US Secret Service

Secret Service Fitness Calculator

Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT) & Training Fitness Evaluation

4 events · 0–8 pts each · pass = 20+ total with no zeros · same standard for all ages & sexes

Push-ups
Maximum reps in 1 minute
Sit-ups
Maximum reps in 1 minute
Illinois Agility Run
Best of two trials · lower is better
1.5-Mile Run
Timed · lower is better

Max-effort push-ups and sit-ups, an all-out agility run, and a timed 1.5-mile run. Warm up first and stop if you feel chest pain or dizziness.

Push-ups
Maximum reps in 1 minute
Sit-ups
Maximum reps in 1 minute
Chin-ups
No time limit · shoulder-width underhand grip
1.5-Mile Run
Timed · lower is better

Max-effort push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups and a timed 1.5-mile run. Warm up first and stop if you feel chest pain or dizziness.

How to Perform It

The APAT, Event by Event

Push-ups, sit-ups, the Illinois Agility Run, and a 1.5-mile run. The images below show the positions that decide whether a repetition counts, one fault in each strength event that does not, and the standard Illinois course.

The Test Day

The Secret Service lists the events in this order and does not publish rest times between them.

  1. Push-ups

    1 minute · one trial

    Do as many correctly performed push-ups as you can in one minute.

  2. Sit-ups

    1 minute · one trial

    Do as many correctly performed sit-ups as you can in one minute.

  3. Illinois Agility Run

    Two trials · the better one is scored

    A short run with changes in direction, as fast as you can, held indoors or outdoors.

    The Secret Service doesn’t publish its course layout or start position. The diagrams below show the standard Illinois course; follow the proctor’s setup and instructions on test day.

  4. 1.5-Mile Run

    For time · walking or stopping allowed

    Cover the distance as fast as you can on a marked, hard, flat surface with minimal sharp turns. You may walk or stop; only your total time counts.

    If you train on a track: 1.5 miles is six laps of a quarter-mile track, or six laps plus about 14 meters on a 400-meter track.

To pass: score at least 20 points in total, with at least 1 point in every event. A zero in any event fails the test, whatever your total. The standard is the same for every applicant, regardless of age or sex.

Show figures:

Push-Ups

Hands shoulder-width apart, feet side by side, and back and legs straight. Shown from the side.

Side view illustration of the up position of a Secret Service APAT push-up: a woman holds her body in a straight line from head to heels, with her arms fully straight, her elbows locked, and her hands flat on the floor below her shoulders. Side view illustration of the up position of a Secret Service APAT push-up: a man holds his body in a straight line from head to heels, with his arms fully straight, his elbows locked, and his hands flat on the floor below his shoulders.
1 · Up

Elbows Locked

Start with your arms fully extended and your elbows locked, hands shoulder-width apart, and your body straight from head to heels.

Side view illustration of the down position of a Secret Service APAT push-up: a woman has lowered her body in a straight line until her chest is just above the floor, below the height of a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel, with her elbows bent and pointing back toward her feet. Side view illustration of the down position of a Secret Service APAT push-up: a man has lowered his body in a straight line until his chest is just above the floor, below the height of a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel, with his elbows bent and pointing back toward his feet.
2 · Down

Chest to the Fist

Lower until your chest touches a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel, keeping your back straight, then push up until your elbows lock. That is one repetition. In the Secret Service’s APAT video, a foam block under the chest marks the same depth.

Side view illustration of a push-up that does not count under the Secret Service push-up standard: a woman has lowered herself only partway, with her elbows bent and her chest still well above the height of a partner’s fist. The Secret Service requires the chest to touch a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel on every repetition. Side view illustration of a push-up that does not count under the Secret Service push-up standard: a man has lowered himself only partway, with his elbows bent and his chest still well above the height of a partner’s fist. The Secret Service requires the chest to touch a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel on every repetition.
Doesn’t count

Stopping Short

If your chest doesn’t reach the fist or towel, the repetition doesn’t count.

