The Army's New Combat Field Test: What Soldiers Need to Know for April 2026

The Army announced the Combat Field Test (CFT) on April 17, 2026 — a new pass/fail assessment for Soldiers in 24 designated combat MOSs. It does not replace the Army Fitness Test. It is a second test that combat-MOS Soldiers must pass in addition to their standard AFT to remain MOS-qualified.

If you're in Infantry, Armor, Special Forces, Combat Engineers, Field Artillery, EOD, or you're a Diver, this affects you. Here's what's tested, how the diagnostic year works, and what to do now.

What the CFT actually is

Seven events, performed in a single continuous sequence, completed in 30 minutes or less, wearing ACU top and bottom, combat boots, and a brown T-shirt. No headgear. No age- or gender-based scoring — the standard is identical for everyone who has to take it.

The events, in order:

1. 1-Mile Run (entry) — sets the baseline fatigue for everything that follows.
2. 30 Dead-Stop Push-Ups — chest to ground, hands lifted briefly between reps.
3. 100-Meter Sprint — maximum anaerobic effort under prior fatigue.
4. 16 Sandbag Lifts — 40 lbs onto a 65-inch platform, 16 times.
5. 50-Meter Water Can Carry — two 40 lb cans (80 lbs total) for 50 meters.
6. 50-Meter Movement Drill — 25m of high crawl plus 25m of 3-to-5-second rushes.
7. 1-Mile Run (finish) — final mile under cumulative load and fatigue.

The order is deliberate. Two 1-mile runs bookend a deliberately fatiguing middle that replicates the load and tempo of ground combat — sprint, lift, carry, move under fire, then run again. You can't specialize your way through it.

Who has to take it

Twenty-four MOSs and AOCs across four branch groupings:

• Infantry: 11A, 11B, 11C, 11Z
• Armor: 19A, 19C, 19D, 19K, 19Z
• Special Forces: 18A, 180A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E, 18F, 18Z
• Engineers and Others: 12A, 12B, 12D (Diver), 13A, 13F, 89D (EOD Specialist), 89E (EOD Officer)

The full list with titles is on the CFT MOS list page. If your MOS or AOC is not on that list, the CFT does not apply to you. You still take the AFT.

How often you'll take it

Combat-MOS Active Duty Soldiers take the CFT annually, in addition to the AFT. There's a minimum 4-month gap between a record AFT and a record CFT so back-to-back testing doesn't degrade either result.

Reserve and National Guard combat-MOS Soldiers alternate years between AFT and CFT, with at least 8 months between record events.

The diagnostic year is real, but it's not a free pass

From April 2026 to April 2027, the CFT is in a diagnostic period. A failure during this window results in mandatory reconditioning but does not damage your permanent record. The Army built this in to give units time to train, equip lanes, and field the test.

After April 2027, a record CFT failure results in Flag Code C under AR 600-8-2 and may trigger mandatory reclassification out of the combat MOS. Active Duty Soldiers must retest within 90 days of a failure. M-Day Reservists have 180 days.

The diagnostic year is not optional. Every Soldier in scope still takes the test for record. The only thing that changes after April 2027 is the consequence of failure.

Voluntary reclassification and waivers

During the diagnostic year, Soldiers who determine they cannot meet the CFT standard can request voluntary reclassification to a non-combat MOS without record damage. This window closes when the diagnostic period ends.

Permanent profiles that prevent the CFT require a waiver from the first General Officer in your chain of command. If the waiver is denied and the Soldier cannot perform the test, mandatory reclassification follows.

How the CFT relates to the AFT

The two tests measure different things and answer different questions. The AFT asks: is this Soldier physically fit by general Army standards? The CFT asks: can this Soldier still function in combat after fatigue, with load, in the uniform they actually fight in?

That's why the CFT is age- and gender-neutral and the AFT (for non-combat MOSs) is normed. The AFT is a fitness assessment; the CFT is a job test. We've built a side-by-side comparison at /combat-field-test/vs-aft covering scoring, frequency, uniform, and consequences in detail.

What to do now

If you're in scope, three things matter more than anything else:

1. Train the bookends. Two 1-mile runs in ACUs and boots, with five hard events stuffed between them. If your aerobic base is weak, you will hit the second mile with nothing left. Build a base now so the second mile isn't a wall.
2. Train loaded carries. The water cans (80 lbs, bilateral) and the 16 sandbag lifts to a 65-inch platform punish Soldiers who only train barbell strength. Add unilateral carries, suitcase carries, and overhead presses to your week.
3. Practice the sequence. Single-event PRs don't tell you anything about your CFT. Once a month, run the full sequence — even at scaled load — and time it. The 30-minute clock is unforgiving once fatigue stacks.

For the broader picture — events, timeline, failure policy, official Army Directive PDFs — see the full CFT guide. The official source materials are available on the downloads page.

Quick FAQ

Does the CFT replace the AFT? No. Combat-MOS Soldiers take both.

Are there age or gender adjustments? No. The 30-minute standard applies to everyone in scope.

What happens during the diagnostic year if I fail? Mandatory reconditioning, no permanent record damage.

What happens after April 2027 if I fail? Flag Code C and potential mandatory reclassification.

Can I voluntarily reclassify out of a combat MOS? Yes — during the diagnostic year only.

What uniform? ACU top and bottom, combat boots, brown T-shirt. No headgear.