August 2, 2025, 3:27 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The Navy SEALs are considered the best and toughest special forces unit in the world. No SEAL is said to have ever been captured or left behind—and none have ever surrendered. Everything they do is strictly confidential! To become part of this U.S. elite unit, one must pass a rigorous, lengthy, and partially secret testing process. Here’s what is known about the fitness test for future SEALs.
Follow the FITBOOK channel on WhatsApp now!
These 5 Factors Determine SEAL Candidates’ Evaluation
“Navy SEALs are physically fit, mentally sharp, mature, and resilient”—this is how the U.S. elite unit describes the requirements for future members.1 To become one of them—2021 saw the first woman complete the elite training with the U.S. Navy—candidates must undergo a grueling training program that pushes participants to their limits and beyond.
The term “Navy SEALs” refers to the unit’s versatile operational scope, which spans sea, air, and land. It also plays on the English word “seal,” meaning “seal” or “sea lion”—a nod to the unit’s amphibious capabilities.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements for enlistment or service in the Navy—applicants must be U.S. citizens, between 17 and 28 years old, have a certain level of vision, and not be colorblind—candidates aspiring to become SEALs must meet strict physical and mental criteria. According to the organization, the physical fitness of potential candidates is assessed based on five factors:
- Medical Examination
- Vocational Aptitude Assessment: The so-called ASVAB test (“Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery”) evaluates applicants’ mental performance and learning ability, covering areas such as math knowledge, arithmetic reasoning, mechanical comprehension, and verbal expression.
- Armed Forces Qualification Test: No information is available on the SEALs’ website about the “Armed Forces Qualification Test” (AFQT).
- Mental Strength and Resilience Test: The “Computerized-Special Operations Resilience Test” (C-SORT) assesses personality traits, goal setting, emotional control, and the ability to handle cognitive threats.
- Physical Fitness Test: Many applicants train for years for the “Physical Screening Test” (PST)—and still fail. Reason enough for FITBOOK to take a closer look at this test.
The SEALs Fitness Test (PST)
To become a Navy SEAL—though the contract is not yet guaranteed—potential candidates must pass the qualifying SEAL-PST. It consists of five disciplines or exercises: swimming, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and running. There are varying lengths of breaks in between. Below are the values for the minimum, average, and optimum—they serve to evaluate the candidates’ fitness levels.
Also interesting: “Why Glute Training is the New Ab Workout—and My 7 Exercise Tips”
Well Prepared! ‘The Terminal List’ Star Has Trained with a Navy SEAL for 12 Years
How Tom Hopper Trains for His Impressive Muscles
Push-ups, Pull-ups, Sit-ups, Running, Swimming—Minimum and Optimal Values for the Navy SEALs
The SEALs recommend that their aspirants be able to achieve competitive or optimal results when they appear for the test. This increases the likelihood of securing a contract with the elite unit. Ultimately, it’s a competition: Only applicants with the best results move forward.
On their website, the SEALs offer a “Bootcamp Home Training Bundle.” In 90 days, it promises to “maximize your potential.” Price: a hefty $297 (approximately 274 euros). A free alternative is the FITBOOK workouts for various training goals.
Passed the Fitness Test—Here’s What Happens Next with the Navy SEALs
Those who successfully complete all mental and physical tests and secure a contract will face the toughest training in the U.S. military after four weeks of intense training. The so-called BUD/S program (“Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs”) is a 26-week training that subjects aspiring SEALs to maximum physical and psychological stress and strain. The BUD/S program consists of:
- Eight weeks of conditioning training—week three is the infamous “Hell Week”
- Eight weeks of diving and parachute training
- Nine weeks of land warfare exercises
Brutal Conditioning Training Includes the Hell Week
The eight-week conditioning phase is particularly challenging. In addition to running on sand and swimming up to 3.2 kilometers in the sea, trainees must endure the so-called “Hell Week” in week three—the toughest part of the training according to the SEALs. Hell Week means: five and a half days of continuous training with only four hours of sleep—not per night, but in total. No wonder only the toughest become part of the elite unit. According to the SEALs’ website, on average, only 25 percent of candidates make it through Hell Week.