Sit-Ups

Knees bent, feet flat and anchored by a partner. The sequence is shown from the side.

Front view illustration of the arm position for the Secret Service APAT sit-up: a woman sits on the floor with her knees bent and her arms crossed over her chest in an X, each palm resting flat on top of the opposite shoulder. Front view illustration of the arm position for the Secret Service APAT sit-up: a man sits on the floor with his knees bent and his arms crossed over his chest in an X, each palm resting flat on top of the opposite shoulder.
Arm position · Front view

Arms Crossed, Palms on the Opposite Shoulders

Cross your arms over your chest with each palm resting on the opposite shoulder, and keep them there on every repetition.

Side view illustration of the start position for the Secret Service APAT sit-up: a woman lies on her back with her head and both shoulder blades on the floor, her knees bent and feet flat, and her arms crossed with each palm on the opposite shoulder, while a kneeling partner holds her feet. Side view illustration of the start position for the Secret Service APAT sit-up: a man lies on his back with his head and both shoulder blades on the floor, his knees bent and feet flat, and his arms crossed with each palm on the opposite shoulder, while a kneeling partner holds his feet.
1 · Start

Shoulder Blades Down

Lie back with your shoulder blades on the floor, knees bent, feet flat, and your partner anchoring your feet.

Side view illustration of the top of a completed Secret Service APAT sit-up: a woman has curled up until her elbows touch her thighs at the knees, with her arms crossed and palms on her shoulders and her buttocks on the floor, while a kneeling partner holds her feet. Side view illustration of the top of a completed Secret Service APAT sit-up: a man has curled up until his elbows touch his thighs just short of his knees, with his arms crossed and palms on his shoulders and his buttocks on the floor, while a kneeling partner holds his feet.
2 · Top

Elbows to Thighs

Curl up until your elbows touch your thighs two to three inches from your knees, then lower until your entire shoulder blades touch the floor. That is one repetition.

Side view illustration of a sit-up that does not count under the Secret Service sit-up standard: a woman has stopped partway up with a clear gap between her elbows and her thighs. The Secret Service requires the elbows to touch the thighs two to three inches from the knees on every repetition. Side view illustration of a sit-up that does not count under the Secret Service sit-up standard: a man has stopped partway up with a clear gap between his elbows and his thighs. The Secret Service requires the elbows to touch the thighs two to three inches from the knees on every repetition.
Doesn’t count

Stopping Short

If your elbows don’t touch your thighs, the repetition doesn’t count.

Illinois Agility Run: The Standard Course

Seen from above. The phases run without a break, each finishing where the next begins.

Diagram of the standard Illinois Agility Run course: a rectangle 10 meters long and 5 meters wide, with a start cone and an end cone 5 meters apart at the near end, two turning cones facing them at the far end, and four cones spaced 3.3 meters apart down the center line, plus a dot labeled START just outside the start cone.
Setup

A 10 × 5 meter area: start and end cones 5 meters apart, two turning cones 10 meters away, and four cones down the center line, 3.3 meters apart.

Diagram of the first phase of the standard Illinois Agility Run: a path running from the start up the outside of the course, curving around the far turning cone, and coming back down the inside to finish at the first center cone.
Phase 1

Sprint 10 meters up the outside, curve around the far cone, and come back down 10 meters to the first center cone.

Diagram of the weave ascent in the standard Illinois Agility Run: a path looping beneath the first center cone and rising in a slalom that passes alternately either side of each of the four center cones, ending at the top cone.
Phase 2a

Loop around the first center cone, then slalom up the line of four, passing each cone on the opposite side from the last.

Diagram of the weave descent in the standard Illinois Agility Run: a path curving around the top center cone and slaloming back down past the four center cones, passing each on the opposite side from the way up, then looping beneath the first cone.
Phase 2b

Curve around the top cone and slalom back down, taking each cone on the opposite side from the way up, then loop the first center cone again.

