Physical Fitness Testing

The Youth Physical Fitness Program

This program helps assess the current fitness level of youth aged 6–17, and offers awards to encourage them to stay active. Remember – a strong nation begins with healthy individuals!

What It’s All About

The Physical Fitness Program includes five events that measure muscular strength/endurance, cardio respiratory endurance, speed, agility, and flexibility. The five events are: curl-ups, shuttle run, endurance run/walk, right angle push-ups, V-sit reach.

Testing Guidelines

The PCPFS recommends fitness testing at least twice each year, in the fall and spring. Testing works best as part of a complete physical education program that supports the assessment with educational and motivational information. Before conducting the President’s Challenge, or any youth fitness test, you should review and take into consideration each individual’s medical status to identify medical, orthopedic, or other health problems. At the onset of testing, make sure everyone taking the test knows the correct techniques for each event, including proper pacing and running style. There is no limit to the number of tries an individual may have on each event. The individual’s age at the onset of testing should be used for comparison to the appropriate award standards located on page 8. Qualifying standards are based on the 1985 National School Population Fitness Survey validated in 1998 as referenced. Accommodating Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities or special needs have the right to an individualized physical fitness program. These students can and should be motivated to develop lifetime habits of appropriate physical activity and receive recognition for their achievements in physical fitness. Suggestions for options that permit boys and girls, ages 6-17, with disabilities to be acknowledged for their achievement are available on the National Center for Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) Web site, www.ncpad.org. Use of the President’s Challenge awards to recognize those achievements is encouraged. Teachers or fitness leaders may decide that other students without identified disabilities, such as asthma sufferers, also need modifications in one or more of the test categories or awards. We rely on the professionals in the field to accommodate those special young people. You know your students best. In some cases, when students do not reach President’s Challenge standards on one or more of the test items in the awards program, qualified instructors, using professional judgement, may choose to qualify those students for higher award levels.