EGB vs Kampfschwimmer
Fitness test and pay side by side. The published minimum fitness standards of EGB and Kampfschwimmer, event by event, with pay where we have it. Higher levels are in the paid report.
GERMANYFallschirmjäger — Erweiterte Grundbefähigung (EGB), Spezialisierte Kräfte des HeeresEGB selection — test week limits (2023 procedure)APPROXIMATElast verified 2026-10-18Open the calculator →GERMANYKommando Spezialkräfte der Marine (KSM) — KampfschwimmerPFV I — minimum sports requirementsOFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18Open the calculator →Minimum standards, event by event
| Event | EGB | Kampfschwimmer |
|---|---|---|
| 7 km march with 20 kg (combat boots, field uniform) | 52 minonly this unit | — |
| 200 m swim in uniform (Kleiderschwimmen) + undress in the water | 8:00only this unit | — |
| Obstacle course with helmet, weapon and goggles | 2:20only this unit | — |
| 10 km individual speed march (Eilmarsch) | 80 minonly this unit | — |
| 5,000 m run | — | 22:00only this unit |
| 1,000 m swim | — | 24:00only this unit |
| Static breath-hold dive | — | 60 sonly this unit |
| Underwater distance swim | — | 30 monly this unit |
| Pull-ups (overhand) | — | 8only this unit |
| Bench press 50 kg (reps) | — | 15only this unit |
Higher levels (e.g. competitive or elevated standards) and your gap to each are in the paid report.
Where the bar is higher
The two tests have no directly comparable events, so the minimums cannot be ranked against each other.
EGB tests 4 events, Kampfschwimmer tests 6 events.
Pay
Amounts are in each country’s own currency and are not converted.
Questions
Is EGB or Kampfschwimmer harder to get into?
The two tests have no directly comparable events, so the minimums cannot be ranked against each other. These are only the published fitness minimums; selection itself, medical and other requirements differ, and passing the minimum does not guarantee selection.
How do the EGB and Kampfschwimmer fitness tests differ?
EGB: 4 events (march 7k, swim 200, obstacle, march 10k). Kampfschwimmer: 6 events (run 5k, swim 1k, breath, dive dist, pull-ups, bench 50).
Does EGB or Kampfschwimmer pay more?
EGB: €4,040/month (Feldwebel (A 7) · Stufe 3); Kampfschwimmer: €5,097/month (Hauptbootsmann (A 8) · Stufe 5) (default scenarios, gross). The default scenarios use different ranks and seniority, so this is not a like-for-like comparison — set the same rank in the pay calculator on each unit page.
- Limit (2023 test week) — bundeswehr.de — Neues Auswahlverfahren für Spezialisierte Kräfte (2023-05-30)
- Minimum — bundeswehr.de — Der Weg zu den Kampfschwimmern; Flyer KSM Kampfschwimmer (09.2024) (2025-04-14)