Core endurance in the 2026 PFRA is one event of your choice: 1-minute sit-ups, the 2-minute cross-leg reverse crunch or a timed forearm plank¶3.1.2.3. This page covers the two rep events: the chart minimum and full-points reps for every age group, the form standard from AFMAN 36-2905 Attachment 2 (formerly DAFMAN 36-2905) with the official videos, and a free timer and rep counter.
Sit-up and reverse crunch timer
33Max
58
Your chart
Male · Under 25: minimum 33 reps (2.5 pts), full points 58 reps (15 pts)
Sit-Up Standards by Age and Gender (2026)
The chart minimum is the starred row on each AFPC chart and earns 2.5 points; the max is the rep count that earns all 15. Anything below the minimum scores zero for the component¶3.7.4.
Sit-ups (1 minute)
| Age group | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min (2.5 pts) | Max (15 pts) | Min (2.5 pts) | Max (15 pts) | |
| Under 25 | 33 | 58 | 29 | 54 |
| 25–29 | 31 | 56 | 25 | 50 |
| 30–34 | 29 | 54 | 20 | 45 |
| 35–39 | 27 | 52 | 18 | 43 |
| 40–44 | 25 | 50 | 16 | 41 |
| 45–49 | 23 | 48 | 10 | 35 |
| 50–54 | 21 | 46 | 9 | 34 |
| 55–59 | 19 | 44 | 7 | 32 |
| 60 and over | 17 | 42 | 6 | 31 |
Min is the chart’s starred minimum (2.5 points); max is the value that earns the full 15. Values are correct sit-ups in 1 minute. Source: AFPC PFRA scoring charts, effective 1 March 2026 (corrected 17 March 2026).
Cross-leg reverse crunch (2 minutes)
| Age group | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min (2.5 pts) | Max (15 pts) | Min (2.5 pts) | Max (15 pts) | |
| Under 25 | 35 | 60 | 33 | 58 |
| 25–29 | 33 | 58 | 31 | 56 |
| 30–34 | 31 | 56 | 29 | 54 |
| 35–39 | 29 | 54 | 27 | 52 |
| 40–44 | 27 | 52 | 25 | 50 |
| 45–49 | 25 | 50 | 23 | 48 |
| 50–54 | 23 | 48 | 21 | 46 |
| 55–59 | 21 | 46 | 19 | 44 |
| 60 and over | 19 | 44 | 17 | 42 |
Min is the chart’s starred minimum (2.5 points); max is the value that earns the full 15. Values are correct repetitions in 2 minutes, each side counting as one. Source: AFPC PFRA scoring charts, effective 1 March 2026 (corrected 17 March 2026).
Airmen who also take an occupationally specific assessment use AFPC’s sex-neutral AFSPECWAR/EOD charts¶1.3.3; for both of these events those charts match the male columns above.
The Official Sit-Up Standard
Before the event the PFRA Administrator reads the Attachment 2 instructions and demonstrates the exercise, unless an instructional video is shown¶3.15.4. The 2026 sit-up is done with your arms crossed over your chest, not with your hands behind your head.
1-minute sit-up
1 minute · A2.5- Start position
- Face up on the floor or mat, knees bent at 90 degrees, feet or heels in contact with the floor at all times. Arms crossed over your chest with your open hands or fingers at your shoulders or resting on your upper chest. Your buttocks, shoulders and head must not extend beyond the mat.¶A2.5.1
- Feet
- With a bolted toe-hold bar, hook your feet under it and keep your heels on the ground. Without one, the assessor may hold your feet with their hands or knees, but not behind your calves or by standing on your feet. You may ask for a same-sex holder, and the request must be granted.¶A2.5.2, A2.5.3
- One rep
- Raise your upper torso until your elbows touch your knees or thighs, then lower it until your shoulder blades touch the floor or mat, keeping some part of your hands or fingers on your shoulders or upper chest throughout.¶A2.5.4
- Not counted
- Hands or fingers come completely away from your chest or shoulders, or your buttocks or heels leave the ground. You may not grab your shirt.¶A2.5.5
- Resting
- Only in the up position, and without using your knees or any object to support yourself.¶A2.5.5
- Ends the event
- Resting anywhere other than the up position. Your score is then the correct sit-ups done up to that point.¶A2.5.5
- Score
- The number of correct sit-ups in one minute. Your counter counts correct reps aloud, tells you what is wrong and repeats the last correct number until you fix it.¶A2.5.6
The Official Cross-Leg Reverse Crunch Standard
Despite the name, you don’t cross your ankles or rest one ankle on a knee: you lie with straight legs and bring both legs in while one elbow crosses your body to the opposite thigh.
