Physical Test Guide 2026 (PET and PST): Notification, Eligib

Physical Test Guide 2026 (PET and PST)

running, height and chest standards for police and CAPF recruitment. This hub keeps every live notification, eligibility detail and official link in one place, and it is updated as each board publishes its notice.

Physical Test Guide 2026 (PET and PST): Eligibility at a Glance

E	M	F
Height	170 cm	157 cm
Chest	80 cm plus 5 cm expansion	Not applicable
Running (most regions)	5 km in 24 minutes	5 km in 24 minutes
Running (Ladakh region)	800 metres in 5 minutes	800 metres in 5 minutes

Live Notifications and Guides in This Category

How to Approach These Recruitments

Build a base of easy running for four weeks before adding pace work.
Increase weekly distance by no more than 10 per cent to avoid shin and knee injuries.
Practise on the surface used at the test centre, usually a flat track or a road circuit.
Rest completely for two days before the physical test and sleep well.

Official Sources

Always confirm dates and eligibility on the official website of the recruiting body before you apply, and download the notice PDF for your own record.

Standards Across Recruitments

Recruitment	Height, male	Height, female	Chest	Running
SSC GD (CAPF)	170 cm	157 cm	80 cm plus 5 cm	5 km in 24 minutes
UP Police constable	170 cm	152 cm	80 cm plus 5 cm	4.8 km in 28 minutes
Bihar Police	165 cm	155 cm	81 cm plus 5 cm	As notified
MP Police	168 cm	155 cm	81 cm plus 5 cm	As notified
Rajasthan Police	168 cm	152 cm	81 cm plus 5 cm	5 km in 25 minutes
Agniveer (Army)	157 cm minimum	157 cm minimum	As prescribed	1.6 km within prescribed time
RRB Group D	No height standard	No height standard	Not applicable	Qualifying physical efficiency test

Central forces specify the highest standards. If you clear the CAPF standard, you comfortably meet the requirement of most state police recruitments as well.

Running Distance and Time by Region

Region category	Distance and time
General regions and plains	5 km in 24 minutes
Shillong region	1.6 km in 7 minutes
Ladakh region	1.6 km or 800 metres in 5 minutes, as notified
Hilly states, notified districts	Relaxed height with the standard race distance
State police variations	Usually 4.8 km to 5 km, with a slightly longer time limit

The region-wise relaxation is recorded against specific districts in the notice. If you are from a notified hilly or border district, carry the certificate that proves it, because the relaxation is applied only when the document is submitted.

Body Standards Beyond Height and Chest

Check	Standard applied
Weight	Proportionate to height; broad bands given in the notice
Vision	6/6 better eye and 6/9 worse eye, with no colour blindness
Teeth	At least 14 healthy teeth in each jaw
Hearing	Normal in both ears
Orthopaedic	No flat foot, knock knee, bow legs or varicose veins
General	No hernia, piles or chronic skin conditions

The medical examination is a pass or fail check. A candidate with the highest written score can still be removed on a single medical deficiency, so a private health check-up two months before the test is worth the cost.

How the Test Day Proceeds

Step	What happens
Reporting	Original admit card, identity proof and photographs are checked
Documentation	Biometrics and signature are recorded
Measurement	Height, weight and chest are measured by the officials
Race	Candidates run in batches on the assigned track
Result recording	The timings and measurements are entered on the record sheet and signed
Medical	A basic check follows on the same or a later day, depending on the recruitment

Reach the venue at least an hour early; gates close at the announced time.
Wear running shoes and comfortable sports clothes that have already been used in training.
Carry water, a towel and a spare shirt in a small bag; most venues have no storage facility.

Training Timeline That Works

Weeks before the test	What to do	Weekly target
12 weeks	Easy running, build the habit	18 to 21 km
10 weeks	Increase continuous distance	24 to 28 km
8 weeks	Add one interval session	30 to 32 km
6 weeks	Weekly time trial on a measured route	32 to 35 km
4 weeks	Race pace work, strength twice a week	30 to 32 km
2 weeks	Sharpen pace, begin taper	20 to 24 km
Final week	Light runs, rest, sleep	10 km or less

The taper matters more than the last hard session. Candidates who train hard until two days before the test usually run slower on the day because their legs are still tired.

