The Presidential Fitness Test is a school-based physical fitness assessment for children and teenagers in the United States. The historic President's Challenge version used five events: curl-ups or partial curl-ups, an endurance run or walk, pull-ups or right-angle push-ups, a shuttle run, and a V-sit reach or sit-and-reach. On July 31, 2025, Executive Order 14327 reestablished the federal program, but the order did not publish new national events or scoring tables. The test is not a medical examination or a measure of the president's personal fitness.
Presidential Fitness Test at a Glance
| Feature | Historical Presidential Fitness Test |
|---|---|
| Participants | School-age children and teenagers |
| Main purpose | Assess youth fitness and encourage physical activity |
| Number of events | Five |
| Scoring | Age- and sex-based percentile standards |
| Highest award | Presidential Physical Fitness Award |
| Historical award standard | At least the 85th percentile in all five events |
| Current status | Reestablished under Executive Order 14327 in 2025; updated national event and scoring standards are not specified in the order |
What Events Are Included in the Test?
The historic test included five events. Each one measured a different part of physical fitness.
| Event | Fitness Component Measured |
|---|---|
| Curl-ups or partial curl-ups | Abdominal strength and endurance |
| Endurance run or walk | Cardiorespiratory endurance |
| Pull-ups or right-angle push-ups | Upper-body strength and endurance |
| Shuttle run | Speed, agility, power and coordination |
| V-sit reach or sit-and-reach | Flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings |
Some versions allowed students to choose between exercises, such as pull-ups or right-angle push-ups.
How Was the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Earned?
Students historically earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award by scoring at or above the 85th percentile in all five events for their age and sex.
The President's Challenge program also offered other recognition levels:
- National Physical Fitness Award: At least the 50th percentile on each event, without reaching the Presidential award standard
- Participant Physical Fitness Award: Completion of all five events
- Health Fitness Award: Meeting designated health-related fitness standards
A score at the 85th percentile meant that a student performed as well as or better than approximately 85 percent of students in the relevant scoring group.
When Did the Presidential Fitness Test Begin?
The program began with President Dwight D. Eisenhower's youth fitness initiative. In 1956, Eisenhower established the President's Council on Youth Fitness after concerns that American children were less physically fit than children in some European countries. The Presidential Physical Fitness Award was introduced in 1966.
Is the Presidential Fitness Test Still Used?
The test may return, but the 2025 executive order does not establish one updated national format.
The order directs the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to recommend strategies for a renewed Presidential Fitness Award. It assigns program administration to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with support from the Department of Education.
The order does not specify:
- A new list of exercises
- Scoring tables
- A school testing schedule
- A nationwide testing requirement
A 2026 CDC analysis found that the order did not include implementation mandates, timelines or enforcement mechanisms. Schools may therefore use different versions of the test.
How Is It Different From FitnessGram?
The historic Presidential Fitness Test ranked student performance against age- and sex-based standards. The Presidential Youth Fitness Program, introduced in 2012, shifted school fitness assessment toward a health-related model using FitnessGram.
FitnessGram assesses areas such as aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. It often uses health-based Healthy Fitness Zone standards instead of ranking students against one another.
| Historic Presidential Fitness Test | FitnessGram and Presidential Youth Fitness Program |
|---|---|
| Performance and percentile based | Health-related and criterion-referenced |
| Five main events | A broader set of health-related assessments |
| Used national award rankings | Emphasizes individual progress and health |
| The Presidential award generally required the 85th percentile in every event | Uses Healthy Fitness Zone standards |
| Associated with the President's Challenge | Associated with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program |
What Is the Main Purpose of the Test?
The test was intended to measure youth fitness, encourage regular physical activity, help students track improvement and recognize high levels of performance.
Fitness assessments work best when they support personal progress and healthy activity habits. CDC guidance also says that schools should not use fitness tests to determine a student's physical education grade or embarrass students.
Bottom Line
The historical test used five events and awarded the Presidential Physical Fitness Award to students who reached the 85th percentile in every event. The federal program has been reestablished, but the executive order does not yet define a single national test format or scoring system.