ACFT For Dummies. Angela Papple Johnston

agreement with your score.

      Because you carry your card to the MDL station and to the SPT station only, you don’t see it again until you’re finished with the test. Get a look at the scorecard in Chapter 4.

      

The grader has the final word on your score for every event. If you don’t agree with one or more of your scores, you have to talk to your grader before you sign your ACFT scorecard at the end of the test. When you sign it, you’re saying that you agree with your scores.

      Stylin’ and profilin’: What you can’t use during the ACFT

      The only authorized uniform for the ACFT is your Army Physical Fitness Uniform. (The only exception is if you’re a permanently profiled soldier taking the ACFT MOD, which allows you to wear civilian swimming attire in the pool.) You can’t use any devices or equipment that can possibly afford you an unfair advantage — so nasal strips, back braces, elastic bandages, and limb braces are completely off the table. You can wear your smart watch or fitness tracker, a heart-rate monitor, or a step counter, but no other electronic devices, such as your phone (some things never change).

      

You can use gloves that conform to AR 670-1 for any event, at any time of year, in any climate.

Making the Grade to Score the ACFT

      Back when the Army used the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) as its test of record, any noncommissioned officer or officer could grade push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run. But because the ACFT has six events (and because five of them are more complicated than push-ups and sit-ups), graders have to be certified. A group of ACFT Military Training Teams, or MTTs, travels Army-wide to certify new Master Fitness Instructors and mid-level supervisors; these people can then administer the ACFT and train new graders. The Army’s goal is to certify all NCOs and officers as at least Level I graders, and some will go on to become Level II and Level III graders.

      Graders at all levels go through intensive training. First, they must take the ACFT themselves, which builds their foundation for knowing how to properly administer the test and evaluate participants. Then, they learn how to set up ACFT lanes according to Army standards. Prospective graders learn about each event, including why it’s included on the test and the muscle groups soldiers use, as well as how to properly execute the movements (so they know how to grade test-takers). When that’s done, the prospective graders teach each event to the instructors and must pass assessment in order to become certified.

      Level I ACFT graders

Level I ACFT graders undergo a validation training session run by an ACFT Level II or Level III grader-instructor. Level I graders can

       Validate testing locations

       Validate testing equipment to standard

       Grade all six ACFT events to standard

       Conduct ACFT familiarization training and prepare soldiers to take the test

       Qualify for Level II training

      Level II ACFT graders

      Level II ACFT graders are considered Master Graders, and they’re certified after validation training that comes from the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School or the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training (USACIMT), or from a Level III grader-instructor. (Level II graders can’t train or validate other Level II graders.) Level II graders can

       Serve as a testing OIC or NCOIC to administer a unit ACFT

       Validate testing locations

       Validate testing equipment to standard

       Grade all six ACFT events to standard

       Administer a 90-day record ACFT

       Train Level I graders

       Become Level III graders, but only if they’re already Master Fitness Trainers (MFTs; see the following section)

      Level III ACFT grader-instructors

      Level III grader-instructors have completed validation training offered by a Military Training Team or U.S. Army CIMT, and they must be MFTs. You can’t become a Level III grader-instructor unless you’ve already completed the Army’s Master Fitness Trainer course and earned the additional skill identifier (ASI) of P5 if you’re enlisted or 6P if you’re an officer. Level III graders can

       Serve as a testing OIC or NCOIC to administer a unit ACFT

       Validate testing locations

       Validate testing equipment to standard

       Grade all six ACFT events to standard

       Administer a 90-day record ACFT

       Train Level I graders

       Train Level II graders