Cooper Law Enforcement Fitness Test
The Cooper Institute's law enforcement fitness battery is a six-test assessment used by US police departments, the FBI, and military branches to evaluate candidate and officer fitness. Norms below are from Physical Fitness Assessments and Norms for Adults and Law Enforcement (Cooper Institute, Dallas TX).
The 6-Test Battery
The Cooper Institute recommends administering the six tests in the order below to minimise fatigue effects. Norms are available on this site for five of the six tests; bench press norms from this source are not currently included as the Cooper Institute uses a different protocol to the general-population bench press norms on this site.
| # | Test | Measures | Unit | Norms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vertical Jump | Anaerobic power | inches | Available |
| 2 | 1-Rep Max Bench Press | Upper body strength | ratio | Not included |
| 3 | Sit-Ups (1-Minute) | Core endurance | reps | Available |
| 4 | 300m Run | Anaerobic capacity | sec | Available |
| 5 | Push-Ups (1-Minute) | Upper body endurance | reps | Available |
| 6 | 1.5-Mile Run | Aerobic endurance | min | Available |
Who is it for?
The Cooper battery is designed for active adults in law enforcement and military contexts. It assesses both anaerobic capacity (explosive power, muscular endurance, sprint speed) and aerobic fitness in a single session. Many agencies use the Cooper norms to set minimum fitness standards for hiring and periodic fitness testing.
Because candidates are a self-selected, physically active group, these norms are not representative of the general adult population. Scores that appear average by Cooper standards would be above average in a general population sample.
Administration
The full battery can be completed in a single session of approximately 60-90 minutes. The recommended test order alternates between power/strength and endurance components to allow partial recovery between efforts:
- Vertical Jump (anaerobic power, minimal fatigue)
- 1-Rep Max Bench Press (upper body strength)
- Sit-Ups, 1 minute (core endurance)
- 300m Run (anaerobic sprint capacity)
- Push-Ups, 1 minute (upper body endurance)
- 1.5-Mile Run (aerobic endurance, administered last)