SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 — The U.S. Army has published a new directive exempting all Soldiers who score 465 points or more on the new Army Fitness Test (AFT) from body fat standards.
Soldiers must score 80 points or more in each event, and no alternative events are permitted.
“This is a welcome continuation of our previous policy under the former Army Combat Fitness Test, said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Stevens, senior enlisted advisor, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.
“It rewards Soldiers who consistently demonstrate high levels of fitness, which supports readiness, health, and creates a culture that values performance.”
All Soldiers must still conduct a height and weight screening, and their data must be recorded on a Department of the Army Form 5500 or DA Form 5501. Soldiers who do not meet the height and weight standards but qualify for exemption will not be required to conduct a circumference-based tape assessment.
The directive is effective immediately, applying to all Army components and to the general and combat variants of the AFT.
Exemptions are valid until the next record test, not to exceed 8 months for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers or 12 months for National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers.
Soldiers who fail to re-validate within these timelines are subject to body fat assessments and flagging actions for body fat assessment failures.
By U.S. Army Public Affairs