The beep test, bleep test, multi stage fitness test or pacer test is a common fitness test used by police departments, fire departments, sports teams and the army, navy and air force in various countries as a measure of your aerobic fitness.

The beep test is normally administered after you have passed the first few stages of the application process and before you are given a formal job offer or allowed to enlist.

For many people the test is the most challenging component of a battery of fitness tests and therefore preparation for the test is crucial.

The beep test is a type of graded exertion test.  The test consists of running back and forward between two lines 20m (in some cases 15m) apart to a soundtrack of beeps that get closer together as the beep test progresses.

Basically the pace of the test starts out relatively low and increases each minute.  As the pace increases so does the load on your legs, heart and lungs.  Eventually each person reaches a point where they are unable to maintain the required pace and their score is recorded as the number of levels + number of 20m shuttles reached.

The beep test is used because it is easy to administer, reliable and gives a good indication of the basic fitness level of applicants.