Green Berets vs PJ/CCT
Fitness test and pay side by side. The published minimum fitness standards of Green Berets and PJ/CCT, event by event, with pay where we have it. Higher levels are in the paid report.
UNITED STATESMinimum standards, event by event
| Event | Green Berets | PJ/CCT |
|---|---|---|
| 3-repetition maximum deadlift (MDL) | 150 lbonly this unit | — |
| Hand-release push-ups (HRP) | 15only this unit | — |
| Sprint-drag-carry (SDC) | 2:28only this unit | — |
| Plank (PLK) | 1:30only this unit | — |
| Two-mile run (2MR) | 19:57only this unit | — |
| Pull-ups, 2 min | — | 8only this unit |
| Sit-ups, 2 min | — | 50only this unit |
| Push-ups, 2 min | — | 40only this unit |
| 1.5-mile run | — | 10:20only this unit |
| 500 m surface swim (freestyle, breaststroke or sidestroke) | — | 15:00only 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.
Green Berets tests 5 events, PJ/CCT tests 5 events.
Pay
Amounts are in each country’s own currency and are not converted.
Questions
Is Green Berets or PJ/CCT 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 Green Berets and PJ/CCT fitness tests differ?
Green Berets: 5 events (deadlift, hr push-up, sdc, plank, 2-mile run). PJ/CCT: 5 events (pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5 mi run, swim 500).
Does Green Berets or PJ/CCT pay more?
Green Berets: $7,639/month (E-6 · >8); PJ/CCT: $7,121/month (E-5 · >4) (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.
- Minimum — 60 points per event (ages 17–21) — Army Fitness Test Score Tables (approved 15 May 2025, effective 1 Jun 2025); Army Directive 2025-06, par. 4b(1) (2025-06-01)
- 350 total — 70 points in every event (ages 17–21) — Army Fitness Test Score Tables (70-point row, M|C 17–21); combat standard 350 — army.mil/aft, Army Directive 2025-06 (2025-06-01)
- Minimum — Special Warfare Open Enlistment contract (9T500) — AETC/A3S — Initial Fitness Test (IFT) Worksheet, 1 Nov 21 (column SWOE) (2021-11-01)
- PJ/CCT column — prior service, crossflow, retraining — AETC/A3S — Initial Fitness Test (IFT) Worksheet, 1 Nov 21 (column PJ/CCT/TACP/SR) (2021-11-01)