Diagram of the final phase of the standard Illinois Agility Run: a path running from the first center cone up the inside of the course, curving around the far turning cone, and coming back down the outside to finish past the end cone.
Phase 3

Sprint 10 meters up the inside, curve around the far cone, and come back down the outside past the end cone, about 60 meters in all.

Based on the Secret Service’s APAT page and APAT video and, for push-up and sit-up form, its published training-test exercise instructions (checked October 2026); the APAT page itself doesn’t define correct form. Some requirements can’t be shown in a still image: each strength event lasts one minute with one trial, and only correctly performed repetitions count; in push-ups, your back stays straight and in line with your buttocks; in sit-ups, you lower until your entire shoulder blades touch the floor on every repetition; in the Illinois run, you get two trials and the better one is scored; and in the 1.5-mile run, you may walk or stop.

Video Demonstration

The APAT, from the Secret Service

The U.S. Secret Service’s own walkthrough of the Applicant Physical Abilities Test, posted in late 2025.

Video is external and not produced by Amatal. It covers the APAT only, not the training fitness evaluation, so use the calculator above for scoring. In the video, a foam block under the chest marks push-up depth, where the Secret Service’s written instructions name a partner’s fist or a rolled-up towel. For the rules behind each event, see the “How to Perform It” guide above.

Related Tests

All US Federal Agency Tests

Disclaimer

This tool scores your performance on the two official U.S. Secret Service fitness tests — the Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT) for applicants, and the age- and sex-graded Training Fitness Evaluation used in training and for serving agents — and compares your results against published agency standards. It is a training and reference aid only: not an official scoring tool, and not medical or training advice. These tests involve maximal-effort calisthenics, a short agility sprint, and a timed 1.5-mile run, so treat them as vigorous exercise — warm up, use sound form, and stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness, or joint pain. If you have a heart condition, a recent injury, or any condition aggravated by intense exertion — or if you are at all unsure — check with a healthcare provider before testing.

How This Calculator Works

The U.S. Secret Service uses two separate fitness tests, and this calculator scores both. The one you want depends on where you are in the process:

  • APAT — Applicant Physical Abilities Test. A pre-employment screen that Special Agent applicants must pass during hiring.
  • Training Fitness Evaluation. The fitness evaluation given at the beginning, during, and end of training and, for weapon-carrying employees, repeated quarterly.

You pick the test from the dropdown at the top of the calculator, enter your results, and the tool reports a score, a pass/fail verdict, and a per-event breakdown. The two tests are independent of each otherThe Secret Service notes that the APAT and the physical fitness test given during training are independent assessments. They share three events but use different scoring scales, a different fourth event, and different pass rules. — so it is worth being clear which one you are training for.

A point that holds across every event: for the repetition events, more is better; for the timed events, faster is better. Push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups reward higher counts, while the agility run and the 1.5-mile run reward lower times.

What the Two Tests Share — and Where They Differ

Both tests include push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed 1.5-mile run. They part ways on the fourth event and on how everything is scored:

  • Fourth event: the APAT uses the Illinois Agility Run; the training evaluation uses chin-ups.
  • Scoring scale: the APAT scores each event 0–8 points; the training evaluation scores each event 0–4 points.
  • Age and sex: the APAT applies one standard for everyone; the training norms vary by age and sex.

The APAT — Applicant Physical Abilities Test

The APAT is the Secret Service's pre-employment fitness test. It measures whether an applicant can perform the physical tasks the job requires, including strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic capacity. It has four components.

The Four APAT Events & Protocol

  • Push-ups — as many correctly performed push-ups as possible in one minute. One trial only.
  • Sit-ups — as many correctly performed sit-ups as possible in one minute. One trial only.
  • Illinois Agility RunThe Secret Service describes it only as a short run with changes in direction, held indoors or outdoors. The standard Illinois course is about 10 meters long and 5 meters wide, with four cones down the center to weave through. Lower time is better. — a short change-of-direction run for time. Two trials are given and the better one is scored.
  • 1.5-Mile Run — a timed run, indoors or outdoors, on a marked, hard, flat surface with minimal sharp turns. Applicants may walk or stop; only the total time matters.

The APAT page does not define “correct” form for push-ups and sit-ups. The Secret Service's training-test instructions, described below, are the closest published reference.

Enter your push-ups, sit-ups, Illinois time (to the hundredth of a second), and 1.5-mile time. The APAT does not ask for age or sex, because its standards don't change with either.

How the APAT Is Scored

Each of the four events is scored on a 0–8 point scale, and the points are added to a cumulative total out of 32. To pass, you must clear two conditions at once:

APAT pass rule: at least 1 point on all four events (i.e. no zeros) and a cumulative 20+ points.

The minimums needed to earn your first point on each event are 15 push-ups, 23 sit-ups, an Illinois time of 23.88 seconds or faster, and a 1.5-mile time of 19:40 or faster. Score below any of those and that event is a zero, which fails the whole test regardless of your total.

The entire 0–8 chart is copied band by band from the Secret Service's published APAT scoring table — nothing is invented, smoothed, or interpolated. The standards table in the calculator reproduces that chart exactly, so you can read each band straight off it. This is a planning aid, not a substitute for the official assessment.

The Training Fitness Evaluation

The training fitness evaluation is used after hiring. The Secret Service gives it at the beginning, during, and end of training, and weapon-carrying employees take it quarterly. It measures strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in four core elements. The Secret Service notes that these training standards are different from the APAT standards.

The Four Training Events & Protocol

  • Push-ups — maximum reps in one minute. Start in the up position with your arms fully extended and elbows locked, hands shoulder-width apart, feet side by side, and back and legs straight. Lower until your chest touches a partner's fist or a rolled-up towel, then push back up until your elbows lock.
  • Sit-ups — maximum reps in one minute. Knees bent, feet flat and anchored by a partner or a heavy object, and arms crossed over your chest with your palms on the opposite shoulders. Curl up until your elbows touch your thighs two to three inches from the knees, then return until your entire shoulder blades touch the floor.
  • Chin-upsStart from a full hang with your arms completely straight, using a shoulder-width underhand grip. You may cross your ankles behind you. One repetition counts each time your chin rises above the bar, and you return to a full hang each time. This event replaces the APAT's agility run. — no time limit, shoulder-width underhand grip.
  • 1.5-Mile Run — timed; the Secret Service says it should not be done on a treadmill.

Because the norms depend on age and sex, the calculator asks for both. The published chart begins at age 20 and Special Agent applicants must be at least 21, so the calculator accepts ages from 21.

How the Training Evaluation Is Scored

Each event is scored on a 0–4 point scale, using the Secret Service's own levels: Excellent (4), Good (3), Fair (2), Poor (1), and Very Poor (0). The pass rule combines a total threshold with a breadth requirement:

Training pass rule: earn at least 6 total points and at least 1 point in 3 of the 4 events.

The Secret Service states this rule for the fitness assessment in Special Agent training; the Uniformed Division page that publishes the norms does not state a pass rule. The breadth requirement means you can be weak in one event, but not in two. The level colors in the breakdown follow the calculator's palette: Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent, with Very Poor for an event scoring zero.

One Standard for Applicants, Age and Sex Norms in Training

The two tests make opposite choices. The APAT applies one standard to every applicant: the Secret Service states that its standards are not specific to age or gender. The training evaluation publishes separate norms for men and women in four age brackets.

One quirk worth knowing is that women's chin-up norms are the same in every age bracketIn the published chart, women need 4 or more chin-ups for Excellent, 3 for Good, 2 for Fair, and 1 for Poor, at every age.. The calculator's job is to apply both standards as published, not to redesign them.

How to Read the Standards Tables

Each test shows its own standards panel after you calculate.