2-minute cross-leg reverse crunch
2 minutes · A2.6- Start position
- On your back on a flat, level surface, legs straight and feet on the ground. Arms crossed over your chest with open hands or fingers touching your shoulders or upper chest; hands can't grab your shirt. A mat is optional.¶A2.6.1
- Rep one
- Keeping your lower back on the floor, bring both legs toward your chest while reaching your left elbow across your body to touch your right thigh. Return to the start.¶A2.6.2
- Rep two
- The same movement with your right elbow to your left thigh, then return. Sides alternate.¶A2.6.3
- Not counted
- Your hands or fingers lose contact with your shoulders or upper chest (including at rest), your lower back lifts off the ground, your elbow doesn't touch the opposite thigh, or your legs don't fully extend when you return.¶A2.6.4
- Resting
- In the starting position. Your head does not need to touch the ground.¶A2.6.4
- Drifting
- Moving out of place by more than a foot draws a warning; if it continues, those repetitions don't count.¶A2.6.4
- Score
- Correct repetitions completed at 2 minutes.¶A2.6.4
Sit-Ups, Reverse Crunch or Plank: Picking Your Core Event
You test one core event and each has its own chart, so the right pick is whichever earns you more points. What decides the count is different in each:
Sit-ups
1 minuteElbows to knees or thighs, shoulder blades to the floor, hands on your chest or shoulders, buttocks and heels down.¶A2.5.4, A2.5.5
Under-25 minimum (male / female): 33 / 29 reps
Cross-leg reverse crunch
2 minutesLower back stays down, elbow touches the opposite thigh, legs fully extend on every return.¶A2.6.4
Under-25 minimum (male / female): 35 / 33 reps
Forearm plank
Timed holdA straight line from head to heels and 90-degree elbows; the third form correction stops the clock.¶A2.7.9
Under-25 minimum (male / female): 1:35 / 1:30
Practice each one with the timer above on different days and compare the points. Details for the hold are on the plank standards page.
On Test Day
- Core endurance is the third component, after body composition and strength and before cardio¶3.15.4, with at least 5 minutes of rest between components¶3.15.10.
- You get one attempt at each component¶3.15.13. If you miss a minimum you are still expected to finish the remaining components¶A2.1.
- Disagree with your count? Say so before the next component; if it isn’t resolved, mark that you dispute the result on the AF Form 4446¶3.15.6.3.
The full sequence is in the test day guide.
Training for More Reps
AFMAN 36-2905 Attachment 7 gives the muscular fitness guidelines, taken from the American College of Sports Medicine: rhythmic work at a moderate speed through a full range of motion¶A7.2.1, at least one set of each exercise to muscular fatigue (8 to 12 repetitions under age 50, 10 to 15 at a lower intensity over 50)¶A7.2.2, and sessions under an hour, 2 to 3 days a week, without working the same muscle groups on consecutive days¶A7.2.3, A7.2.4.
The Warfighter’s Fitness Playbook 2.0 (AFPC, February 2026, p. 13) treats test events like these as muscular endurance: 12 or more reps per set, 2 to 3 sets, an effort of 5.5 to 6.5 out of 10 and 30 seconds of rest or less. Its exercise library (Appendix B) uses the same arms-crossed sit-up and the same straight-leg reverse crunch, so you can practice the scored movement from day one.
Related USAF PT Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sit-ups do you need to pass the Air Force PT test?+
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