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How to run the beep test
Everything you need is two cones, a measured track and the correct audio. Here's the setup, what each sound means, and the one pacing rule worth knowing.
Setting up
- Place two cones exactly 20 metres or 15 metres apart on a flat, non-slip surface. Measure it — the test is only as accurate as your course.
- Use the correct recording: the 20m and 15m tests have different timings and level structures.
- Warm up first. The early levels are gentle; the test ends at maximum effort.
Running the test
Start at one cone. On the start tone, run so you reach the far cone on or before the next beep. Turn, wait for the beep if you're early, and continue shuttle after shuttle. You start at 8.0 km/h and the pace rises 0.5 km/h at every level.
- Short beep — end of a shuttle: you should be at a cone.
- Long tone — level change: the pace steps up from the next shuttle. The announcement plays over the running clock; the timing never pauses.
- Call-out version — the level and shuttle ("Level 3 – 5") are spoken after each beep, so you always know your score without a spotter.
When the test ends
You must reach the cone before the beep. Miss it, and you have two shuttles to get back on pace — the usual standard is that the test ends when you fail to reach the line three successive times, or when you retire. Your score is the last level and shuttle you completed on pace, e.g. 9/4.
Pacing: the one rule worth knowing
Don't sprint the early levels. Arriving well before the beep wastes energy you'll want at level 8 and beyond. Aim to arrive on the beep with a controlled turn — even pacing and tight turns are worth a level to most runners.
Next: scoring and norm tables, or set a target with the VO₂max calculator.