Force Fitness
Training Plans
Three forces test something other than the 5.4 bleep test. Pick yours, check your own numbers against the standard, and start week 1 free. All 8 weeks of each plan are in the Fitness Pass Suite.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · CNC and MOD Police (UK-wide) and the PSNI (Northern Ireland)
The CNC needs level 7.6 on the bleep test every year, MOD Police recruits take a weighted-vest test with a 76kg drag in 20 seconds, and the PSNI uses a circuit completed three times in 4 minutes 30 seconds. Each needs its own training, which these plans give week by week.
Multi Stage Fitness Test to level 7.6
- The Civil Nuclear Constabulary sets a minimum of level 7.6 on the Multi Stage Fitness Test (the bleep test).
- The test is assessed every year in service, so passing once at recruitment is not the end of it.
- The CNC does not state the track length on its careers page. Check your invitation, or ask the CNC, before you train.
- The CNC says the fitness test is part of the medical and may be held at any point during your recruitment process, so start this plan early rather than waiting for an invitation.
Free quick check
This is general training guidance, not medical advice: check with your GP before starting if you have a health condition. Stop if you feel pain, chest tightness or dizziness.
Fitness Pass Suite: all three force plans and three bleep test tools, £19.99, one payment, no expiry.
After paying you return to the suite page; come back here in the same browser and the plans unlock.
The three standards
| Force | Test | Standard (force's own site) |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary | Multi Stage Fitness Test to level 7.6 | The Civil Nuclear Constabulary sets a minimum of level 7.6 on the Multi Stage Fitness Test (the bleep test). The test is assessed every year in service, so passing once at recruitment is not the end of it. The CNC does not state the track length on its careers page. Check your invitation, or ask the CNC, before you train. The CNC says the fitness test is part of the medical and may be held at any point during your recruitment process, so start this plan early rather than waiting for an invitation. |
| Ministry of Defence Police | PES-JRFT in a 20kg weighted vest | The MOD Police new recruit constable fitness test is the PES-JRFT, done in a 20kg weighted vest over 20-metre shuttles. Part 1, cover and movement: 15 shuttles to audio commands, starting with a 60-metre insertion (3 shuttles at 9 seconds each), then 12 repetitions of cover and movement with 8-second kneeling cover positions and jogging movements. Part 2, the casualty drag: drag a 76kg weighted dummy 20 metres within 20 seconds, moving backwards with a double overhand grip at a 45-degree angle (the MDP's own description). You have two attempts to pass both parts. If you do not pass, you can reapply after three months. New Entrants from Other Forces (NEOF) take the same test. Tactical Firearms Unit applicants also need the multi-stage fitness test to level 10.5. Inspectors and above take the multi-stage fitness test to level 5.4 instead: this plan is for the PES-JRFT only. |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland | Recruitment Physical Competence Assessment (PCA) | The PSNI Recruitment Physical Competence Assessment (PCA) is a circuit or obstacle course that includes running, crawling, climbing, balancing, lifting, carrying, dragging and weaving. At recruitment you must complete it three times within 4 minutes 30 seconds. If you do not pass, there is one re-test twelve weeks after your first PCA, with five support sessions offered before it. In training the In-Service PCA standard is 4 minutes, repeated at about 12 and 18 months. The PSNI does not publish the course distances or weights in text, so this plan trains each movement rather than copying a course layout. |
Why a 5.4 bleep test plan is not enough
- CNC: 7.6 is about two levels above 5.4 and is retested every year, so you need a margin, not a scrape.
- MOD Police: the test is about moving and dragging under a 20kg vest. Running fitness alone does not prepare you for the load.
- PSNI: the PCA mixes running with crawling, climbing, carrying and dragging, three times through. Train for 4 minutes, the standard you will need in training.
General training information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort, and see a GP before you start if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant. No tool can guarantee a pass.
For the standard 5.4 test, see our fitness test by force page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fitness level does the Civil Nuclear Constabulary need?
Level 7.6 on the multi-stage fitness test (bleep test), and the CNC assesses it every year you serve. That is well above the 5.4 used for most constable recruitment.
What is the MOD Police fitness test?
New recruit constables take the PES-JRFT wearing a 20kg weighted vest: 15 cover-and-movement shuttles over 20 metres to audio commands, then a drag of a 76kg dummy over 20 metres within 20 seconds. You get two attempts to pass both parts.
What is the PSNI PCA?
The Physical Competence Assessment is a circuit with running, crawling, climbing, balancing, lifting, carrying, dragging and weaving. At recruitment you complete it three times within 4 minutes 30 seconds. In training the standard is 4 minutes.
What do I get free, and what is in the Fitness Pass Suite?
Free: each force's standard, a quick check from your own numbers and week 1 of each plan. The Fitness Pass Suite (£19.99, one payment, no expiry) unlocks all 8 weeks of all three plans, plus its personalised 6-week bleep test plan, pass predictor and weakness analysis.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- CNC careers: Police officers : minimum standard of 7.6 MSFT; fitness assessed every year (read 21 October 2026) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- MOD Police careers: Fitness : PES-JRFT: 20kg vest, 20m shuttles, 15 shuttles to audio commands, 76kg drag in 20 seconds, two attempts (read 21 October 2026) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Join PSNI: How do I join? : Recruitment PCA three times in 4 minutes 30 seconds; one re-test after twelve weeks; five support sessions; In-Service PCA 4 minutes (read 21 October 2026) (accessed 21 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Ministry of Defence Police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency, the Isle of Man Constabulary, the States of Jersey Police, Guernsey Police, any port police force, Deloitte, the College of Policing or any other force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Each force sets and changes its own recruitment process, sometimes between campaigns: check the force's own recruitment pages and your invitation before relying on anything here. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not questions used by any force. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.