  • APAT chart. Nine rows (8 points down to 0) and a column per event, showing the exact performance band for each point value. Read down a column to see what each additional point costs.
  • Training tables. One small table per event, with a row for each age bracket (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50+) and a column for each level (Very Poor through Excellent). Your age row is highlighted so you can see the ranges that apply to you and what the next level requires.

Two published cells need care. In the men's chin-up norms for ages 30–39, Very Poor is listed as 2, Poor as 5–6, and Fair as 6–7, so 3–4 chin-ups have no level and 6 appears twice. The calculator scores 0–4 as Very Poor, 5 as Poor, and 6–7 as Fair, and marks the row. The women's 50+ sit-up Poor range is printed as “13-10” and is read as 10–13.

A Note on Data Accuracy

  • APAT — exact. The 0–8 chart, the 20-point rule, the no-zeros condition, and the per-event minimums are copied from the Secret Service's APAT page. Nothing on the APAT side is estimated.
  • Training evaluation — exact. All four norm tables are copied cell by cell from the Secret Service's published training standards and were checked against them in October 2026. The two published oddities are handled as described above, and the pass rule comes from the Special Agent training standard.

Why These Fitness Qualities Matter

Between them, the two tests sample upper-body and core muscular endurance (push-ups, sit-ups), upper-body strength (chin-ups), change-of-direction agility (the Illinois run), and aerobic endurance (the 1.5-mile run).

Their strengths are simplicity and repeatability: they need almost no equipment and can be retested often to track progress. Their limit is that they are general fitness screens, not job simulations — a good score is evidence of a solid base, not a guarantee of on-the-job performance.

Data Sources and Methodology

The standards and rules in this calculator are drawn from official Secret Service pages (checked October 2026):

  • U.S. Secret Service — Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT). The four components and their protocol notes, the 0–8 point chart, the 20-point/no-zeros pass rule, the statement that the standards are not specific to age or gender, and the note that the APAT and the training test are independent.
  • U.S. Secret Service — Special Agent Study Guide & Fitness Standards. The APAT chart and the training fitness assessment pass rule: at least 6 points and at least 1 point in 3 of the 4 core elements.
  • U.S. Secret Service — Uniformed Division Training. The four core elements, the norms by age and sex with the 0–4 levels, the exercise instructions, and the testing schedule, including quarterly testing for weapon-carrying employees.
  • U.S. Secret Service — Special Agent FAQ. The APAT requirement for Special Agent applicants and the minimum age of 21.

A note on scope: both tests are reproduced exactly from official Secret Service pages. Where the published chart has a gap, the calculator names it rather than filling it silently.

Limitations and Important Caveats

  • Not an official result. This is a self-assessment aid. Only a Secret Service–administered test produces an official score.
  • Protocol fidelity matters. Times and counts only compare to the standards if you follow the standard form — one-minute caps, the correct sit-up and chin-up technique, the standard Illinois course, and a flat 1.5-mile run.
  • Practice and conditions. Results improve once you are familiar with each event, and heat, surface, and fatigue all move the numbers. Warm up and test under consistent conditions.
  • The two tests are independent. A pass on one does not imply a pass on the other; train for the one that applies to you.
  • A gap in the published chart. One men's chin-up bracket (30–39) has a gap in the published norms; see “How to Read the Standards Tables” above.
  • Standards change. Agencies revise fitness standards periodically; always verify against current official Secret Service materials before relying on a result.

Disclaimer:
This calculator provides an estimate based on publicly available U.S. Secret Service fitness standards and is intended for general informational and training-reference purposes only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official tool of the U.S. Secret Service, and it does not produce an official score. These tests involve maximal-effort calisthenics, a short agility sprint, and a timed 1.5-mile run; stop immediately if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or joint pain. This tool is not medical, fitness, or training advice. Consult a healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise or testing program, especially if you have a heart condition, a recent injury, or any condition aggravated by intense exertion.