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Police Fitness Test Push-Ups: Real Academy Standards

Push-up standards from real police entry tests: Pennsylvania's Cooper-based academy test and Des Moines PD, by age and sex, plus rep rules and how to prepare.

By the Beastie team · 4 October 2026

Most US police entry tests that include push-ups give you one minute and set the pass mark by age and sex. Pennsylvania's municipal police academy, for example, asks men aged 18 to 29 for 26 push-ups in a minute and women of the same age for 13. There's no national police standard, though. Each state, academy or department sets its own number and its own rep rule, so the figure to train for is the one your agency publishes.

Below are two real examples, taken from the agencies' own pages in October 2026, followed by what they have in common and how to prepare.

Pennsylvania municipal police academy

Pennsylvania's Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) runs a four-part entry test: sit-ups, a 300-meter run, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run, in that order. It says the test follows Cooper standards. You must score at the 30th percentile for your age and sex in every event, and keep that standard throughout the academy.

The rep rule: keep your back straight and lower your body until your chest touches the test administrator's fist, or until your elbows reach 90 degrees, then return to the up position. You may rest only in the up position.

If you drop below the entry standard during the academy, MPOETC says you will be removed until you can meet it again.

Des Moines Police Department

Des Moines calls its entry test the Cooper Test: sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run, and you must pass all three. Push-ups are a single attempt with a one-minute limit to reach the minimum.

Note: the department's page marks the two oldest women's figures with an asterisk and doesn't explain it, and its 50-59 figure is higher than the 40-49 one. Confirm both with the department before you rely on them.

The rep rule: "military style", with legs straight and hands under the shoulders. Start with arms extended, lower to within 3 to 4 inches of the ground, and push back to straight arms.

What "Cooper standards" means

Many agencies say their tests use Cooper standards, after the Cooper Institute, which publishes fitness norms for adults and law enforcement. The Cooper Institute draws a line between the two ideas:

• A norm tells you where you rank against people of your age and sex. Its example is a man aged 30 to 39 doing 34 push-ups in a minute, which puts him at the 70th percentile.
• A standard is the minimum fitness a job needs. An agency picks a percentile from the norms and makes it the pass mark, as Pennsylvania does with the 30th.

For the full norms, the Cooper Institute points readers to its book. Outside the agencies' own pages, you'll find "Cooper push-up standards" tables online that don't agree with each other. Train for your agency's number.

The FBI test

The FBI's special agent physical fitness test includes a push-up event. When we checked in October 2026, fbijobs.gov redirected to the FBI home page and we couldn't load the official scoring table, so we haven't printed any figures. Check the FBI's own careers pages, or ask your applicant coordinator, for the current table.

How to prepare for a one-minute push-up test

1. Get your agency's exact rule. "Chest to a fist" and "within 3 to 4 inches of the ground" are different depths. Practise the one you'll be judged on, and have someone hold a fist under your chest if that's the rule.
2. Test yourself under test conditions. One minute, one attempt, rest only at the top if your test allows it, and only full reps counted. Our guide to how many push-ups in a minute is good has a step-by-step version.
3. Aim above the line. Pass marks are minimums, and nerves and a strict tester cost reps on the day. Give yourself a margin.
4. Practise all the events in order. Pennsylvania's push-ups come after sit-ups and a 300-meter run, so your arms won't be fresh.
5. Don't train only by "max in a row". The published norms on how many push-ups the average adult can do are untimed, so they don't map directly onto a timed test. If you're not yet doing full push-ups, knee push-ups vs push-ups explains how to build up.

Military tests are a different family: two minutes for the Army, Marines and Navy, with different rep rules. They're covered in military push-up standards.

Practising with Beastie

Beastie counts push-ups with your phone's camera, on the device; the video is never uploaded or stored. It only counts clean reps: elbows past about 90 degrees and back to straight arms, with your body line checked for a sagging hip. That's Beastie's own rule, not any police department's, and a Beastie count doesn't certify that you'd pass. It won't hold a fist under your chest. What it gives you is a strict, consistent count for practice, and a live 60-second duel if a training partner keeps you honest. You can read more about the push-up counter and the push-up competition rules we suggest for friends.

Your first counted set is free. After that it's Beastie Pro, which starts with a 7-day free trial, and answering a friend's challenge is always free. Get Beastie.

This is general fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a professional before you start a new training plan, and stop if you feel pain.

Questions people ask

How many push-ups do you need for the police academy?

It depends on the agency. Pennsylvania's municipal police academy requires 26 push-ups in one minute for men aged 18 to 29 and 13 for women of that age. Des Moines Police asks for 29 and 15. Always check the agency you're applying to.

What are Cooper standards for push-ups?

Many agencies base their entry tests on fitness norms published by the Cooper Institute and set a pass mark at a chosen percentile for each age and sex. Pennsylvania, for example, uses the 30th percentile. The Cooper Institute points readers to its book for the full norms, so the reliable figures to train for are the ones your agency publishes.

What counts as a push-up on a police fitness test?

Each agency writes its own rule. Pennsylvania counts a rep when your chest touches the tester's fist or your elbows reach 90 degrees, then you return to straight arms with your back straight. Des Moines requires you to lower to within 3 to 4 inches of the ground.

How many push-ups are in the FBI fitness test?

The FBI special agent test includes a push-up event, but we couldn't load the FBI's official scoring pages when we checked in October 2026, so we haven't printed figures here. Check the FBI's own careers pages for the current scoring table.

Sources

• Pennsylvania MPOETC: Physical fitness standards for the police academy
• City of Des Moines Police: Physical testing
• The Cooper Institute: Fitness norms and fitness standards are apples and oranges (2017)

Keep reading

• How Many Push-Ups in a Minute Is Good?
• Military Push-Up Standards 2026: Army, Marines, Navy, AF
• What Counts as a Push-Up? The Full Rep, Defined