In the U.S. Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), the traditional two-minute sit-up event has been replaced by the plank hold, but for those referencing the older Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), the number of sit-ups required in two minutes depends on age, gender, and fitness standards. Generally, soldiers needed to complete between 42 and 82 sit-ups in two minutes to earn a passing or maximum score.
For example, a male soldier aged 17–21 needed 53 sit-ups to pass and 78 sit-ups for a perfect score. A female in the same age group needed 53 sit-ups to pass and 78 sit-ups for a perfect score as well. The standards gradually decreased with age, recognizing natural changes in physical performance.
Each repetition had to be done correctly: knees bent at a 90-degree angle, fingers interlocked behind the head, shoulder blades touching the ground at the bottom, and elbows touching the knees at the top. Improper form or incomplete reps didn’t count, and pacing was key since only full sit-ups within the two-minute window were scored.
Although the Army now uses the plank as the core strength measure, many training programs and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) units still use the two-minute sit-up drill to gauge abdominal endurance. It remains a common benchmark for soldiers and recruits preparing for physical readiness.
If you are training for the current ACFT, you should focus on building core stability and endurance through exercises like planks, leg raises, flutter kicks, and crunch variations. These build the same muscles once tested in the sit-up event but align better with the Army’s new functional fitness standards.
In short, under the old test, 42–82 sit-ups in two minutes was typical to pass or excel, depending on age and gender.