Preparing for · Fire Service
Fire service fitness: train to 8.8.
UK fire and rescue services assess aerobic fitness against a benchmark of roughly 42.3 VO₂max — about level 8.8 on the 20 metre bleep test. It’s a career-long standard, not just an entry hurdle.
Instant MP3 · works offline at the track · money-back guarantee
The requirement
What you're being asked to do
Where a service uses the shuttle run, the benchmark corresponds to roughly level 8.8 on the 20 metre bleep test; many services assess the same standard on the Chester Treadmill Test instead. Either way, the bleep test is the most practical way to train for and track it — an unambiguous, repeatable target you can test weekly with two cones and a speaker.
Firefighter fitness is retested throughout your career, so the recording stays useful long after selection.
- Benchmark: ~42.3 VO₂max — about level 8.8 on the 20m test
- Some services test on the Chester Treadmill Test instead
- Standards are maintained in-service, not just at entry
- Confirm the assessment format with your service
The road there
Level by level to 8.8
From the 20m test's verified timing manifest.
| Level | Shuttles | Speed | Per shuttle | Ends at | Distance | Est. VO₂max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 8.0 km/h | 9.00 s | 1:03 | 140 m | 20.6 |
| 2 | 8 | 8.5 km/h | 8.47 s | 2:11 | 300 m | 23.6 |
| 3 | 8 | 9.0 km/h | 8.00 s | 3:15 | 460 m | 26.6 |
| 4 | 9 | 9.5 km/h | 7.58 s | 4:23 | 640 m | 29.6 |
| 5 | 9 | 10.0 km/h | 7.20 s | 5:28 | 820 m | 32.6 |
| 6 | 9 | 10.5 km/h | 6.86 s | 6:29 | 1,000 m | 35.6 |
| 7 | 10 | 11.0 km/h | 6.55 s | 7:35 | 1,200 m | 38.6 |
| 8 | 10 | 11.5 km/h | 6.26 s | 8:38 | 1,400 m | 41.6 |
| 9 | 11 | 12.0 km/h | 6.00 s | 9:44 | 1,620 m | 44.6 |
Get it
Ready for assessment day
Every purchase includes all four tests — both shuttle distances and both cadence tests — in both audio versions.
Instant download
MP3 download
- All four tests — 20m, 15m, sit-up, press-up
- Both versions: with and without call-outs
- Every beep verified to ±5 ms
- On your phone in two minutes
Money-back guarantee
Posted to you
Audio CD
- Everything in the download, on CD
- MP3 download included
- Same-day dispatch before 3pm
- Royal Mail First Class
Money-back guarantee
Questions
Fire Service test FAQs
Is 8.8 a hard target?
It’s a genuine training target — around nine minutes of running with the pace rising every level. Most reasonably fit applicants get there with a structured few weeks.
Will I definitely do a shuttle run?
Not necessarily — many services assess the same VO₂max benchmark on a treadmill. The bleep test remains the simplest way to train and self-test either way.
Your assessment date is set.
Be ready for the exact beeps you'll hear in the hall.