SPECOPSLAB

NZSAS vs Royal Marines

Fitness test and pay side by side. The published minimum fitness standards of NZSAS and Royal Marines, event by event, with pay where we have it. Higher levels are in the paid report.

NEW ZEALAND1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment (NZSAS)NZDF Assessment Day (A-Day) — NZSAS trade-specific standardOFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18Open the calculator →UNITED KINGDOMRoyal Marines CommandoRoyal Marines Fitness Test (RMFT)OFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18Open the calculator →

Minimum standards, event by event

EventNZSASRoyal Marines
Multi-Stage Fitness Test (beep test), level.shuttle — e.g. 11.09Royal Marines: Multi-stage fitness test (bleep), level12.01stricter11
Press-upsRoyal Marines: Push-ups3040stricter
Pull-ups (overhand)—5only this unit
Sit-ups—50only this unit

Events in the same row are similar but not identical — read the event names.

Higher levels (e.g. competitive or elevated standards) and your gap to each are in the paid report.

Where the bar is higher

NZSAS sets the higher minimum in: beep test.

Royal Marines sets the higher minimum in: push-ups.

NZSAS tests 2 events, Royal Marines tests 4 events.

Pay

NZSAS
NZ$82,481–NZ$98,846 / yearWhat an NZSAS operator earns · Corporal (CPL) · Other Ranks, Sector A Tier 1 – Sector D Tier 3 · Step 5 · default scenario, grosspartly provisional
ROYAL MARINES
£27,282 / yearWhat a Royal Marine earns · OR2 · Marine / Private · OR2-01 · default scenario, gross

Amounts are in each country’s own currency and are not converted.

Questions

Is NZSAS or Royal Marines harder to get into?

NZSAS sets the higher minimum in: beep test. Royal Marines sets the higher minimum in: push-ups. 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 NZSAS and Royal Marines fitness tests differ?

NZSAS: 2 events (beep test, press-ups). Royal Marines: 4 events (bleep, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups).

Does NZSAS or Royal Marines pay more?

NZSAS: NZ$82,481–NZ$98,846/year; Royal Marines: £27,282/year (default scenarios, gross). The amounts are in different currencies and depend on taxes and cost of living, so we do not rank them.

Sources:
NZSAS
Royal Marines