The Candidate Physical Ability Test
8 events, 10:20 total, wearing a 50 lb weighted vest, plus a 25 lb shoulder load during the stair climb.
Train at your own risk. This training is strenuous. Talk to a physician before you start, build up gradually, stop if something hurts, and do not train in gear alone. You take part at your own risk, on the terms linked at the bottom of this page.
Overview
- The CPAT is 8 events completed back to back in a 50 lb weighted vest, with no rest between events beyond the 85 foot walk to the next station.
- Every event is pass/fail against its own standard; the whole test is also pass/fail against the overall 10:20 time limit.
- The stair climb is the first event and its 3 minutes count toward the 10:20, so the clock is already running for the rest of the test. The 20 second warm-up on the StepMill before it is not timed.
Stair Climb
Climb a StepMill at 60 steps per minute for 3 minutes while wearing an additional 25 lb shoulder load, simulating climbing stairs with equipment. A 20 second warm-up at 50 steps per minute comes first and is not timed.
Standard: 3 minutes at 60 steps per minute, inside the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Train on a real stair machine or stadium stairs at a steady, sustainable cadence rather than sprinting the first minute.
- Practice with a weighted vest to get used to the extra shoulder load before adding it to stair sessions.
Hose Drag
Drag a charged hoseline 75 feet, make a 90-degree turn around a drum and continue another 25 feet, then kneel inside a marked box and pull the hose in hand over hand until the 50 foot mark crosses the line.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Keep the hose low and lean into the drag with your legs, not just your arms and back.
- Practice the kneeling pull position; it uses different muscles than the standing drag.
Equipment Carry
Remove two saws one at a time from a tool cabinet built to replicate a fire truck storage cabinet, carry both 75 feet around a drum and back, then return them to the cabinet one at a time.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Carry the saws at your sides, close to your body, to reduce shoulder fatigue over the distance.
- Practice lifting from a raised rack height, not just from the ground.
Ladder Raise and Extension
Raise a 24-foot extension ladder to a wall, then extend a second ladder's fly section hand over hand to full extension under control.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Footwork matters as much as arm strength; practice the hand-over-hand raise with control, not speed.
- Lower the fly section slowly and under control after extending; losing control can cost time and is unsafe.
Forcible Entry
Using a 10 lb sledgehammer, strike a measuring device 39 inches off the ground until it has absorbed enough cumulative force to sound a buzzer, simulating forcing entry through a door.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Full hip rotation generates more force than arm strength alone; practice hammer swings against a tire.
- Keep a wide, stable stance so each strike is efficient instead of a wasted swing.
Search
Crawl through an enclosed maze roughly 3 feet high, 4 feet wide and 64 feet long, in limited visibility, negotiating two 90-degree turns, obstacles and two narrowed spaces.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Practice moving on hands and knees while managing an SCBA facepiece and hose to reduce hesitation in the maze.
- Some candidates find claustrophobia the hardest part of CPAT; practicing in a dark, confined space beforehand helps more than raw fitness does.
Rescue
Drag a 165 lb mannequin 35 feet to a drum, turn 180 degrees around it and drag another 35 feet to the finish, simulating removing a downed victim.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- Grip the mannequin by the drag harness or from under the armpits, whichever suits you, and walk backward with short, controlled steps. The 2026 addendum allows both.
- Train posterior chain strength (deadlifts, hip hinges) specifically for this event.
Ceiling Breach and Pull
Using a pike pole, push a 60 lb hinged door upward 3 times, then hook an 80 lb ceiling device and pull it down 5 times. That set of 3 pushes and 5 pulls is repeated 4 times.
Standard: Completed within the overall 10:20 time limit.
Training tips
- This is the final event, so pacing everything before it matters: arrive with enough grip strength and shoulder endurance left.
- Practice overhead pulling motions (lat pulldowns, resistance-band pulls) in the weeks before testing.
Minnesota candidates
Many Minnesota fire departments and academies use the CPAT, or an equivalent validated physical test, as part of firefighter candidate hiring. Requirements and testing sites vary by department and academy. Always confirm the exact standard and testing location your target department uses before test day.
Train for it, not just read about it
Apparatus Ready keeps your gear checklist, logs your workouts and practice runs, tracks a daily streak, and gives you a full length adaptive practice exam for the NREMT cognitive test. Free to start.