physics

United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test rather than just read about it. In short: The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and a Combat Fitness Test (CFT) once each calendar year. The PFT is conducted between January 1 and June 30, and the CFT is conducted between July 1 and December 31.

Key takeaways

United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and a Combat Fitness Test (CFT) once each calendar year. The PFT is conducted between January 1 and June 30, and the CFT is conducted between July 1 and December 31. The same standards apply for reservists. The PFT is a collective measure of general fitness Marine Corps-wide, and consists of three events:

Dead-hang pull-ups or push-ups Abdominal crunches or planks Three-mile run (or 5000-meter row, if requirements are met)

On October 1, 2008, the Marine Corps introduced an additional pass/fail CFT to the fitness requirements. The CFT is designed to measure abilities demanded of Marines in a war zone.

Tests

Pull-ups or push-ups For this test, Marines choose to either perform pull-ups or push-ups. However, the maximum score is only attainable if pull-ups are chosen. The pull-ups may be done with either an overhand (pronated) grip or an underhand (supinated) "chin-up" grip. Changes in grip are allowed as long as the feet do not touch the ground and only the hands come in contact with the pull-up bar. The pull-up begins at the "dead-hang" with arms extended and the body hanging motionless. A successful pull-up is performed without excess motion, the body rising until the chin is above the bar, and body lowered back to the "dead-hang" position. There is no time limit. Until 2017, male Marines were required to perform pull-ups, and female Marines performed the flexed hang instead of the pull-up. The flexed hang was started with the chin above the pull-up bar. The timer was started and did not stop until the arms became fully extended. The feet could not touch the ground or any part of the pull-up bar at any time. The Marine Corps had originally indicated that, as of January 1, 2014, female Marines would be required to perform a minimum of three pull-ups in order to pass the PFT. However, when more than half of female recruits were unable to meet this standard, the change was delayed. In 2017, the flexed-arm hang event was eliminated, and both male and female Marines were given the choice to do either push-ups or pull-ups for this event.

Crunches or planks Before the PFT, Marines will indicate if they will attempt the plank or the abdominal crunch. The abdominal crunch event is a timed event where the Marine must perform as many crunches as possible in two minutes. The plank event consists of maintaining a proper plank position for as long as possible or until the max time to earn 100 points. The planking form prescribed is that forearms, toes, and fists or palms in contact with the floor at all times. The body must remain flat and parallel to the deck. The Marine must hold this position as long as possible with no pauses. Marines must achieve a duration 3:45 for a maximum score.

Run or row The three-mile run event is a timed event where the Marine runs exactly three miles on reasonably flat ground, not on a treadmill, either indoors or outdoors, as quickly as possible. Marines satisfying any of the following requirements can, instead of running, opt to row 5000 meters on a rowing ergometer:

46 years or older Injured (with appropriate approval) In postpartum period (with appropriate approval)

Scoring The scoring for each event in the test is dependent upon a Marine's sex and age group in all events, except for planking where all sexes and ages use the same scoring scale. The minimum combined score required to pass the PFT is 150. The maximum possible score is 300. Event scoring is designed so meeting the minimum score in each event is not enough to pass the PFT; additional points must be scored in at least one event to meet the passing threshold overall. Failure to meet the minimum requirement in any one event results in the failure of the entire test, regardless of the overall score. Marines who pass the test are classified into classes based on performance:

1st class — 235 to 300 2nd class — 200 to 234 3rd class — 150 to 199

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

External links Official scoring charts from Marines.mil

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

In research: United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fitness tests, Long-distance running, United States Marine Corps, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test in simple terms?

Why does United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test.