The US Army push-up test is one of the most straightforward fitness benchmarks in military training. Two minutes. Maximum push-ups. Your score determines whether you pass or fail the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT).
Here is exactly what you need to know, from minimum passing numbers to maximum scores, age-based standards and how to train for it.
How Many Push-Ups Do You Need to Pass the Army Fitness Test in 2 Minutes?
The minimum number of push-ups to pass the APFT depends on your age and sex. For male soldiers aged 17 to 21, the minimum is 42 push-ups in 2 minutes. For female soldiers in the same age group, the minimum is 19 push-ups.
As soldiers get older, the minimum drops. A male soldier aged 52 to 56 only needs 20 push-ups to pass. A female soldier in that bracket needs 9.
Here are the minimum passing standards for male soldiers by age group:
- Age 17 to 21: 42 push-ups
- Age 22 to 26: 40 push-ups
- Age 27 to 31: 39 push-ups
- Age 32 to 36: 36 push-ups
- Age 37 to 41: 34 push-ups
- Age 42 to 46: 30 push-ups
- Age 47 to 51: 25 push-ups
- Age 52 to 56: 20 push-ups
- Age 57 to 61: 18 push-ups
For female soldiers, the minimums are lower across every age group. Age 17 to 21 requires 19 push-ups. Age 22 to 26 requires 17. Age 32 to 36 requires 13.
These numbers come directly from Army Regulation 350-1 and the APFT standards published by the US Army. They are the floor, not the goal.
What Is the Maximum Score for Push-Ups on the Army Physical Fitness Test?
The maximum score for the push-up event is 100 points. To earn 100 points, a male soldier aged 17 to 21 needs to complete 71 push-ups in 2 minutes. A female soldier in the same age group needs 42 push-ups for a perfect score.
The total APFT score combines three events: push-ups, sit-ups and a 2-mile run. Each event is worth 100 points, giving a maximum total of 300 points. A score of 270 or above with at least 90 points in each event earns a Superlative rating. Most soldiers aim for at least 60 points per event, which is the passing threshold, but competitive soldiers push for 90 plus.
For context on how many push-ups in 2 minutes army standards consider elite, a score of 90 points for a male aged 22 to 26 requires 75 push-ups. That is a high bar and it takes consistent, structured training to get there.
How Is the Army Push-Up Test Scored?
The APFT uses a point table that converts your raw push-up count into a score from 0 to 100. Each additional push-up above the minimum adds points, and the scale is not perfectly linear. The jump from 60 to 70 push-ups adds more points than the jump from 40 to 50 in some age brackets.
Scoring works like this:
- You complete as many correct push-ups as possible in 2 minutes
- Your raw count gets matched to the official APFT scoring table for your age and sex
- That table converts your count into a point score between 0 and 100
- You need at least 60 points in this event to pass
The Army publishes the full scoring tables in FM 7-22 (Army Physical Readiness Training). Every age group has its own table, so a 45-year-old soldier and a 22-year-old soldier can both score 100 points with very different raw numbers.
One important detail: if you score below 60 points in any single event, you fail the entire APFT regardless of how well you did in the other two events. All three events must meet the 60-point minimum.
What Counts as a Valid Push-Up in the Army Fitness Test?
Form matters. A push-up that does not meet the standard does not count, and a grader will call it out in real time.
Here is what the Army requires for a valid repetition:
- Start in the up position with arms fully extended
- Body forms a straight line from head to heels, no sagging hips or raised backside
- Hands placed slightly wider than shoulder width
- Lower your body until your upper arms are at least parallel to the ground
- Push back up to full arm extension
- Feet can be together or up to 12 inches apart
- Only your hands and toes touch the ground
Common reasons a rep gets rejected include not going low enough, letting the hips sag, lifting the hands off the ground between reps, or resting on the ground. You can pause in the up position to rest, but you cannot rest on the ground or break the plank position.
The grader watches every rep. If they call a bad rep, it does not count toward your total. This is why practicing with strict form from day one matters more than just chasing raw numbers in training.
How Does the Army Push-Up Standard Change With Age?
The APFT uses age-graded scoring, which means the standards adjust as soldiers get older. This reflects the physiological reality that muscle mass and recovery capacity decline with age. The Army accounts for this rather than holding a 55-year-old to the same standard as a 20-year-old.
The age brackets run in 5-year increments from 17 to 61 and above. Within each bracket, both the minimum passing number and the number needed for a perfect score drop as age increases.
