Ohio Police Academy Physical Requirements by Age and Gender

To enter an Ohio police academy, you must pass a three-event physical fitness test — one minute of sit-ups, one minute of push-ups, and a 1.5-mile run — at entry-level benchmarks set by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC). The Ohio police academy physical requirements then step up: by graduation, you must hit significantly higher numbers for the same three events to earn your peace officer certification. The specific scores you need depend on your age and sex.

The Three Fitness Events

Every OPOTC-approved academy uses the same three events, scored the same way.

  • Sit-ups (one minute). You lie on your back with knees bent and feet held by a partner, fingers interlaced behind your head. A repetition counts when your elbows touch your knees and your shoulder blades return to the floor. The clock runs 60 seconds.
  • Push-ups (one minute). You hold a rigid, straight body and lower until your chest touches a standardized block. Sagging hips or an arched back disqualifies the rep. You get 60 seconds.
  • 1.5-mile run. You cover the distance on a flat, measured course as fast as you can. No pacing help, no outside assistance.1The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety. Police Officer – Physical Fitness Standards

On test day the events typically run in that order, with a short rest between sit-ups and push-ups before you head out for the run.

Entrance Standards by Age and Sex

You must pass the fitness test before your first day of class, and the passing result is valid for 150 days, so you can test well in advance of the academy start date.2Central Ohio Technical College. Peace Officer Basic Training The entrance bar is lower than the graduation bar on purpose, giving you room to improve during training.

Entrance minimums for the most commonly asked-about brackets:

  • Males, 29 and under: 32 sit-ups, 19 push-ups, 14:34 run.
  • Females, 29 and under: 23 sit-ups, 9 push-ups, 17:49 run.
  • Males, 40–49: 22 sit-ups, 10 push-ups, 15:58 run.
  • Females, 40–49: 13 sit-ups, 5 push-ups, 19:32 run.1The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety. Police Officer – Physical Fitness Standards

Standards for the 30–39 and 50–59 brackets fall between and beyond these numbers. Full charts are published by every OPOTC-approved academy and by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.3Ohio Attorney General. Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy

Graduation Standards by Age and Sex

By the end of basic training you must meet significantly higher numbers on the same three events. These are the 2025 OPOTA graduation benchmarks, the most recent published standards.4City of Strongsville. 2025 OPOTA Fitness Standards

Males:

  • Age 20–29: 40 sit-ups, 33 push-ups, 11:58 run
  • Age 30–39: 36 sit-ups, 27 push-ups, 12:25 run
  • Age 40–49: 31 sit-ups, 21 push-ups, 13:11 run
  • Age 50–59: 26 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 14:16 run

Females:

  • Age 20–29: 35 sit-ups, 18 push-ups, 14:07 run
  • Age 30–39: 27 sit-ups, 14 push-ups, 14:34 run
  • Age 40–49: 22 sit-ups, 11 push-ups, 15:24 run
  • Age 50–59: 17 sit-ups, 13 push-ups (modified), 17:13 run4City of Strongsville. 2025 OPOTA Fitness Standards

The jump matters. A male under 30 needs 19 push-ups to walk in and 33 to walk out — nearly doubling the count over roughly 15 weeks of training.5Butler Tech. Police Academy Fitness Standards The run time drops by more than two and a half minutes. If you arrive at the floor of the entrance standard, you will spend the academy playing catch-up.

Medical Clearance Before You Can Test

You cannot take the fitness test without a signed medical release. OPOTC uses a standardized form (SF114bas) completed by a physician, osteopath, physician’s assistant, or certified nurse practitioner licensed in Ohio or a neighboring state. Veterans Affairs medical professionals also qualify.6Cuyahoga Community College. SF114bas – Student Health Data

The provider records your height, weight, resting pulse, and blood pressure, and answers yes or no to 16 specific conditions, including uncorrected vision problems, asthma or breathing difficulties, heart attack or angina, stroke, hypertension, back or neck injuries, bone or joint problems, pregnancy, and communicable diseases. Every yes requires a written explanation. The provider then certifies that you can safely take part in strenuous training, including running, jumping, wrestling, self-defense exercises, firearms training, and the fitness assessment itself.6Cuyahoga Community College. SF114bas – Student Health Data

Schedule the exam early. Missing paperwork is one of the most avoidable reasons candidates get held out of a start date.

What Happens If You Fail

If you fail the pre-entrance test, you can retake it. The Ohio Attorney General’s office states the pre-entrance test can be retaken as many times as needed, but you must pass before classes begin.7Ohio Attorney General. Fitness Test to Be Required Before Basic Training Watch the 150-day window: a passing score older than that no longer counts, so testing extremely early can backfire if the academy is months away.2Central Ohio Technical College. Peace Officer Basic Training

Failing the final fitness test at the end of the academy is a harder reset. Under the written-exam rule, students who fail a retest must complete another full basic training course before testing again, and OPOTC applies the same philosophy to physical standards.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 109:2-1-11 – Examination and Retest The standards are not waivable for certification.

How to Prepare

Start training the day you decide to apply, not the week before your test. Your entrance numbers may look reachable, but the graduation numbers are the real target, and you want to arrive at the academy already close to them.

Build your training around the three events. Practice timed one-minute sets of sit-ups and push-ups at least three days a week, and use the form that will actually be counted on test day. Partial reps in practice do not translate to counted reps under a judge. For the run, mix interval work with longer steady runs. If your current 1.5-mile time is over 16 minutes, start with a run-walk pattern and shrink the walking segments each week.

Warm up for seven to ten minutes with dynamic movement — walking, jogging, high knees, jumping jacks — before every session. Save static stretching for afterward, since it can reduce power output when done cold before intense work.

Eight to twelve weeks of consistent training before your first test attempt is a realistic timeline. If you can meet the graduation standards before you ever set foot in the academy, your training weeks go into skills and tactics instead of worrying about the final fitness assessment. That is a very different academy experience from the one most recruits have.