- The test is administered in different ways with different standards for each service branch, for males and females, and for service members in different age groups. In the Marine Corps and the Army, the test is referred to as the Physical Fitness Test. The length of the running component differs from one service branch to the other. The Marines perform a three-mile run; the Army, two miles; the Navy and Air Force, one-and-a-half miles.
- The U.S. military understands that physical fitness is a key element for maintaining both the combat readiness and long-term health of their troops. For this reason, servicemen and women are required to pass the PRT twice each year, unless they receive a medical waiver. Some branches offer alternative testing for pregnant service members.
- You must pass each segment of the fitness test. Failure at any of the three portions of the test constitutes a failing test. You must also comply with height and weight standards that also vary among the service branches and between different genders and age groups. Some branches allow this requirement to be waived if the service member can pass a body-fat test.
- Failure of the PRT requires the test to be taken again. Once two or more failures have been recorded, the service member begins to face penalties such as being ineligible for Permanent Change of Station request, disqualified for promotion and being barred from requested assignments or deployments. If the test is not passed in due course, each service branch has its own procedures for involuntarily discharging members who are unable to meet the minimum physical fitness requirements.