Presidential Fitness Test to Be Required at Defense Department Schools
The revived exam uses 1985 standards by age and sex, and 161 military-installation schools have made it mandatory, the Associated Press reported.
- On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restoring the Presidential Fitness Test award, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the program will be mandatory at 161 Department of Defense Education Activity schools across 30 installations.
- Phased out in 2013 under President Obama, the exam returns as the administration addresses fitness declines; 77% of young Americans currently do not qualify for military service without a waiver, a major concern for recruitment.
- Students must complete exercises in three categories: curl-ups or planks for core strength, a 1-mile run or 20-meter beep test for cardio, and right-angle pushups or pullups for upper body. Standards vary by age and sex to determine certificate eligibility.
- Defense Secretary Hegseth hopes the requirement serves as a "pilot for all of American education," yet Avery Faigenbaum, a professor of kinesiology at the College of New Jersey, cautions that "you can't test kids into fitness."
- While the 2025-2026 school year concludes this month, officials have not specified when the mandatory testing takes effect. Implementation depends on existing state education policies and infrastructure, leaving schools to navigate uncertain timelines.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Dispatch Argus
Trump reinstates physical fitness awards
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award, bringing back another portion of the physical fitness tests millions of Americans completed − or, suffered through − during their school years.
Trump reinstates fitness awards
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award, bringing back another portion of the physical fitness tests millions of Americans completed − or, suffered through − during their school years.
The Epoch Times
What to Know About Trump’s Presidential Fitness Test Award Revival
In the coming academic year, old-fashioned calisthenics, timed runs, and the spirit of competition could return to many public schools. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Awards, which date to the mid-20th century but ended under President Barack Obama’s administration. The May 5 White House action is a follow-up to the July executive order re-establishing the President’s Council on Sp…
Trump replaces Obama-era fitness program, restores Presidential Physical Fitness Test in schools
President Trump stood in the Oval Office on Tuesday, flanked by schoolchildren and professional athletes, and announced the return of something millions of American adults remember from gym class: the Presidential Fitness Test Award. The move formally replaces the Obama-era Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which scrapped the original test in 2013 in favor of a...
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