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Whether you're an Officer trainee at the Royal Australian Naval College or preparing to become a Sailor at Recruit School, you'll have to successfully complete both the RAN Swim Test and the RAN Physical Fitness Test during week three of your course, in order to graduate.
If you've worked on your fitness consistently before enlisting (as we recommend in the Joining The Navy section of this site) you'll be well prepared to pass both of these elements. Your Physical Training Instructors will also help you stay fit and motivated for the assessments, with a fun and energetic fitness program.
The RAN Swim Test is a significant part of your fitness training as it prepares you for the time you'll spend at sea during your Naval career. You’ll need to pass the Swim Test before proceeding to the Safety of Life at Sea Training and to graduate from Recruit School for Sailors or the Royal Australian Naval College for Officers.
The swim component will test your swimming fitness, strength and endurance. It will also teach you safe and effective methods for escaping from water based danger, including jumping from height into the water, swimming underwater, swimming a long distance and treading water, fully clothed.
The Swim Test takes place in either an indoor or outdoor pool, or in a suitable area of the sea.
Dressed in Navy Overalls, you’ll need to complete the following elements:
Spend 15 minutes in deep water (where you are unable to touch the bottom) utilising any of the following survival float techniques:
1. Supine (on the back):
Lying on the surface of the water with legs out stretched, arms sculling by the side. Tilt the head back and point the chin to the sky. Inflate the lungs and push the chest out of the water while raising the hips to keep the legs and feet on the surface.
2. Vertical (Eggbeater):
Whilst upright in the water kicking each leg simultaneously (one after the other) in a half breast-stroke fashion. At the same time sculling the arms back and forth at waist height.
The Physical Fitness Test consists of:
1. Upper body strength and endurance test (flexed arm hang or push-ups);
2. Abdominal strength and endurance test (sit ups); and
3. Aerobic capacity test (2.4km run/walk or 5km walk or shuttle run or 500m swim).
The flexed arm hangs and push-ups are used to test your upper body strength and endurance, which both reflect your ability to carry loads and support your own body weight. You would need this kind of strength for situations like holding onto a ladder or carrying fire fighting equipment.
The sit-ups are designed to test your abdominal muscle strength and endurance, which affects your ability to lift and carry loads, flexibility and general muscle fitness. Adequate abdominal fitness also reduces the risk of back injury.
To pass the test, you'll need to maintain correct technique for each individual exercise and complete the aerobic section within a specified amount of time. The requirements are slightly different for males and females and are also dependent on your age group, as shown below:
| Component | Age less than 35 | Age 35 to 44 | Age 45 to 54 | Age 55 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexed arm hang (seconds) | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| (Or) Push-ups (number) | 25 | 20 | 6 | 6 |
| Sit ups (number) | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| 2.4 km run/walk (min/seconds) | 13'00" | 15'00" | 17'00" | 19'00" |
| 5 km walk (min/seconds) | 42'00" | 44'00" | 46'00" | 48'00" |
| 500 m swim (min/seconds) | 12'30" | 13'30" | 14'30" | 15'30" |
| Beep Test | 7.4 | 6.10 | 6.4 | 5.9 |
| Max VO2 | 37 per cent | 36.4 per cent | 34.3 per cent | 32.9 per cent |
| Component | Age less than 35 | Age 35 to 44 | Age 45 to 54 | Age 55 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexed arm hang (seconds) | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| (Or) Push-ups (number) | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Sit ups (number) | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| 2.4 km run/walk (min/seconds) | 15'00" | 17'00" | 19'00" | 21'00" |
| 5 km walk (min/seconds) | 43'00" | 45'00" | 47'00" | 49'00" |
| 500 m swim (min/seconds) | 13'30" | 14'30" | 15'30" | 16'30" |
| Beep Test | 6.9 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Max VO2 | 36 per cent | 33.6 per cent | 31 per cent | 30 per cent |
Fitness training will be a big part of Navy life, beginning with your time at Recruit School (Sailors) or the Royal Australian Naval College (Officers). It's our aim to help you stay as fit as possible with a high-paced and varied exercise program run by our highly enthusiastic Physical Training Instructors. They’ll keep things fun and interesting to keep you motivated!
In addition to the aerobic training, running, weights and boxing, we'll put you through obstacle courses, take you on bush walks and organise sporting comps for touch football, soccer, tennis and rugby. You'll no doubt love our own version of major sporting contests, like the Beach Olympics and Cross Country.
If you fail the Physical Fitness Test you'll be placed on a 90-day program of remedial physical fitness training and then re-tested. Ultimately, if you cannot attain the required level of fitness after receiving additional training, you may be discharged from the Navy.
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