ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Physical Fitness and Medical Qualification Syllabus

Physical Fitness and Medical Qualification syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Physical Fitness and Medical Qualification in ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Fitness Assessment Standards

   4 topics

   • Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT)
     • Three-repetition maximum deadlift
     • Standing power throw and hand-release push-ups
     • Sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run
   • Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment
     • Push-ups, sit-ups (or alternate core), and 1.5-mile run
     • Component scoring and minimum thresholds
   • Navy and Marine Corps Fitness Tests
     • Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT)
     • Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Combat Fitness Test (CFT)
   • Scoring, Age, and Gender-Normed Standards
2. 2

   Physical Conditioning and Training

   4 topics

   • Cardiovascular Endurance Training
     • Distance running and interval work
     • Ruck marching and load-bearing conditioning
   • Strength and Muscular Endurance
     • Calisthenics progressions
     • Functional and tactical strength training
   • Injury Prevention and Recovery
     • Warm-up, mobility, and stretching
     • Common overuse injuries and rehabilitation
   • Nutrition and Body Composition Standards
     • Height and weight screening (tape test / body fat)
     • Fueling for performance and weight management
3. 3

   Medical Qualification and DoDMERB

   4 topics

   • Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB)
     • Physical examination components
     • Disqualifying conditions and the review process
   • Medical Waivers
     • How to request a waiver
     • Common waiverable conditions (asthma, vision, ADHD history)
   • Vision, Hearing, and Color Perception Standards
   • Maintaining Medical Readiness Through the Program

Physical Fitness and Medical Qualification flashcards for ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)

19 of 52 cards from the Physical Fitness and Medical Qualification deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How many events does the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) have, and what are they?

   Six events: (1) 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift, (2) Standing Power Throw, (3) Hand-Release Push-Up, (4) Sprint-Drag-Carry, (5) Plank, and (6) Two-Mile Run.

2. On the ACFT, what is the minimum passing score per event and the minimum total score?

   A minimum of 60 points per individual event, for a minimum passing total of 360 out of a possible 600 points.

3. What ACFT event replaced the Leg Tuck as the core-strength measure, and how is it done?

   The Plank (PLK). The Soldier holds a straight-body forearm plank for as long as possible; time held determines the score.

4. What does the ACFT Sprint-Drag-Carry event consist of?

   Five continuous 50-meter shuttles: a sprint, dragging a 90-lb sled, a lateral, carrying two 40-lb kettlebells, and a final sprint. It measures anaerobic capacity, agility, and muscular endurance.

5. What does the ACFT Standing Power Throw measure and what equipment is used?

   Explosive hip, leg, and upper-body power. The Soldier throws a 10-lb medicine ball backward overhead for maximum distance.

6. What is the maximum possible score on the ACFT?

   600 points (100 points per event across six events).

7. How is the ACFT Hand-Release Push-Up different from a standard push-up?

   At the bottom of each rep the Soldier lowers fully to the ground and lifts both hands and feet off the ground (releases), then returns to plank and presses up, ensuring full range of motion.

8. What four components make up the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)?

   Aerobic (1.5-mile run or 20-meter HAMR shuttle), muscular endurance push-ups, muscular endurance core (sit-ups, cross-leg reverse crunch, or forearm plank), plus an optional/alternate component depending on chosen events.

9. What is the minimum composite score to pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment?

   A minimum composite score of 75.0 out of 100, with a passing minimum on each individual component.

10. What aerobic options does the Air Force PFA offer in place of the 1.5-mile run?

    The 20-meter High Aerobic Multi-shuttle Run (HAMR) shuttle test is the authorized alternate aerobic component.

11. What strength/core exercise options replaced traditional sit-ups in the Air Force PFA?

    Airmen may choose the cross-leg reverse crunch or the forearm plank as alternatives to the one-minute sit-up; hand-release push-ups are an alternative to standard push-ups.

12. What is the Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT) composed of?

    Three events: curl-ups or forearm plank (core), push-ups (upper body), and a cardio event (1.5-mile run, or alternates like the 500/450-yard swim, 12-minute stationary bike, or 2,000-meter row).

13. What cardio alternatives does the Navy PRT allow instead of the 1.5-mile run?

    A 500-yard or 450-yard swim, a 12-minute stationary bike test, or a 2,000-meter rowing ergometer test.

14. What three events make up the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT)?

    Pull-ups (or push-ups), abdominal crunches (or plank), and a 3-mile run.

15. How does the Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test (CFT) differ from the PFT?

    The CFT simulates combat tasks with three events: an 880-yard Movement to Contact (timed run in boots/utilities), Ammunition Lift (30-lb overhead presses in 2 minutes), and the Maneuver Under Fire course.

16. What is the maximum total score on the Marine Corps PFT and CFT, and the minimum passing score?

    Each test is scored out of 300 points maximum; the minimum passing score is 150, with required minimums on each event.

17. In military fitness testing, what does it mean that standards are 'age and gender normed'?

    Scoring tables adjust required performance thresholds by age group and biological sex so that an equivalent relative fitness effort earns comparable points across different demographics.

18. How does the ACFT scoring approach to gender differ from older Army standards?

    The ACFT uses age- and gender-normed scoring tables (after initial 'gender-neutral' plans were revised), so men and women have different raw-performance requirements for the same point values within each event.

19. In military PT scoring, what is the difference between an 'absolute' standard and a 'normed' standard?

    An absolute (gender-neutral) standard requires the same raw performance from everyone, while a normed standard scales the raw requirement to age and sex to reflect physiological differences.

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