AETC IFT Worksheet · Verified

Special Warfare IFT Standards (Former PAST)

The entry test for PJ, CCT, SR, TACP, EOD and SERE: worksheet standards, preparation targets, and the fitness tests you take once you're in the career field.

Official IFT Standards by Career Field

The IFT is pass/fail: every event is performed in one uninterrupted evaluation, in fixed order with prescribed rest periods, and failing any single event fails the test. These standards come from the AETC IFT worksheet (10 Jan 23 edition, OPR: AETC/A3LS), which also covers EOD and SERE candidates:

EventSW Enlisted (9T5 · PJ/CCT/TACP/SR)EOD (3E8)SERE (1T0)Officer (STO/CRO · TACPO)
Pull-ups (2 min; officers 1 min)83812
Sit-ups (2 min)50Not tested4875
Push-ups (2 min)40Not tested4064
Run1.5 mi — 10:201.5 mi — 11:001.5 mi — 11:003 mi — 22:00
2 × 25m Underwater SwimComplete bothNot testedNot testedComplete both
Surface Swim500m — 15:00 (BSWEA) / 12:30 (PJ/CCT/TACP/SR)Not testedNot tested1500m — 32:00 (STO/CRO) / 500m — 12:30 (TACPO)

Sequence and rests per the worksheet: pull-ups → 2-min rest → sit-ups → 2-min rest → push-ups → 10-min rest → run → 30-min rest → underwater swims (3-minute cycles) → surface swim. Enlisted candidates must pass an IFT within 60 calendar days before entering active duty or initial skills training. The worksheet is from January 2023 and standards can be revised, so confirm the current edition with your recruiter.

Minimums contract you; they don’t get you selected. Treat the worksheet numbers as a floor you can clear on a bad day. Our preparation targets for the enlisted tracks are 20+ pull-ups, 80+ push-ups, a 1.5-mile under 9:00 and a 500 m swim under 10 minutes; they are training goals, not an official standard.

IFT Self-Check: Would You Pass Today?

Pick your track and enter your current numbers. Every event is checked against the worksheet minimum, with our preparation targets alongside for the enlisted SW tracks:

Career Field Track

Pull-ups (2 min)

Sit-ups (2 min)

Push-ups (2 min)

1.5-Mile Run (min : sec)

:

Underwater Swims

500m Surface Swim (min : sec)

:
Not Yet — Failing Events Below

Failing: 1.5-Mile Run, 2 × 25m Underwater Swim, 500m Surface Swim. One failed event fails the entire IFT — fix these before contacting your recruiter to schedule.

EventWorksheet minYouResultOur target
Pull-ups (2 min)810PASS20+
Sit-ups (2 min)5055PASS80+
Push-ups (2 min)4045PASS80+
1.5-Mile Run10:2010:30FAIL< 9:00
2 × 25m Underwater SwimComplete both0 of 2FAIL—
500m Surface Swim12:3013:00FAIL< 10:00

Minimums per the AETC IFT worksheet (10 Jan 23 edition). “Our target” is this site’s preparation goal for the enlisted SW tracks, not an official standard. Unofficial training aid: your recruiter and the current worksheet edition govern.

Prepare for the Water

Land events can be trained anywhere; the water events can’t. The two 25-meter underwater swims punish panic more than poor fitness, and the 500-meter surface swim exposes anyone who trained only on land. Preparation principles:

  • Never train underwater work alone. Shallow-water blackout kills experienced swimmers. Always use a qualified supervisor or a lifeguard-observed lane.
  • Build swim frequency before swim intensity: three or four short pool sessions a week beat one exhausting one.
  • Learn technique first. The 500 m is about economy: a clean stroke at moderate fitness beats a fit thrasher.
  • Practice the full sequence, events in test order with test rest periods, before your official attempt, the same way you would run a mock PT test for the PFRA.

Once You're In: The OSPFRA and a Sex-Neutral PFRA

The IFT gets you into the pipeline. In the career field, AFMAN 36-2905 adds two fitness requirements:

  • An annual occupationally specific assessment (OSPFRA): an “operationally relevant” test that is sex- and age-neutral, set out in AFMAN 36-2919 (Special Warfare) and AFMAN 36-2930 (EOD) ¶1.3.2.
  • A sex-neutral, age-normed PFRA: “Airmen who take the OSPFRA must take a sex-neutral, age normed PFRA” ¶1.3.3. AFPC publishes separate AFSPECWAR and EOD PFRA charts (effective 1 March 2026) with one column per age group and no split by sex, so the regular sex-specific charts don’t apply to you.
Use the AFSPECWAR/EOD option on this site
The calculator (under “More options”), score charts and mock PT test have an AFSPECWAR/EOD setting that scores on the sex-neutral charts. One cell differs between AFPC’s two charts: the 25–29 HAMR minimum is 42 shuttles on the general male chart and 40 on the AFSPECWAR/EOD chart. The site follows each chart as printed.

How often: Table 3.3 sets the PFRA cycle for every Airman: due again 6 months after an Excellent or Satisfactory (ARC: 12 months) and 3 months after an Unsatisfactory Table 3.3. Paragraph 1.3.2 also says OSPFRA Airmen assess on the sex-neutral PFRA standards “annually”, and that ARC Airmen on a 12-month cycle take the OSPFRA as their annual assessment ¶1.3.2. The AFMAN doesn’t reconcile the two; we show Table 3.3, and your due date in myFitness, set by your UFPM, is what counts ¶2.28.4, 7.1.

