Air Force PAST vs Navy SEAL PST: Which Is Harder?
The Air Force PAST and the Navy SEAL PST are the two most-searched special warfare fitness tests in the U.S. military. They look similar at first glance: a swim, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and a run. The details, standards, and underwater demands make them very different tests. One naming note: the Air Force replaced the PAST with the Initial Fitness Test (IFT) in November 2021, but most people still call it the PAST.
If you are still on the standard Air Force fitness assessment, check your numbers with our Air Force PT calculator.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Minimums are official: the Air Force IFT worksheet (10 Jan 2023) for enlisted PJ, CCT, TACP, and SR, and MILPERSMAN 1220-410 for the SEAL PST.
| Event | AF PAST / IFT (enlisted) | Navy SEAL PST |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Calisthenics, run, then swims | Swim first, then calisthenics, then run |
| Underwaters | 2 x 25 m (Go/No Go) | Not tested |
| Swim | 500 m freestyle, breaststroke, or sidestroke: 15:00 for new enlistees, 12:30 for Guard, Reserve, prior service, and retrainees | 500 yd sidestroke or breaststroke: 12:30 |
| Pull-Ups | 8 in 2 min | 10, no time limit |
| Sit-Ups | 50 in 2 min | 50 in 2 min |
| Push-Ups | 40 in 2 min | 50 in 2 min |
| 1.5-Mile Run | 10:20 | 10:30 |
Which Events Differ Most
Underwaters: The PAST has them. The PST doesn't. Breaking the surface on either 25 m underwater fails the whole Air Force test, so it is as much a composure test as a fitness test.
Calisthenics: The sit-up minimum is the same (50). The SEAL PST asks for 10 more push-ups and 2 more pull-ups, and its commonly cited competitive marks (80 to 100 push-ups and sit-ups, 15 to 20 pull-ups) are higher than most Air Force prep targets.
Swim: The PAST swim is in meters (500 m is about 547 yd, roughly 9% further), but new Air Force enlistees get 15:00 to finish versus 12:30 on the PST. The PAST also allows freestyle; the PST does not allow any overhand recovery.
Run: The minimums are within 10 seconds of each other (10:20 vs 10:30). On the PST the run comes last, after the swim; on the PAST it comes before the swims.
Which Pipeline Is Harder Overall?
Both pipelines lose a large share of the candidates who start them. But the demands differ:
- BUD/S (Navy): Months of continuous assessment in Coronado, including Hell Week in First Phase and constant cold water exposure.
- Air Force Special Warfare: The length depends on the career field, and every pipeline runs well over a year. All of them demand advanced technical skills on top of fitness.
BUD/S is widely considered the most physically punishing. Pararescue is often called the most technically demanding. Both have brutal failure rates.
Common Events Both Test
If you train for both, you're preparing the same fitness base with slightly different weights on each event:
- Swim fitness
- Pull-up volume
- Core endurance
- Running economy
Differences are marginal for the aerobic and muscular endurance portions. The real differentiator is psychological demand: underwaters, cold water tolerance, and the selection environment.
How to Train for Either
Volume, technique, and the mental game:
- Swim 3x per week in a pool with technique focus
- Dry-land CO₂ tolerance work (never breath-hold training alone in water)
- Pull-up greasing the groove daily
- High daily calisthenics volume (200+ push-ups, 200+ sit-ups)
- 4 runs per week with intervals and a Zone 2 base
Picking Your Path
Pick based on mission, not test difficulty. PJ work (saving lives in combat zones) is fundamentally different from SEAL work (direct action). The test is just the entry gate. The job is what matters.
