Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 02/09 – Pre-Enrolment Physical Fitness Testing

1. Identification

Date of Issue: 2009-01-26

Date of Modification: 2025-01-31

Application: This Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction (CAFMPI) applies to Officers and Non-Commissioned Members (NCMs) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Supersession: NDHQ Instruction ADM(PER) 02/97 5675-260/0 May 1997

Approval Authority: Chief of Military Personnel (CMP)

Enquiries:

• Administrative Response Center (ARC) (for policy)
• Director General Personnel and Family Support Services (DGPFSS) (for physical fitness standards, evaluations, programs, and statistics)
• Canadian Forces Recruiting Group (for administrative matters, procedures, and Recruiting Information Aides).

2. Abbreviation Table

3. Context

Strategic Guidance

3.1 Committed to strengthening the culture of health and physical fitness, the Canadian Forces Health and Physical Fitness Strategy provides strategic level guidance for the achievement of a physically fit and healthy CAF capable of operating within complex and demanding environments. Physical fitness contributes to operational readiness by providing CAF members with the stamina and endurance to successfully perform amid physically and mentally arduous conditions. To this end, the CAF encourages its members, including recruits, to attain and maintain optimal levels of health and physical fitness. Unless exempt, CAF members are required to meet the mandatory physical fitness standards that have been scientifically validated against the performance requirements for employment within occupations, units and environments.

Background

3.2 The Canadian population is more sedentary and has poorer levels of physical fitness than the CAF requires. As a result, it has been found that the lack of adequate physical fitness among recruit and officer candidates contributes to a high rate of attrition at basic training schools. Beginning in 1997, to improve retention and success on training, CAF applicants were required to meet on enrolment a minimum standard of physical fitness. To enforce this standard, pre-enrolment physical fitness testing procedures were implemented at all CFRC. However, in 2006 as part of the streamlining of the recruiting process, the testing of Regular Force applicants was delayed until after enrolment, during the initial training period. This decision could not be applied to the Reserve Force due to challenges with unit training requirements, resources, and the unit’s proximity to physical fitness testing locations. Accordingly, until these challenges are resolved, PRes applicants must be required to meet the physical fitness standard on enrolment. 

The Message

3.3 Physical fitness is an important part of being a CAF member. To ensure that all members meet the required standard they will be tested either before or after enrolment, and in either case at regular intervals during the member’s CAF career. To ensure all applicants successfully meet the MPFS, all those involved in the recruiting process must impress upon the applicant the importance of reaching and maintaining as high a level of physical fitness as possible both prior to enrolment and once a member of the CAF.

4. Aim

4.1 The aim of this instruction is to provide overall direction for the conduct of the pre-enrolment physical fitness testing of CAF applicants. It also assigns responsibility for the development, delivery, validation and refining of the screening process.

5. Processing

Conduct

5.1 The conduct of the CAF’s pre-enrolment physical fitness testing program requires partnerships between CFRG, all CFRCs and Det, PSP Bases/Wings Fitness and Sports personnel, and DGPFSS personnel. Procedures to test the physical fitness of applicants to the CAF must be implemented at all CFRCs/Dets.

Participation

5.2 CAF applicants must be tested in accordance with the following table:

The Minimum Physical Fitness Standard – General

5.3 The MPFS is based on, and have been scientifically validated against, the performance requirements of general, environmental, military occupation and operational duties.

Minimum Physical Fitness Standard – Common Military as a Basis for the Minimum Physical Fitness Standard

5.4 The MPFS is derived from the following five common military tasks which a CAF member might be expected to perform in a time of emergency:

1. sea evacuation;
2. land stretcher evacuation;
3. low-high crawl;
4. entrenchment dig; and
5. sandbag carry.

Minimum Physical Fitness Standard – Pre-Enrolment Physical Fitness Testing Standard

5.5 The pre-enrolment physical fitness testing standard will be the MPFS, an existing measure of required fitness. No other standard must be utilized by any contracted facility.

Use of Test Results – Applicant Testing

5.6 For enrolment purposes, physical fitness test results must be used as an eligibility criterion in the applicant assessment process. Applicants will be required to pass the pre-enrolment physical fitness testing prior to enrolment in accordance with participation as defined in information paragraph 5.2. Results of the test will be reported to the recruiting authority only as a pass or fail. No rating of the degree of fitness beyond this pass/fail criterion will be used in the hiring decision. Pre-enrolment physical fitness test results are valid for a period of up to six (6) months.

Use of Test Results – Physical Fitness Program Validation

5.7 More detailed test results will be retained and utilized for statistical and program validation purposes. The data will be collected by DGPFSS and will not form part of the applicant’s documentation.

Applicant Preparation

5.8 Applicants will be provided with information and instructions, be advised on test policy and associated costs, and be provided with a reasonable opportunity to prepare for physical fitness testing. Accordingly, at the beginning of the recruiting process, all applicants will be provided an instruction booklet that will outline the physical fitness requirements for basic training, provide guidance for an individual training program, and contain a self-assessment physical fitness test. Applicants will also be given the existing CF EXPRES Program training guides.

5.9 CFRC/Det Commanding Officers will determine the most appropriate point in the recruiting process to administer pre-enrolment physical fitness testing. It will be ensured that the applicant has been in receipt of the preparatory physical fitness information for a reasonable period.

Testing Locations

5.10 DGPFSS will provide each CFRC/Det with contact information for a test agent in the area. DGPFSS will ensure the maintenance of a uniform standard of testing at all sites.

Test Costs

5.11 The cost of an applicant’s first test and first re-test due to failure to meet the MPFS must be borne by the CAF. The cost of any subsequent re-tests to establish a passing result will be borne by the applicant.

Re-Test

5.12 Applicants who fail the physical fitness test are permitted as many re-tests as they wish to undertake. The entire test must be completed on every re-test, and it must be administered by an authorized testing agent.

5.13 Unless there are extenuating circumstances, applicants who fail to appear for scheduled physical fitness tests will be considered test “failures – no show”.

Evaluation and Refinement

5.14 The specific details of the CAF’s pre-enrolment physical fitness testing program will be monitored, evaluated and refined in an expeditious and ongoing manner.

6. Responsibilities

Responsibilities Table

6.1 The following table identifies the authorities responsible for activities relating to the conduct of pre-enrolment physical fitness testing:

7. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Associated DAOD

• DAOD 5023-2, Common Military Tasks Fitness Evaluation

Other References

• DAOD 5023-0, Universality of Service
• DAOD 5023-1, Minimum Operational Standards Related to Universality of Service
• Canadian Forces Health and Physical Fitness Strategy
• Recruiting Information Aid, Primary Reserve Physical Fitness Guide for Applicants to the Canadian Forces
• Manual, CF Reserve Applicants Physical Fitness Evaluation, Evaluator’s Manual 2^nd Edition
• Form DND 2212, CF Applicant Physical Fitness Evaluation (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• Form, CF Reserve Applicant Physical Fitness Evaluation - Physician Referral Report (Vital Signs)
• Form, CF Reserve Applicant Physical Fitness Evaluation - Physician Referral Report (Health Questionnaire)
• Form, CF Primary Reserve Applicant Physical Fitness Test Consent for Test
• Form, Adult (Age of Majority)
• Form, CF Primary Reserve Applicant Physical Fitness Test Consent for Test Form – Youth (Not of Age of Majority)
• CFPSA website
• Canadian Forces Recruiting website