The four components
The assessment is a composite out of 100. 75 points passes. The components are not weighted equally, and the gap matters more than most people training for it assume.
| Component | Max points | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Cardio | 50 | 2-mile run or the 20-metre HAMR shuttle |
| Waist-to-height ratio | 20 | Waist at the rib/hip midpoint, divided by height |
| Push-ups | 15 | 1-minute push-ups or 2-minute hand-release push-ups |
| Core | 15 | 1-minute sit-ups, 2-minute cross-leg reverse crunches, or the forearm plank |
The bands: Excellent above 90, Satisfactory 75 to 89.9, Unsatisfactory below 74.9 or any component minimum not met. Note the second half of that — three of the four components carry a minimum you must clear regardless of your total. Body composition does not.
Choosing your events
Three of the four components offer alternatives, and they are scored on their own tables rather than converted into one another. The choice is genuine — the same airman can score differently depending on which option they elect, so it is worth testing both in training before test day rather than discovering it under scoring conditions.
- Cardio — the 2-mile run, or the HAMR (High Aerobic Multi-shuffle Run), a 20-metre shuttle paced to a recording.
- Push-ups — one minute of standard push-ups, or two minutes of hand-release push-ups.
- Core — one minute of sit-ups, two minutes of cross-leg reverse crunches, or a forearm plank held for time.
The calculator scores every one of these options, so you can compare what a given performance is actually worth before committing to it.
Waist-to-height ratio
Body composition is measured as waist-to-height ratio, worth 20 of the 100 composite points. It replaced the abdominal circumference measurement.
Where the tape goes matters, and it is not the navel. AFMAN 36-2905 para 3.15.4.6 puts the measurement on bare skin, taken from the right side of the waist, at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest). The navel is where the Body Fat Assessment tape goes — a different, secondary measurement described in Attachment 8. Measuring the wrong site gives the wrong ratio.
| Ratio | Points |
|---|---|
| 0.49 or below | 20.0 |
| 0.50 | 19.0 |
| 0.51 | 18.0 |
| 0.52 | 17.0 |
| 0.53 | 16.0 |
| 0.54 | 15.0 |
| 0.55 | 12.5 |
| 0.56 | 10.0 |
| 0.57 | 7.5 |
| 0.58 | 5.0 |
| 0.59 | 2.5 |
| 0.60 or above | 0.0 |
One table covers every age band and both sexes — para 3.15.4.2 calls WHtR “an age agnostic assessment”. The chart carries risk-band labels; the one the manual states outright is high risk, defined as a ratio above 0.55, which is what the rule below turns on.
This component has no minimum. Para 3.7.1 lists the maximum component scores “with component minimums” and states plainly that body composition “does not have a minimum requirement”, and para 3.6.1 defines Unsatisfactory as below 74.9 and/or any component minimum not met. A high ratio scores zero and cannot, by itself, fail a PFRA: an airman at 0.61 who takes the full 50 for cardio and 15 each for strength and core scores 80 and passes.
What crossing 0.55 does trigger — and only when the composite is also unsatisfactory — is a Tier 2 Body Fat Assessment on an InBody scale or by tape. That assessment is pass/fail at under 26% for men and under 36% for women; passing it scores body composition as an exempt component, failing it makes the PFRA unsatisfactory.
Exemptions and how often you test
Components may be exempted on medical grounds, in which case the composite is calculated on the remaining components. An exemption is not a pass — it changes what is scored, not the standard being applied.
Assessment frequency is set by current policy and by an airman's most recent score; some high scorers test annually rather than twice a year. Confirm your own testing interval through your unit rather than assuming it from a previous cycle.
Common questions
What score do you need to pass the Air Force PT test?
A composite of 75 out of 100. The composite is built from cardio worth up to 50 points, waist-to-height ratio worth 20, push-ups worth 15 and core worth 15.
Source: AFMAN 36-2905 (eff 1 Mar 2026) · Verified 30 JUL 2026
What are the events on the Air Force fitness assessment?
Cardio — either the 2-mile run or the HAMR shuttle; push-ups — either one minute standard or two minutes hand-release; core — sit-ups, cross-leg reverse crunches or the forearm plank; and the waist-to-height ratio measurement.
Source: AFMAN 36-2905 (eff 1 Mar 2026) · Verified 30 JUL 2026
What is a good waist-to-height ratio for the Air Force?
0.55 or below. The ratio is waist circumference divided by height, both in inches, worth 20 of the 100 composite points.
Source: AFMAN 36-2905 (eff 1 Mar 2026) · Verified 30 JUL 2026
Which component should I train first?
Cardio, in almost every case. At 50 of 100 points it is worth more than push-ups and core combined and more than twice the body composition component, so it is where a failing composite closes fastest.
Source: AFMAN 36-2905 (eff 1 Mar 2026) · Verified 30 JUL 2026