IFT vs. the Regular Air Force PT Test

Purpose
Special Warfare IFT
Entry test for the SW pipeline
Air Force PFRA
Fitness assessment for Airmen (¶1.3.1)
Scoring
Special Warfare IFT
Pass/fail per event
Air Force PFRA
100-point composite from AFPC point charts (¶3.7.1)
Events
Special Warfare IFT
6, including two swim events
Air Force PFRA
4 components, no swimming (¶3.1.2)
Adjustment
Special Warfare IFT
Same bar for every applicant on the worksheet
Air Force PFRA
Sex- and age-specific charts; sex-neutral, age-normed AFSPECWAR/EOD charts for OSPFRA Airmen (¶1.3.1, 1.3.3)
After passing
Special Warfare IFT
Contract for the pipeline
Air Force PFRA
Due again in 6 months (ARC: 12); 3 months after Unsatisfactory (Table 3.3)

Everything else about the PFRA, from the minimums to the waist measurement, is in the 2026 PFRA standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Air Force Special Warfare IFT?+
The Initial Fitness Test, formerly called the Physical Ability and Stamina Test (PAST), is the entry test for Air Force Special Warfare career fields such as Pararescue (PJ), Combat Control (CCT), Special Reconnaissance (SR) and TACP. All events are done in one session, and failing any one event fails the whole test.
Is the IFT the same as the PAST test?+
Yes, the test was renamed from PAST to IFT. Older resources, forums and recruiters may still say PAST; the format (calisthenics, a run and swims in one session) is the same idea.
What are the IFT minimums?+
Per the AETC IFT worksheet (10 Jan 23 edition), enlisted AFSPECWAR candidates (BSWEA/9T5 and PJ/CCT/TACP/SR) need 8 pull-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes, 40 push-ups in 2 minutes, a 1.5-mile run in 10:20 or faster, two 25-meter underwater swims (complete both), and a 500-meter surface swim in 15:00 for BSWEA entry or 12:30 for identified PJ/CCT/TACP/SR candidates. Standards can be revised; confirm the current worksheet with your recruiter.
What are the IFT standards for EOD, SERE, and officer candidates?+
The same worksheet covers them. EOD (3E8) tests only pull-ups (3) and the 1.5-mile run (11:00), with no swims. SERE (1T0) requires 8 pull-ups, 48 sit-ups, 40 push-ups and an 11:00 1.5-mile, with no swims. Officer routes (STO/CRO and TACPO) are harder: 12 pull-ups in 1 minute, 75 sit-ups, 64 push-ups, a 3-mile run in 22:00, and for STO/CRO a 1,500-meter surface swim in 32:00 (TACPO swims 500 m in 12:30).
How long do you have between IFT events?+
The worksheet fixes the sequence and rests: pull-ups, 2-minute rest, sit-ups, 2-minute rest, push-ups, 10-minute rest, the run, 30-minute rest, then the two underwater swims on 3-minute cycles, followed by the surface swim. Enlisted candidates must pass an IFT within 60 calendar days before entering active duty or initial skills training.
Are IFT minimums enough to get selected?+
No. The minimums contract you; they don't get you selected, and a candidate sitting at the floor has no margin for a bad day. Our preparation targets: 20+ pull-ups, 80+ push-ups, a 1.5-mile under 9:00 and a 500 m swim under 10 minutes. These are training goals, not an official standard.
Which IFT events need the most preparation?+
For most applicants, the water events: two 25-meter underwater swims and a 500-meter surface swim. Land events can be trained anywhere, but pool skills need planned, supervised time. Never practise underwater swimming alone; shallow-water blackout can kill experienced swimmers.
How is the IFT different from the regular Air Force PT test?+
They are different tests. The PFRA is a 100-point assessment (2-mile run or HAMR, waist-to-height ratio, push-ups and a core event) under AFMAN 36-2905 (paras. 3.1 and 3.7.1). The IFT is a pass/fail entry test with six events including swims and pull-ups. Once you are in a Special Warfare or EOD career field, you take an annual occupationally specific assessment (OSPFRA) under AFMAN 36-2919 or 36-2930 and also a sex-neutral, age-normed PFRA (AFMAN 36-2905 paras. 1.3.2 and 1.3.3).
Which PFRA charts do Special Warfare and EOD Airmen use?+
AFPC's AFSPECWAR and EOD PFRA charts (effective 1 March 2026), which have one sex-neutral column per age group, because Airmen who take an OSPFRA must take a sex-neutral, age-normed PFRA (AFMAN 36-2905 para. 1.3.3). This site's calculator, score charts and mock PT test offer an AFSPECWAR/EOD option that scores on those charts.
How often do Special Warfare and EOD Airmen take the PFRA?+
Table 3.3 of AFMAN 36-2905 sets the PFRA cycle for everyone: due again 6 months after an Excellent or Satisfactory (12 months for the Air Reserve Component) and 3 months after an Unsatisfactory. Para. 1.3.2 also says OSPFRA Airmen assess on the sex-neutral, age-normed PFRA standards 'annually', and that ARC Airmen on a 12-month cycle take the OSPFRA as their annual assessment. The AFMAN doesn't reconcile 'annually' with the 6-month cycle; your due date in myFitness, set by your UFPM, is what counts (paras. 2.28.4 and 7.1).
How long should I train before taking the IFT?+
Plan on six to twelve months of deliberate preparation if you are starting from average fitness. This is not a test you cram for in four weeks: swimming skill and running volume take the longest to build safely, and rushing either is how candidates get injured or fail the water events.

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Independent resourceBuilt from AFMAN 36-2905 (24 Mar 2026) and the AFPC chartsVerified 2 October 2026MethodologyWhat changedOfficial source

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