Physical Fitness Testing

The State Board of Education designated the FITNESSGRAM® as the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) for students in California public schools. The FITNESSGRAM® is a comprehensive, health-related physical fitness battery developed by The Cooper Institute. The primary goal of the FITNESSGRAM® is to assist students in establishing lifetime habits of regular physical activity.

Public school students in grades nine are required to take the PFT.  Students who are physically unable to take the entire test battery are to be given as much of the test as his or her condition will permit. (Education Code (EC) Section 60800 and the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 1041).

The PFT provides information that can be used by (1) students to assess and plan personal fitness programs; (2) teachers to design the curriculum for physical education programs; and (3) parents and guardians to understand their children’s fitness levels. This program also provides results that are used to monitor changes in the physical fitness of California students. By law (EC Section 60800), all LEAs in California are required to administer the PFT annually to all students in grades five, seven, and nine.

The FITNESSGRAM®is composed of the following six fitness areas, with a number of test options provided for most areas:

  1. Aerobic Capacity
  • PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run)
  • One-Mile Run
  • Walk Test (only for ages 13 or older)
  1. Abdominal Strength and Endurance
  • Curl-Up
  1. Upper Body Strength and Endurance
  • Push-Up
  • Modified Pull-Up
  • Flexed-Arm Hang
  1. Body Composition
  • Skinfold Measurements
  • Body Mass Index
  • Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer
  1. Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility
  • Trunk Lift
  1. Flexibility
  • Back-Saver Sit and Reach
  • Shoulder Stretch