The six stations
| Station | Quality tested | Trainable? |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-ups (1 min) | Trunk endurance and pacing | Yes — quickly |
| Standing broad jump | Lower-body power | Yes — with jump and strength work |
| Sit-and-reach | Posterior chain flexibility | Yes — fastest of the six |
| Pull-ups / inclined pull-ups | Upper-body strength relative to bodyweight | Yes — slowest of the six |
| Shuttle run | Speed, agility, change of direction | Yes — technique matters more than fitness |
| 2.4km run | Aerobic endurance | Yes — biggest single opportunity |
Where the points actually are
Two stations dominate: the 2.4km run and pull-ups. The run is trainable by anyone willing to run consistently for eight weeks — our 2.4km guide covers the structure. Pull-ups are the slowest to move because they depend on strength relative to bodyweight, which means both getting stronger and, for some people, losing a little weight.
The cheapest points on the test
Sit-and-reach. It responds to a few minutes of consistent hamstring and hip work most days, requires no equipment, and people routinely turn up having never practised it. Shuttle run is second: much of the time lost there is in the turns, not the running, and that's technique you can drill in a session.
How NAPFA differs from IPPT
NAPFA has six stations; IPPT has three — push-ups, sit-ups and the 2.4km run. The overlap is the sit-ups and the run, so training for NAPFA as a pre-enlistee puts you well ahead for IPPT later. The pull-up and broad-jump work also transfers usefully into general strength.
A sensible eight-week block
- Three days a week: two strength sessions, two runs, with one overlapping day.
- Runs: one interval session, one steady session; build volume before speed.
- Strength: pull-up progressions, hip hinge, squat and core, twice weekly.
- Daily: five minutes of hamstring and hip mobility for sit-and-reach.
- Every fortnight: test one station so you know whether it's working.
Exact scoring bands are set by the testing body and change by age and gender, so train to the standard you actually need rather than a number from a forum. A coach can test you across all six, find where your fastest points are, and build the block around them — see IPPT and NAPFA coaching.