{"id":19846,"date":"2017-09-06T15:35:14","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T15:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/06\/tougher-pft-means-fewer-marines-earning-top-scores\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:12:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:12:54","slug":"tougher-pft-means-fewer-marines-earning-top-scores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/modern-day-marine\/2017\/09\/06\/tougher-pft-means-fewer-marines-earning-top-scores\/","title":{"rendered":"Tougher PFT means fewer Marines earning top scores"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fewer Marines are getting first-class scores on the Physical Fitness Test since changes took effect in January, but that is because the test is harder, not because Marines are weaker, a Corps official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this year\u2019s PFT, Marines have had to do more pullups and crunches and run faster to max out scores. The changes are meant to make first-class scores on the PFT a greater achievement for Marines, said Brian McGuire, deputy director of the Marine Corps\u2019 Force Fitness Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of Marines getting top scores on the PFT dropped from about 90 percent to 71.2 percent, but that is in line with the Marine Corps\u2019 expectations, McGuire said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Corps had estimated that roughly 70 percent of Marines would earn first-class scores on the PFT this year, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the key things that the commandant wanted us to do was to be able to distinguish between different levels of fitness among Marines,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cIf 90 percent of Marines were getting first class, how meaningful was earning first class?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t