Army Directive 2020-06 (Army Combat Fitness Test)
Despite rumors that COVID-19 might delay or cancel the US Army's transition to a new physical fitness test of record, this directive signed 12 June 2020 by the Secretary of the Army confirms the Army will no longer conduct the APFT after 30 September 2020 (except Soldiers who failed their last APFT - see AR350-1, paragraph F-5k for more details).
The ACFT replaces the APFT beginning 1 October 2020
A quick reminder why the Army is transitioning to the ACFT:
"The Army's physical fitness test must be based in science and accurately predict a Soldier's ability to fight and win in multi-domain operations. The ACFT does so and will become our test of record." - Secretary McCarthy
What administrative changes are associated with ACFT 2.0?
A passing score on the last record APFT remains valid until 31 March 2022 for any purpose requiring a passing APFT or score, including, but not limited to, professional military education, functional courses, or operational course credit consideration.
No adverse administrative actions will be taken against a Soldier based on failing the ACFT until further guidance is published.
A Soldier's score, or comments regarding performance on the ACFT, will not be used administratively (such as the OER or NCOER, AER, ERB, SRB, or ORB) or considered as part of a promotion board until further guidance is published.
All Soldiers are challenged to pass the ACFT at the "Gold Standard" - 60 points per event. In other words, Black and Grey standards per MOS physical demand category will not be enforced until further guidance is published.
Which events of the ACFT have changed for version 2.0?
According to SMA Grinston, "It's the same six-event physical fitness test -- just an updated version."
The Army has added the plank as an interim assessment to assist Soldiers in transitioning from the APFT to the six ACFT events.
Once a Soldier has attempted a Leg Tuck, the Soldier may substitute a 2-minute plank to earn the 60 points required to pass the overall fitness assessment.
For Soldiers engaging in alternate events due to permanent profile, the 15,000 meter stationary bike event is reduced to 12,000 meters in under 25 minutes.
For added color, here's what SMA Grinston shared via twitter:
If it's not already crystal clear, @16thSMA drives the point home via tweet: Start training for the ACFT now!
If you're unsure exactly how to get started, we politely suggest taking a look at the following resources:
We've also dedicated a whole section of our blog to getting started with the ACFT.
And finally, our two most popular blog posts of all time:
Build the Foundation (no equipment required - quarantine approved)
In case you missed it, here's the actual Army Directive for ACFT 2.0
What more would you like to know about ACFT 2.0, training for the ACFT, or achieving new levels of physical readiness in general? Drop us a note in the comments or hit us up on social media to let us know what you'd like to see next!
Until next time, Happy Training!