points higher than the general force minimum passing score of 360) plus a 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL) of 150 pounds (an increase of 10 pounds for males and 30 pounds for females from the original standards).

Results from the practice phase indicated that the selected option would be difficult to achieve in the short term for the targets of a 95% overall pass rate and 90% pass rate for all subgroups. The overall pass rate for the active-duty Army was 91.4%, with pass rates for female soldiers and some age and MOS subgroups falling below 90%. Pass rates for the Army National Guard (ARNG) and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) were significantly lower. However, the data also showed that soldier ACFT performance improves with experience, particularly for soldiers who previously did not meet the standards and those with less testing experience, suggesting potential for improved pass rates in the future. During workshops, soldiers' primary concerns focused on the implementation timeline, training resource support, and communication of the standards, rather than the specific choice of a higher standard.

The report concludes with three core recommendations: develop supporting policies (including transition pathways, remedial assessments, re-screening, investment in training resources, and clarifying ACFT goals); recalibrate the scoring system alongside raising the standards; and gather more evidence for standard-setting through criterion-related validation studies. The report emphasizes that regardless of which higher standard is chosen, the implementation approach is critical to success, and that the ACFT, as a measure of physical readiness, must be integrated with other dimensions of overall health and readiness.