Police Fitness Assessment
The Police Fitness Assessment (PFA) is designed to evaluate whether applicants have the physical fitness required to perform essential policing duties. The assessment measures the strength, power, endurance, and agility needed to safely respond to the physical demands that police officers may encounter on the job.
There are two versions of the PFA:
- Field
- Known as the "regular member" version of the PFA. You will experience this version during the recruiting process.
- Bona fide Occupational Requirement
- Known as the "gold standard" or the "cadet version" of the PFA. Each test simulates policing tasks such as climbing a fence or loading a truck bed. You will only experience these tests at the RCMP Academy.
Police Fitness Assessment Field test
The test is a pass or fail assessment consisting of three components. You must meet the established standard for each component to successfully pass.
What to expect
The PFA Field test simulates common tasks that police officers may be required to perform in real-life situations, such as:
- responding quickly to emergencies
- lifting and carrying equipment or individuals
- moving objects during emergency situations
- applying physical force when necessary to safely arrest or control a resistant person
Trained evaluators conduct the assessment and explain each component to ensure you understand the requirements before you begin.
Applicants receive a minimum five-minute recovery period between assessment components. You should arrive in appropriate athletic clothing and footwear.
Foot pursuit
You will run a total distance of 500 m as quickly and safely as possible. The course layout may vary depending on the available facility space.
Examples of course layouts include:
- Multiple laps of a 50 m course
- A 250 m out-and-back course
- A square or circular running course
- Standard
- Complete the course in 2 minutes and 30 seconds or less.
- Purpose
- This event measures your cardiovascular fitness and ability to move quickly during emergency situations.
- What this simulates
- Police officers often need to move rapidly when responding to calls for service, pursuing suspects, or reaching someone in need of assistance.
Emergency assistance
- Repeated bag lift and carry
-
You will:
- lift a 20.5 kg (45 lb) sandbag from the floor
- raise it to a target height and tap it against a wall
- lower the bag safely
- move laterally to the next sandbag and repeat the task
You will complete:
- 14 lifts to a height of 1 m
- 1 final lift to a height of 1.4 m
- Run and carry sequence
-
After completing the lifts, you will:
- run 50 m
- pick up two 20.5 kg (45 lb) sandbags
- carry them for 50 m
- repeat the sequence three times
- Standard
- Complete the entire event in 3 minutes and 45 seconds or less.
- Purpose
- This event measures your muscular strength, endurance, and ability to lift, carry, and move objects during physically demanding situations.
- What this simulates
-
This event reflects situations where officers may need to:
- carry emergency equipment or supplies
- move road obstacles or debris
- assist injured or vulnerable persons
- perform physically demanding tasks during emergencies or natural disasters
Physical control
- Medicine ball toss
-
You will:
- sit on the floor with your back against a wall and legs straddled. Knees can be bent or straight
- keep your shoulder blades in contact with the wall throughout the movement
- throw a 4.5 kg (10 lb) medicine ball forward as far as possible
You will receive:
- 1 practice attempt
- 3 attempts for best distance
Your longest successful throw will count toward your result.
- Standard
- Throw a 4.5 kg (10 lb) medicine ball a minimum distance of 2.6 m.
- Purpose
- This event measures upper-body strength and explosive power.
- What this simulates
- This event assesses the strength and power needed to safely control or apprehend an actively resistive person.
Bona fide Occupational Requirement
When cadets begin police training at Depot, they are required to successfully complete the bona fide version of the PFA.
This version includes a set of 4 assessments to measure fitness for RCMP duty. Each assessment simulates common, essential, and physically demanding tasks that may occur in policing. The PFA at the RCMP Academy differs from the PFA Field test that you will be required to complete as part of the application process.
At Depot you'll be required to pass the assessment periodically throughout training. If you’re meeting the minimum standards set out in the fitness self-assessment tests, you’ll be better positioned for success on the PFA.
What to expect
Each of these tasks are performed in the police uniform and/or replica weight divided between the vest and duty belt. Early in training cadets will perform the assessment in a t-shirt and shorts. They will progress to the uniform and equivalently weighted kit for their final assessments. The four assessments include:
- Foot pursuit
-
- 500 m run with directional changes
- climb a 1.4 m chain-link fence at the halfway point of the run
- Physical control
-
- push and pull a sled with 37 kg of resistance, alternating between pushing and pulling
- at halfway point, lie down on the ground and return to standing position
- after sled drill, cadet must pull down a weighted mannequin, that requires 54 kg of force
- the entire assessment is completed without stops
- Emergency assistance and simulated evacuation
-
- load 15 objects (23 kg each), varying in shape into the back of a truck in a timed test
- run 50 m and then carry a weight that is replicating half the size of a stretcher with an adult casualty
- repeat the run-and-carry sequence three times in a timed test
- High-priority task
-
- put on weighted hard body armour
- carry 4.5 kg weight
- 150 m sprints, climb two flights of stairs, sprint finisher
- complete task in 90 seconds
Prepare for the Police Fitness Assessment
The self-assessment fitness tests are meant to prepare you for training, and ultimately successful completion of the Police Fitness Assessment. In addition, developing a regular exercise routine will help with your performance. Regularly perform three to five cardiovascular training sessions per week, and two to three resistance training sessions per week. Some of these workouts should include running, jumping, lifting and carrying. The workouts should also raise your heart rate and keep it elevated for 20 to 30 minutes. Your workouts should be rigorous and leave you exerted, requiring cool down and recovery.
Ask your recruiter for a Police Fitness Assessment preparation program.
RCMP Police Fitness Assessment video
Transcript - RCMP Police Fitness Assessment
Upbeat music ♫
[Police officers performing the police fitness assessment.]
Police Fitness Assessment
[Police officer running after a client.]
Foot Pursuit
[Police officer running in gym.]
500 meters run
[Police officer running after a man who jumps a chain link fence.]
1 time fence climb
[Police officers jump a fence outdoors and inside a gym.]
Emergency Assistance
[Police officer checks on a person laying in the grass.]
Gold standard, load 15 items on a truck
[Police officer loads big jugs of water onto a table.]
Field standard, touch 15 items on wall
[Woman lifts and touches sandbag on wall in a gym.]
3 times carry weight 50 meters
[Man deadlifts weight and carries sandbags across the gym.]
High priority call
[Police officer runs up stairs.]
150 meters run
[Police officer runs inside a gym.]
2 flights of stairs
[Police officers run up stairs.]
Gold standard, sled push and pull
[Police officers pull weighted sleds inside a gym in a zig zag. Police officer grabs and pulls a man.]
Gold standard, weighted mannekin takedown
[Police officer pulls a mannikin down onto a mat in the gym.]
Field standard, medicine ball toss
[Woman sitting down inside a gym throws medicine ball. Police officer pulls down mannikin to the ground in the gym. Police officer pulls a weighted sled in a zig zag. Police officer jumps a fence. Woman throws medicine against a wall. Police officer runs up stairs with a gun.]
Police Fitness Assessment
Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Gendarmerie royale du Canada
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2024.
Canada wordmark
- Date modified: