A team starts the Beep Test together.
Early levels feel easy, but as the beeps get closer together, athletes must run faster, turn more often and manage increasing fatigue.
The final level and shuttle provide a practical field measure of aerobic fitness, repeat-effort tolerance and shuttle-running performance.
Test name: Beep Test
Also known as: 20 m multistage shuttle run test, MSFT, multistage fitness test, bleep test
Purpose: Assess aerobic fitness and estimate endurance capacity
What it assesses: Progressive 20 m shuttle-running performance
Equipment required: 20 m course, cones, audio file, speaker and recording system
Key finding: Final level and shuttle completed
Best used with: Heart rate, RPE, training load, time trial results and sport-specific conditioning data
Key limitation: Influenced by turning ability, motivation, pacing, surface, familiarity and test version
The Beep Test is a progressive shuttle run performed over 20 metres.
The client runs between two lines in time with audio beeps. The pace increases each level until the client can no longer maintain the required speed.
The score is usually recorded as the final level and shuttle completed.
Some systems also estimate VO₂max from the result, but this should be treated as an estimate rather than a direct laboratory measurement.
The Beep Test is popular because it is:
Low-cost
Easy to run with groups
Simple to score
Useful for tracking change over time
Relevant for many field and court sports
It can help professionals monitor aerobic fitness, conditioning changes and tolerance to repeated shuttle running.
It is also useful in school, sport, tactical and general fitness settings when clients are suitable for maximal running.
The Beep Test measures progressive shuttle-running performance.
It reflects:
Aerobic fitness
High-intensity running tolerance
Acceleration and deceleration ability
Turning ability
Motivation
Running economy
Ability to manage increasing pace
It does not directly measure VO₂max unless laboratory gas analysis is used.
It also does not isolate one physical quality. A client’s score may be affected by fitness, turning skill, body size, confidence, pacing and familiarity with the test.
The Beep Test may be useful for:
Field sport athletes
Court sport athletes
School groups
Tactical populations
General fitness clients
Healthy adults appropriate for maximal running
Teams needing group aerobic fitness testing
It may be less suitable for clients with:
Pain during running
Recent injury
Poor turning tolerance
Balance limitations
Medical risk factors that make maximal running inappropriate
You will need:
Flat, non-slip surface
Two lines or cones 20 m apart
Beep Test audio file
Speaker loud enough for the testing area
Recording sheet or Measurz/MAT
Optional heart rate monitor
Optional RPE scale
Measure and mark two lines exactly 20 m apart.
Check that the surface is safe, flat and non-slip.
Make sure the audio file is correct, clear and loud enough.
Ask the client to complete a standardised warm-up, including:
Light jogging
Dynamic mobility
A few short shuttle practice runs
Explain that the client must reach the opposite line at or before each beep.
Start the audio.
The client runs back and forth between the two 20 m lines in time with the beeps.
As each level progresses, the running speed increases.
The test ends when the client:
Voluntarily stops
Cannot maintain the required pace
Fails to reach the line according to the chosen stopping rule
Record the final completed level and shuttle.
Where relevant, also record heart rate, RPE, symptoms and reason for stopping.
The primary score is the final level and shuttle.
A higher score generally suggests better aerobic fitness and shuttle-running capacity.
Interpretation should consider:
Test version
Audio file used
Surface
Footwear
Group or individual setting
Motivation
Turning ability
Familiarity with the test
Recent fatigue or training load
Heart rate and RPE response
For practical use, the level and shuttle score is often more defensible than over-emphasising an estimated VO₂max.
High-quality normative data is available for children and youth.
The strongest source is the international normative study by Tomkinson and colleagues, which included 1,142,026 children and youth aged 9–17 years from 50 countries. The study produced sex- and age-specific norms for the 20 m shuttle run using several metrics, including final running speed, completed stages, laps and relative VO₂peak. ()
This is the best high-level benchmark source when testing apparently healthy children or adolescents using a comparable 20 m shuttle run protocol.
For youth athletes, sport-specific reference values may be more relevant. A 2023 study of 742 Tunisian elite adolescent soccer players aged 11–18 years developed reference curves for maximal aerobic speed and estimated VO₂max using the 20 m shuttle run. This is useful for adolescent soccer contexts, but it should not be applied broadly to all youth or adults. ()
For adults, norms are less universal. A 2023 study in adults aged 18–64 years examined validity and reliability of the 20 m shuttle run, but adult interpretation still depends strongly on sex, age, physical activity level and protocol. ()
For most Measurz use, interpret results using:
The client’s previous score
Similar age and sex groups
Sport or team benchmarks
Internal organisation data
Heart rate and RPE
Training load and fatigue
Change over time under the same setup
Do not apply youth norms to adults, or elite sport norms to general fitness clients.