For male soldiers, the maximum score benchmark drops from 71 push-ups at age 17 to 21, down to 30 push-ups at age 57 to 61. That is a significant reduction, but it reflects what research shows about age-related changes in upper body strength and muscular endurance.
A 2019 study published in JAMA Network Open found that men who could do 40 or more push-ups in a single set had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who could do fewer than 10. The Army’s age-adjusted standards align with this kind of evidence, keeping soldiers physically capable without setting unrealistic targets for older personnel.
The key takeaway: know your age bracket before you train. Chasing the wrong target wastes time and energy.
How Can Soldiers Improve Their Push-Up Count for the Army Fitness Test?
The most effective way to increase push-up performance is to do push-ups more often, with progressive overload and enough recovery between sessions. Avoid common mistakes that kill your score before test day.
Here is what the research and practical experience support:
Train Push-Ups 3 to 4 Times Per Week
Frequency drives adaptation. A 2011 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that higher training frequency produced greater muscular endurance gains compared to lower frequency with the same total volume. Three to four sessions per week hits the sweet spot between stimulus and recovery.
Use Pyramid Sets
Pyramid training builds volume without burning out early. Start with a set of 10, rest 30 seconds, do 9, rest 30 seconds, continue down to 1, then work back up. This accumulates high total reps while managing fatigue. It also trains you to push through discomfort, which is exactly what the 2-minute test demands.
Practice Timed Sets
Train specifically for the test format. Set a timer for 2 minutes and do as many push-ups as you can with good form. Track your number each session. This builds pacing awareness, which most people underestimate. Going too fast in the first 30 seconds burns out your chest and triceps before the halfway point.
Strengthen Supporting Muscles
The push-up is a compound movement. Your triceps, anterior deltoids and core all contribute. Tricep dips, shoulder press and plank holds directly support push-up performance. Weak triceps are the most common limiting factor for soldiers who plateau around 40 to 50 reps.
Manage Recovery
Sleep and nutrition drive adaptation. The Army’s own performance nutrition guidelines recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night and adequate protein intake, around 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, to support muscle repair. Training hard without recovering properly stalls progress fast.
How Does the Army Push-Up Test Compare to Other Law Enforcement Fitness Tests?
The APFT push-up standard is one of the most well-known military fitness benchmarks, but many law enforcement agencies run similar upper body endurance tests. Police fitness assessments across the US, Australia and the UK often include push-up components as part of their entry requirements.
For example, the Victoria Police fitness test in Australia includes a push-up component as part of its physical aptitude assessment. The structure differs from the APFT, but the underlying demand is the same: demonstrate muscular endurance under a timed or counted protocol. If you are preparing for any law enforcement or military fitness test, the training principles that improve your APFT push-up score transfer directly.
The core skills are identical. Form, volume, frequency and progressive overload work regardless of which badge you are testing for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many push-ups in 2 minutes is considered good for the Army?
For a male soldier aged 17 to 21, completing 60 or more push-ups in 2 minutes puts you in a strong position, scoring around 82 to 88 points. Hitting 71 earns a perfect 100. For female soldiers in the same age group, 35 or more push-ups is a strong performance.
Can you rest during the Army push-up test?
Yes. You can pause in the up position with arms extended. You cannot rest on the ground, drop your knees or break the straight-body position. Any rest must happen in the up position only.
Does the Army still use the APFT?
The US Army replaced the APFT with the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) in 2022. The ACFT does not include a traditional 2-minute push-up event. It uses a hand-release push-up variation instead, where you lift your hands off the ground at the bottom of each rep. The APFT standards are still widely referenced for training benchmarks and are used by other military branches and fitness programs globally.
How many push-ups do Army Rangers need to do?
Ranger School candidates are expected to perform at a significantly higher level than the APFT minimum. The Ranger Physical Assessment Test requires at least 49 push-ups in 2 minutes for male candidates, with competitive candidates typically hitting 70 or above. Elite units set their own internal standards above the baseline APFT requirements.
What happens if you fail the push-up portion of the Army fitness test?
Failing any single event on the APFT means failing the entire test. Soldiers who fail are typically given a period to remediate and retest. Repeated failures can affect promotion eligibility, assignment options and in some cases lead to administrative action depending on the soldier’s unit and circumstances.
How long does it take to go from 20 push-ups to 50 push-ups?
With consistent training three to four times per week, most people can double their push-up count in 8 to 12 weeks. Going from 20 to 50 is realistic in that timeframe if training is structured and progressive. The biggest mistake is training to failure every session without enough recovery, which slows adaptation rather than speeding it up.
