Strictest published fitness minimums
A data-based answer to “which special forces test is hardest?” — limited to what is measurable: the published minimum standards of 46 units, scored event by event against every other unit with the same event.
Method: for every event that at least 4 units test the same way (same exercise, distance and unit), each unit gets a percentile — 0 for the most lenient minimum, 100 for the strictest. A unit’s score is the average over its events; units with fewer than 3 such events are not ranked.
| # | Unit | Score | Events | Strictest events | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  GSG 9Germany | 90 | 4 | LONG JUMP, SPRINT 100, PULL-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 2 |  JW GROMPoland | 85 | 9 | RUN 3000, SIT-UPS, DIPS | OFFICIAL |
| 3 |  601. skssCzechia | 84 | 7 | SWIM 300, ROPE, 4×10 M | OFFICIAL |
| 4 |  ZSSCroatia | 82 | 4 | PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 4 | JW AGATPoland | 82 | 3 | SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS, RUN 5000 | OFFICIAL |
| 6 |  SEALUnited States | 79 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, RUN 1.5MI | OFFICIAL |
| 6 | JW FORMOZAPoland | 79 | 5 | PULL-UPS, SIT-UPS, RUN 3000 | OFFICIAL |
| 8 |  C Op EspBrazil | 78 | 4 | RUN 12MIN, SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 9 | JWKPoland | 74 | 7 | SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS, DIPS | OFFICIAL |
| 10 |  FSKNorway | 73 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, HANG-UPS, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 11 | PJ/CCTUnited States | 69 | 4 | 1.5 MI RUN, PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 12 | RangersUnited States | 65 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, PLANK, PULL-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 13 |  AAD 10Switzerland | 64 | 5 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 14 |  SASR / CommandoAustralia | 63 | 4 | SIT-UPS, PUSH-UPS, BEEP TEST | OFFICIAL |
| 15 |  MOESpain | 60 | 3 | SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 15 |  TaistelusukeltajatFinland | 60 | 5 | SWIM 200, PULL-UPS, LONG JUMP | OFFICIAL |
| 17 |  Royal MarinesUnited Kingdom | 59 | 4 | BLEEP, PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 18 |  ARWIreland | 57 | 4 | RUN 3.2K, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 18 |  ComandosPortugal | 57 | 3 | SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 20 |  17° StormoItaly | 55 | 6 | CASUALTY, PULL-UPS, RUN 3K | APPROXIMATE |
| 21 |  JTF 2Canada | 54 | 5 | RUN 1.5MI, PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 22 |  ESTSOFEstonia | 53 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, RUN 3200 | OFFICIAL |
| 23 | MJKNorway | 52 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, 5000 M 9KG | OFFICIAL |
| 24 |  FNOSRomania | 48 | 4 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, SIT-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 24 | FOS ComandoRomania | 48 | 4 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, SIT-UPS | APPROXIMATE |
| 26 |  ReccesSouth Africa | 47 | 4 | SIT-UPS, PUSH-UPS, RUN 5K | APPROXIMATE |
| 27 | CSORCanada | 42 | 5 | PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, SHUTTLE 20 | OFFICIAL |
| 28 |  DYKGreece | 39 | 6 | SWIM 300, PULL-UPS, DIPS | OFFICIAL |
| 29 | LaskuvarjojääkäritFinland | 38 | 7 | COOPER, SWIM 200, RUCK 3K | OFFICIAL |
| 29 |  SFGBelgium | 38 | 4 | CARRY 200, SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 29 |  JægerkorpsetDenmark | 38 | 4 | UW SWIM, RUN 12MIN, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 32 |  JagdkommandoAustria | 37 | 6 | SQUATS, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 32 | CTOEPortugal | 37 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 34 |  KCTNetherlands | 36 | 4 | SIT-UPS, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 35 | CJIRUCanada | 30 | 4 | SIT-UPS, SQUAT 72, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 36 | JW NILPoland | 28 | 4 | SIT-UPS, 10×10 M, RUN 3000 | APPROXIMATE |
| 36 | FrømandskorpsetDenmark | 28 | 3 | RUN 12MIN, PULL-UPS, DIPS | OFFICIAL |
| 38 | Para-CdoBelgium | 26 | 4 | PULL-UPS, CARRY 200, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 39 | KSKGermany | 23 | 4 | PULL-UPS, SWIM 200, PUSH-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 40 | BOPEBrazil | 22 | 3 | SIT-UPS, RUN 2400, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 40 | COTBrazil | 22 | 3 | LONG JUMP, PULL-UPS, RUN 12MIN | OFFICIAL |
| 42 | Army SFGreece | 17 | 5 | PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 43 | Col MoschinItaly | 15 | 4 | DIPS, PULL-UPS, PUSH-UPS | OFFICIAL |
| 44 |  5. pšuSlovakia | 13 | 3 | PULL-UPS, SHUTTLE, RUN 12MIN | APPROXIMATE |
| 45 | HRTUnited States | 10 | 3 | PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS, 1.5 MI RUN | OFFICIAL |
| 46 | COMSUBINItaly | 3 | 3 | SIT-UPS, PUSH-UPS, PULL-UPS | OFFICIAL |
Minimum (pass) standards only; higher levels are in the paid report. Conditions differ between units — read the event column. Each unit links to its sources.
Questions
Which special forces have the hardest fitness test?
By published minimums: GSG 9 der Bundespolizei — Einsatzbeamter (90), Jednostka Wojskowa GROM (JW 2305) (85), 601. skupina speciálních sil generála Moravce (84). This measures only the entry fitness bar, not the full selection.
How is the score calculated?
Each comparable event is scored as a percentile against all units with the same event (100 = strictest minimum). The unit’s score is the average across at least 3 events.
Does a higher score mean selection is harder?
No. Selection courses add long marches, sleep deprivation, water confidence and psychological tests that are not published as numbers. The score compares only the published fitness minimums.