Beep test
The 20 m beep test played on your phone: the beeps, your level and shuttle, and an estimated VO2 max, free with nothing to download and no email to hand over.
Part of our rugby fitness tests.
UK version, from 8 km/h
1.1levels 1 to 21, 4,940 m if you run it all
Press Start and put the phone down near a line. Five seconds, then run to the other line on each beep.
How to do the beep test
Two lines
20 mMark two lines 20 m apart on flat ground that does not slip. Measure with a tape, not your stride.Run on the beep
20 mStart on one line. Get to the other line by the next beep, turn, and go back. Arriving early means waiting for the beep, not running on.A level a minute
+0.5 km/hEach level lasts about a minute and is half a km/h faster than the last. Three quick beeps mark a new level.Out on the second miss
2 missesMiss a line by the beep and you get a warning. Miss it twice and your test is over: your score is the last shuttle you finished.
Using your phone for the beeps
- Turn the volume up. On an iPhone, turn the silent switch off, or a web page plays no sound.
- For a group, connect a speaker: one phone runs everyone, and you press Out as each runner drops.
- Keep the page open. The screen stays awake while the test runs.
- Scores stay on your phone. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Beep test levels
This is the UK version: 8 km/h for level 1, 9 km/h for level 2, then half a km/h more each level. Its shuttles per level match, level for level, the table in the 1988 study that checked the test against a laboratory VO2 max. Léger’s original starts at 8.5 km/h; level 2 is 9 km/h in both, so scores barely differ. Running all 21 levels is 247 shuttles and 4,940 m.
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | Each 20 m in | Distance at the end | Time at the end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.0 km/h | 7 | 9.00 s | 140 m | 1:03 |
| 2 | 9.0 km/h | 8 | 8.00 s | 300 m | 2:07 |
| 3 | 9.5 km/h | 8 | 7.58 s | 460 m | 3:07 |
| 4 | 10.0 km/h | 9 | 7.20 s | 640 m | 4:12 |
| 5 | 10.5 km/h | 9 | 6.86 s | 820 m | 5:14 |
| 6 | 11.0 km/h | 10 | 6.55 s | 1,020 m | 6:19 |
| 7 | 11.5 km/h | 10 | 6.26 s | 1,220 m | 7:22 |
| 8 | 12.0 km/h | 11 | 6.00 s | 1,440 m | 8:28 |
| 9 | 12.5 km/h | 11 | 5.76 s | 1,660 m | 9:31 |
| 10 | 13.0 km/h | 11 | 5.54 s | 1,880 m | 10:32 |
| 11 | 13.5 km/h | 12 | 5.33 s | 2,120 m | 11:36 |
| 12 | 14.0 km/h | 12 | 5.14 s | 2,360 m | 12:38 |
| 13 | 14.5 km/h | 13 | 4.97 s | 2,620 m | 13:42 |
| 14 | 15.0 km/h | 13 | 4.80 s | 2,880 m | 14:45 |
| 15 | 15.5 km/h | 13 | 4.65 s | 3,140 m | 15:45 |
| 16 | 16.0 km/h | 14 | 4.50 s | 3,420 m | 16:48 |
| 17 | 16.5 km/h | 14 | 4.36 s | 3,700 m | 17:49 |
| 18 | 17.0 km/h | 15 | 4.24 s | 4,000 m | 18:53 |
| 19 | 17.5 km/h | 15 | 4.11 s | 4,300 m | 19:54 |
| 20 | 18.0 km/h | 16 | 4.00 s | 4,620 m | 20:58 |
| 21 | 18.5 km/h | 16 | 3.89 s | 4,940 m | 22:01 |
What is a good beep test score?
In the 1988 study behind the UK version, 36 active men aged 19 to 36 reached level 12.6 on average and 38 active women level 9.6. Level 21 is not a perfect score: it is only where the tables stop. For a rugby player, the score that matters most is your own last one.
| Score | Estimated VO2 max |
|---|---|
| 4.9 | 29.5 ml/kg/min |
| 5.9 | 32.9 ml/kg/min |
| 6.10 | 36.4 ml/kg/min |
| 7.10 | 39.9 ml/kg/min |
| 8.11 | 43.3 ml/kg/min |
| 9.11 | 46.8 ml/kg/min |
| 10.11 | 50.2 ml/kg/min |
| 11.12 | 53.7 ml/kg/min |
| 12.12 | 57.1 ml/kg/min |
| 13.13 | 60.6 ml/kg/min |
| 14.13 | 64.0 ml/kg/min |
| 15.13 | 67.5 ml/kg/min |
| 16.14 | 70.9 ml/kg/min |
| 17.14 | 74.4 ml/kg/min |
| 18.15 | 77.9 ml/kg/min |
| 19.15 | 81.3 ml/kg/min |
| 20.16 | 84.8 ml/kg/min |
We have not put rugby players’ beep test levels on this page: we found none we could check in a full study, and the popular norms tables name no source. For rugby numbers you can trust, the yo-yo test and the Bronco have published professional results.
The beep test and rugby
What it is good for
It needs two lines and the beeps, a whole squad can run it at once, and the final level gives a fair estimate of aerobic fitness: in the 1988 study, level and a laboratory VO2 max lined up at r = 0.92.
Why clubs often pick another test
The beep test never stops, and rugby does. Stop-start sports have moved towards the yo-yo, which gives 10 seconds of rest after every 40 m, and a 2020 review of age-grade rugby union testing found the yo-yo in 7 studies and the beep test in 6. Rugby also has its own test, the Bronco.
Sources
- Ramsbottom R, Brewer J, Williams C. A progressive shuttle run test to estimate maximal oxygen uptake. Br J Sports Med. 1988;22:141-144.
- Owen C, Till K, Weakley J, et al. Testing methods and physical qualities of male age grade rugby union players: a systematic review. PLoS ONE. 2020;15:e0233796.
- Bennett H, Garrett J. The dreaded beep test: outdated or still a valid assessment of your fitness? The Conversation.
- Multi-stage fitness test. Wikipedia, read 3 November 2026.
Beep test questions
What is a good beep test score?
A good beep test score depends on who you are. In the 1988 study behind the UK version, 36 active men aged 19 to 36 reached level 12.6 on average and 38 active women level 9.6. For a rugby player, the score to beat is your own last one.
Is level 21 a perfect score on the beep test?
Level 21 is not a perfect score on the beep test. It is where the recordings and level tables stop, 247 shuttles and 4,940 m in, but a good score depends on your age, sex and fitness, and very few people get anywhere near it.
How far do you run in the beep test?
In the beep test you run 20 m every shuttle, for as long as you keep up. Finishing level 10 is 1,880 m, finishing level 15 is 3,140 m, and running all 21 levels is 4,940 m.
How long does the beep test take?
The beep test takes about a minute for every level you reach, because each level lasts about a minute. Finishing level 10 takes 10 minutes 32 seconds, and running all 21 levels takes 22 minutes.
Is it the beep test or the bleep test?
The beep test and the bleep test are the same test. It is also called the multistage fitness test, the 20 m shuttle run test and, in American schools, the PACER test. The UK version starts at 8 km/h, Léger's original at 8.5.
What does the beep test measure?
The beep test measures aerobic fitness: how long you can keep running as the pace climbs. Your final level can be turned into an estimated VO2 max, and in the study behind the UK version, level and a laboratory VO2 max lined up closely (r = 0.92).
How do I get better at the beep test?
To get better at the beep test, build your running fitness and practise the turns. Every level is 20 m shuttles, so arriving on the beep and turning cleanly on the line saves effort at every shuttle. Retest on the same surface, so the change you see is you.
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