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What does it take to join the FBI? Could you pass the FBI’s fitness test?

From sit-ups to push-ups and sprints, this is what it takes to join the FBI

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What does it take to join the FBI? Could you pass the FBI’s fitness test?
David Trinks / Unsplash

The FBI, or Federal Bureau of Investigation, is a domestic investigative intelligence agency and a security service for the United States federal government. When they’re not investigating crimes like terrorism and cybercrime, FBI agents provide law enforcement services like gathering intelligence, fingerprint identification, and laboratory exams. 

You have to achieve and maintain the required fitness levels to become an FBI agent and keep up with the demands of an important job; so, what exactly does it take? The test involves aerobics and strength training moves.

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The FBI Physical Fitness Test

Man doing sprints.
Nappy / Pexels

To become an FBI agent, you have to pass the FBI Physical Fitness Test (PFT) with:

  • A minimum score of 9 points
  • At least one point in 3 of the events
  • No less than a zero in any event 

If you have a negative score in any of the four events, it’s considered a PFT failure. You might also have to repeat the test within 120 days before reporting to the Basic Field Training Course or BFTC.

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Training doesn’t stop there. You may be required to retake the PFT and achieve a minimum score within 120 days before you report to the Basic Field Training Course (BFTC). If you passed your first PFT with a score of 12 or higher and at least one point in each of the four events, you won’t be required to retake the test.

The four events

Man doing pushups at a gym
Bartek Szewczyk / Westend61 / Adobe Stock

You have to complete the four events, and you can only rest for five minutes between each event before moving on to the next. The PFT is designed to be a challenge to assess your overall fitness level and see if you’ve got what it takes.

The following are the four events:

  1. The maximum number of sit-ups you can perform in one minute
  2. A timed 300-meter sprint
  3. The maximum number of continuous push-ups you can do (no timer)
  4. A timed 1.5-mile run

Those applying under the Tactical Recruitment Program (TRP) also have to complete the pull-up event.

How many sit-ups can you do in one minute?

Man doing situps using a fence for help outside on a concrete floor
RDNE / Pexels

To pass the test, men must complete at least 38 sit-ups in one minute. Anything less is considered a failure. If you log 57 sit-ups, you’ll be awarded 10 points, which is the most given and comes out to just over a second per sit-up. 

51-year-old fitness trainer Tejinder Singh from India smashed the Guinness World Record for the most sit-ups in one minute with an impressive 71 sit-ups. Whether or not you want to join the FBI, it definitely makes you want to get your muscles moving just hearing about this test. Even though sit-ups are falling out of fitness fashion; large agencies and organizations like the FBI still value the old-fashioned sit-up and what it shows about your overall fitness.

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Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…
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