The Short Answer: Weight Charts Are Gone
The Air Force no longer holds serving members to a maximum-weight-for-height chart. Since 2023, the Department of the Air Force has assessed body composition with Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) — your waist measurement divided by your height — and as of January 1, 2026, WHtR is the Department of Defense’s key body composition metric service-wide.
That single ratio now shows up in two different rules that people constantly mix up:
- Body Composition Program screen: WHtR must be below 0.55. Exceeding it triggers a secondary body fat assessment — not an automatic failure.
- PT test component (PFRA): WHtR is scored, worth 20 of the 100 points — full points at 0.50 or below, zero at 0.60 or above, interpolated in between. See the WHtR scoring guide for the point bands.
Waist Targets by Height (WHtR 0.50 and 0.55 Lines)
Because WHtR is just waist ÷ height, you can convert both standards into a concrete waist target for your height. These values are computed directly from the ratio:
| Height | Waist for Full PT Points (≤0.50) | Waist for BCP Screen (<0.55) |
|---|---|---|
| 4'10" (58 in) | 29.0" | under 31.9" |
| 5'0" (60 in) | 30.0" | under 33.0" |
| 5'2" (62 in) | 31.0" | under 34.1" |
| 5'4" (64 in) | 32.0" | under 35.2" |
| 5'6" (66 in) | 33.0" | under 36.3" |
| 5'8" (68 in) | 34.0" | under 37.4" |
| 5'10" (70 in) | 35.0" | under 38.5" |
| 6'0" (72 in) | 36.0" | under 39.6" |
| 6'2" (74 in) | 37.0" | under 40.7" |
| 6'4" (76 in) | 38.0" | under 41.8" |
Example from official guidance: a 69-inch-tall Airman with a 36-inch waist has a WHtR of 0.52 — passes the 0.55 screen, but short of the 0.50 full-points line.
Height and Weight Requirements to Join (Accession)
Enlistment screening works differently from in-service standards. At accession, the Air Force uses Body Mass Index (BMI) as the first check:
| Check | Standard | If You Exceed It |
|---|---|---|
| BMI window | 17.5 – 27.5 | Secondary body fat measurement |
| Body fat (secondary) | Max 26% (male) / 36% (female) | Does not qualify until within limits |
| Height | Generally 58 – 80 inches (DoD accession) | Waiver consideration case-by-case |
In other words, a high-BMI applicant with low body fat (common for lifters) can still qualify through the secondary measurement. Once you are in, BMI stops mattering and the WHtR rules above take over.
What Happened to the Tape Test?
The old abdominal circumference “tape test” was removed from Air Force PT scoring in 2020 after years of criticism that a raw waist measurement ignored body frame differences. The waist tape returned in the WHtR era with that flaw fixed: the measurement is evaluated relative to your height. A 36-inch waist is a 0.60 (zero points) for a 5-foot member but a 0.47 (full points) at 6’4”.
For how the measurement is taken on test day and the full point bands, see the Waist-to-Height Ratio guide. For the Space Force’s different treatment (measured, never scored), see the Space Force HPA standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Air Force still have a weight chart?+
What is the Air Force waist-to-height ratio standard?+
What are the Air Force height and weight requirements to enlist?+
What replaced the Air Force tape test?+
What happens if I fail the 0.55 WHtR screen?+
Is WHtR part of my PT score?+
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