StandardsUK Parachute Regiment
P Company (Pre-Parachute Selection)
Pre-Parachute Selection — the airborne-forces fitness gate. 8 events over 5 days; 35 lb (16 kg) bergen + rifle on the loaded events.
UK · Military · Source: British Army P Coy course handbook; Joining Instruction P Coy 2023.
The events, and what each tier means.
Pass is the minimum from the published source named above. Good, Excellent and Elite are the steps TPF scores above it: some come from the published test, such as its maximum score, and the note under the figure or the source says so; the rest are TPF’s own targets.
| Event | Pass | Good | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-mile loaded march (35 lb + rifle)h:mm:ss · lower is better | 1:50:00Pass — 1h 50m | 1:45:00Good — 1h 45m | 1:40:00Elite — 1h 40m |
| 20-mile endurance march (35 lb + rifle)h:mm:ss · lower is better | 4:30:00Pass — 4h 30m | 4:00:00Good — 4h flat | 3:30:00Elite — 3h 30m |
| 2-mile loaded run (35 lb + rifle)min:sec · lower is better | 18:00Pass — 18:00 | 16:30 | 15:00 |
| Steeplechase (1.85 mi cross-country obstacle course)min:sec · lower is better | 19:30 | 17:00 | 15:00 |
| Log race (team event, ~1.9 mi w/ 60 kg log between 6-7 men)min:sec · lower is better | 15:00Team-pace pass | — | 12:30 |
| Stretcher race (5 mi with 175 lb stretcher, team)h:mm:ss · lower is better | 0:50:00 | — | 0:40:00 |
| Trainasium (aerial confidence course — pass/fail)pass=1 · higher is better | 1 pass=1Pass = retain composure on the high obstacles | — | — |
| Milling (60-second controlled boxing — pass/fail)pass=1 · higher is better | 1 pass=1Pass = continuous controlled aggression | — | — |
How TPF Operator trains you for it.
- Track it, event by event.Log each result in the app’s Tests screen and it is placed on this ladder — pass, good, excellent, elite — with the trend over time.
- Plan the whole week against it.Lifts, runs and rucks on one recovery budget, so the running doesn’t take back the strength an event needs, and a hard ruck isn’t scheduled the day before a timed run.
- Know where you stand before test day. The Operator Readiness Score weighs your current numbers against the standard you picked, so you know which event is the weak one with weeks to fix it.
This test belongs to the service that sets it. TPF is not affiliated with or endorsed by it, and its rules and pass marks can change: check the current requirements with the organisation before you test.