Weight and Body Composition Standards

Recruitment	Weight rule	Notes
SSC GD	Proportionate to height	Broad bands given in the notice, not an exact formula
State police	Minimum weight for female candidates	Typically 40 to 50 kg depending on height and state
Agniveer	Proportionate to height	Assessed at the recruiting medical examination
Railway Group D	Weight is not a criterion	Only the physical efficiency test applies
CAPF officer entries	Proportionate to height	Medical board assessment

Weight is judged against height, not against a fixed number alone. Candidates who are short but heavy, or tall but very light, are the ones usually asked for a second assessment.

How to Read a Physical Standard Notification

Line in the notice	What it means
Height for male candidates	Measured without shoes, heels together
Height for female candidates	Same measurement method, different standard
Relaxation for hilly area candidates	Applies to notified districts, needs documentary proof
Chest measurement	Male candidates only, measured at rest and on expansion
Running distance and time	The qualifying standard for your category and region
Physical efficiency test	Qualifying in nature, no marks added

Read the relaxation clause if you belong to a hill or border district; it can be decisive.
Check whether the notice gives separate standards for different posts within the same recruitment.
Note the race distance for your region, because several states notify different distances for hilly districts.

Test Day: What Candidates Usually Get Wrong

Wearing new shoes on the day, which causes blisters in the first two kilometres.
Skipping breakfast and running on empty, which leads to early fatigue.
Starting too fast in the crowd and fading in the last kilometre.
Not carrying the admit card, photographs or the fitness declaration.
Ignoring the hydration point and becoming dehydrated in hot weather.
Arriving just in time and losing the warm-up window in queues.

Preparation to finish the day right	Why
Reach an hour early	Time for document checks, warm-up and mental settling
Warm up for 10 minutes	Cold muscles underperform and injure easily
Start steadily for the first kilometre	Protects against an early blow-up
Finish strong in the last 400 metres	Every second counts in the qualifying time

The physical test is a single attempt in most recruitments. Every one of these small mistakes has ended a candidature that months of written preparation had built, so treat the test day with the same seriousness as the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the running time for police physical tests?

Most state police and CAPF recruitments require 5 km in 24 minutes for both male and female candidates, with shorter distances in the Ladakh and Shillong regions.

Can height be relaxed for police jobs?

Yes, candidates from notified hilly and border regions get height relaxations, listed state-wise in the notice.

Is the physical test qualifying or scoring?

It is qualifying in almost every police and CAPF recruitment; marks are not added to the written score.

How many attempts are given in the running test?

Usually only one. Some states allow a second attempt in the same event, but that is announced in the notice.

What is the physical test for SSC GD?

A 5 km race in 24 minutes with height and chest measurements, followed by a detailed medical examination. Regional relaxations apply for hilly and border areas.

Is the physical test qualifying or does it carry marks?

It is qualifying in police, CAPF and railway recruitment. It adds no marks to the written score, but failing it ends your candidature for the cycle.

Can I prepare for the physical test in one month?

A candidate who is already active can reach a target time in four weeks, but a complete beginner should plan for eight to twelve weeks to run 5 km comfortably.

What happens if I fail one physical test event?

In most recruitments you are eliminated from that cycle. There is no re-test, and the next opportunity is the following recruitment cycle.

Can the physical test be rescheduled for a medical reason?

Some recruitments allow a re-test in a later batch for documented medical reasons, but this is at the discretion of the conducting authority and is stated in the notice.

Is there a separate physical standard for ex-servicemen?

Ex-servicemen are usually exempt from the physical efficiency test, or held to the standard prescribed for their category. The exemption is stated in the notice.

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Last updated: 18 September 2026.