In June 2023, the Army rolled out a new circumference-based Body Fat Tape Test and an optional supplemental assessment to give a faster, fairer read on army body fat composition. If your scale weight is above the Army height/weight screening table for your height, you’ll take the updated army tape test. If you score 540 or higher on the ACFT, and meet the minimums in each event, you’re exempt from body-fat testing. Our an Army Body Fat Calculator can show where you stand before you ever step on the scale.
How the tape test works
A trained team measures your abdomen at the navel three times at the end of a normal exhale, rounds each to the nearest 0.5 inch, averages them, and uses that number with your body weight to estimate your body-fat % against age-based standards. If you don’t pass, you’ll get a confirmation tape by a different team, and you may request one science-based check, DXA, InBody 770, or BOD POD, if available. A passing supplemental clears you and keeps you out of the program.
Maximum Army Body Fat Percentage Chart
| Age Group | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 17-20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21-27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28-39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40+ | 26% | 36% |