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6 MI · PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

RFT(S)

Understand the tasks. Build role fitness. Prepare with purpose.

THE ASSESSMENT

What the RFT(S) measures

The Role Fitness Test (Soldier) is the Army’s in-service Physical Employment Standard. It assesses whether you have the physical ability to complete the essential, demanding tasks associated with your role.

It uses Representative Military Tasks (RMTs) to assess fitness through practical demands such as moving with equipment, lifting, carrying and casualty handling. These tasks draw on several physical qualities together.

Aerobic endurance

Sustain effort while moving with equipment and carrying loads.

Muscular strength

Produce the force needed to lift loads and help move a casualty.

Muscular endurance

Repeat lifting, carrying and movement without losing the required technique.

Short, intense effort and mobility

Move, change position, crawl and respond quickly while under physical demand.

The standards are role-related, objective and age- and sex-neutral. The required standard follows the physical demands of the job.

TEST ELEMENTS

The representative military tasks

The conduct notes contain a bank of seven RMTs. The applicable tasks and standards depend on your role, including Ground Close Combat (GCC) and non-GCC requirements. Your conducting PT staff will confirm which requirements apply.

RMT 1

Loaded march

Moving with personal equipment and responding to a threat. The task includes a squadded phase followed by an individual effort phase.

What it assesses: Aerobic and muscular endurance.

RMT 2

Tactical movement

Moving between positions and completing a short crawl and sprint in response to a threat.

What it assesses: Mobility, anaerobic endurance and muscular endurance.

RMT 3

Casualty drag

Dragging a casualty to a place of safety. The role-specific task represents the physical demand of moving a heavy load over a short distance.

What it assesses: Strength, anaerobic endurance and muscular endurance.

RMT 4

Stretcher carry

Carrying a casualty or moving equipment over distance. The assessment uses the prescribed carrying equipment for the task.

What it assesses: Aerobic and muscular endurance.

RMT 5

Vertical lift

The lifting effort needed to help extract a casualty from a vehicle, trench or similar position.

What it assesses: Muscular strength.

RMT 6

Repeated lift and carry

Repeated handling and movement of stores or equipment, such as loading and unloading supplies.

What it assesses: Aerobic and muscular endurance.

RMT 7

Incremental lift

Lifting stores or equipment to prescribed heights. This is part of the non-GCC task bank; your PT staff confirm its applicability to your role.

What it assesses: Muscular strength.

ROLE FITNESS

A role-related pass/fail standard

RFT(S) is the Army’s minimum employment standard. Your result is assessed against the requirements of your role, using the prescribed task techniques and standards.

Confirm the applicable RMTs, critical elements, loads, distances, timings and lifting requirements with the assessing PTI before the test. Regular and Reserve personnel should follow the current direction for their role and circumstances.

Use your role’s authorised standard

Use the cap badge standards alongside the current module guidance. Your PT staff will brief the requirements before testing.

View cap badge standards →

TWO DIFFERENT PURPOSES

How RFT(S) and SCA fit together

SCA · Develop your conditioning

A developmental assessment that identifies strengths and areas to improve. SCA performance levels inform coaching and training; the assessment does not carry pass/fail status.

Read SCA & SCA Club →

RFT(S) · Meet your role standard

A pass/fail assessment of the physical ability needed for your employment role. An SCA performance level does not replace an RFT(S) result.

Use the SCA to help target physical development, then prepare for the specific demands of your RFT(S). Both support wider unit physical readiness.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Prepare for the demands of your role

  1. Confirm your required tasks and standards with unit PT staff.
  2. Build aerobic fitness, strength and carrying capacity progressively through the unit programme and suitable individual training.
  3. Practise the prescribed techniques with PT staff, then use your training log to track preparation and progress.

If a task needs improvement, discuss targeted training and any injury or medical concerns with your PT staff. Before an assessment, follow the issued joining instructions for kit, preparation and timings.

Your training log is a personal record. Official assessment results are recorded by unit PT staff through FISS.

POLICY & SUPPORT

Official guidance

Use extant Army policy and the current direction for your role when preparing for or delivering an assessment. The stored conduct notes are the November 2023 v3 edition; confirm any later direction with your unit PT staff.

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