The Beep Test has been widely studied as a field-based estimate of cardiorespiratory fitness.
The original multistage shuttle run research described the test as a practical method for estimating maximal aerobic power in groups. Later evidence supports the 20 m shuttle run as useful when laboratory testing is not available, but equation choice and population matter.
A meta-analysis by Mayorga-Vega and colleagues found that the 20 m shuttle run has criterion-related validity for estimating cardiorespiratory fitness, but prediction accuracy varies across studies and populations. ()
A systematic review of field-based fitness tests in adults reported that the 20 m shuttle run can show moderate-to-high criterion-related validity for estimating VO₂max, with correlations reported across studies. However, not all studies agreed, reinforcing the need for cautious interpretation. ()
To improve consistency:
Use the same audio version
Use the same 20 m setup
Use the same surface
Use the same stopping rule
Record footwear
Record heart rate and RPE when possible
Note group testing conditions
Track changes over time
Sensitivity and specificity are not applicable for routine Measurz use.
The Beep Test is a performance and fitness assessment, not a diagnostic test.
It can support aerobic fitness monitoring, but it should not be used to diagnose a condition.
Common errors include:
Incorrect 20 m distance
Poor audio quality
Unclear stopping rules
Allowing early turns
Not reaching the line
Changing the surface
Comparing different Beep Test versions
Ignoring motivation, fatigue or familiarity
Key limitations include:
VO₂max is estimated, not directly measured
Turning ability affects performance
Motivation strongly influences the final score
Larger or less agile clients may be disadvantaged by repeated turns
Results can be affected by heat, surface grip and group setting
It may be less specific than Yo-Yo or 30-15 testing for some stop-start sports
Use the Beep Test to:
Monitor aerobic fitness
Test groups efficiently
Track conditioning changes
Support training goals
Compare results across training blocks
Add context to heart rate and RPE data
For team sport athletes, the Beep Test can be useful, but intermittent tests such as the Yo-Yo Test or 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test may be more sport-specific in some settings.
In Measurz, record:
Final level and shuttle
Estimated VO₂max, if used
Test version or audio file
Surface
Footwear
Group or individual testing
Heart rate
RPE
Reason for stopping
Symptoms
Turning or pacing notes
Recent fatigue or training load
Example note:
“Beep Test completed on indoor court using standard 20 m audio. Final score: level 9 shuttle 6. Peak HR 188 bpm. RPE 9/10. Stopped due to fatigue. No pain. Turning quality reduced in final two levels.”
Time Trial Test
Yo-Yo Test
30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test
Cooper 12-Minute Run Test
6-Minute Walk Test
2-Minute Step-in-Place Test
Fatigue
Sleep Quality and Quantity
Training Load
It measures progressive 20 m shuttle-running performance and is commonly used to estimate aerobic fitness.
The score is the final level and shuttle completed before the client stops or can no longer maintain the required pace.
Not directly. It can estimate VO₂max using prediction equations, but it does not directly measure VO₂max like laboratory gas analysis.
Yes, strong international norms exist for children and youth aged 9–17 years. Adult and sport-specific interpretation should use matched protocols and populations where possible.
No. It is a maximal running test and may not be appropriate for clients with pain, recent injury, poor turning tolerance or medical risk factors.
The Beep Test is a practical 20 m shuttle-run assessment of aerobic fitness.
The main score is final level and shuttle.
High-quality international norms exist for youth aged 9–17 years.
VO₂max estimates should be interpreted cautiously.
Measurz should record the setup, score, audio version, RPE, heart rate and reason for stopping.
Léger, L. A., & Gadoury, C. (1989). Validity of the 20 m shuttle run test with 1 min stages to predict VO₂max in adults. Canadian Journal of Sport Sciences, 14(1), 21–26.
Léger, L. A., & Lambert, J. (1982). A maximal multistage 20 m shuttle run test to predict VO₂max. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 49(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00428958
Léger, L. A., Mercier, D., Gadoury, C., & Lambert, J. (1988). The multistage 20 metre shuttle run test for aerobic fitness. Journal of Sports Sciences, 6(2), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640418808729800
Mayorga-Vega, D., Aguilar-Soto, P., & Viciana, J. (2015). Criterion-related validity of the 20 m shuttle run test for estimating cardiorespiratory fitness: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 14(3), 536–547.
Tomkinson, G. R., Lang, J. J., Tremblay, M. S., Dale, M., LeBlanc, A. G., Belanger, K., Ortega, F. B., & Léger, L. (2017). International normative 20 m shuttle run values from 1,142,026 children and youth representing 50 countries. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(21), 1545–1554. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-095987
