Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What are the minimum PFT (Physical Fitness Test) standards for ICE agent entry-level candidates in 2025?
Executive summary
ICE’s official PFT page (updated Feb 6, 2025) says the agency’s pre‑employment Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is four timed events and that “selectees must meet or exceed each event’s minimum standards,” but that page does not list the numeric cutoffs in the text snippets available [1]. Multiple secondary guides and reporting describe the four events as sit‑ups, push‑ups, a short sprint (often cited as 220 yards) and a 1.5‑mile run and say each event has minimum scores, but the exact 2025 per‑event minimums are not printed in the provided ICE pages and must be taken from ICE’s authoritative pages or published PFT instructions [1] [2] [3].
1. What ICE itself says: a four‑event PFT with per‑event minimums
ICE’s careers/physical‑fitness page states plainly that the PFT “is a fitness test consisting of 4 timed events” and that selectees “must meet or exceed each event’s minimum standards,” and that trainees must pass the PFT to graduate from HSI Academy [1]. That source frames the PFT as a pass/fail battery with strict protocols and a second‑attempt policy, but the snippet set provided does not include a table of numeric minimums [1].
2. Commonly‑reported event list across guidance and press
Multiple secondary materials and reporting consistently list the four events as: sit‑ups, push‑ups, a short sprint (commonly referenced as 220 yards), and a 1.5‑mile run; Practice4Me’s 2025 guide and several media accounts describe those same events and emphasize that minimums must be met in one session [2] [4]. These sources present the PFT as muscular endurance plus sprint and aerobic components rather than strength or maximal lifts [2] [4].
3. Where numeric minimums appear missing or inconsistent in available reporting
The ICE careers page and the DHS contract/standards PDFs in the search results confirm the test structure but the snippets do not print the numeric cutoffs for push‑ups, sit‑ups, sprint time, or run time [1] [5]. Practice4Me and preparatory vendors claim there are “minimum required scores,” but the exact numbers are not visible in the provided excerpts [2]. Therefore, available sources do not mention the precise per‑event numeric standards in the materials you supplied.
4. Reporting on pass rates and enforcement of standards
Recent press coverage (The Atlantic, Slate, Newsweek) reports that a notable share of recent recruits failed the PFT and that DHS/ICE insist standards remain in force, even while process changes (like earlier checks) were introduced to screen candidates sooner [6] [4] [7]. Newsweek quotes DHS as saying the agency “is not lowering its standards” but is moving fitness checks earlier to improve efficiency; The Atlantic reports internal concern that screening has been loosened in practice to expand recruitment [6] [7].
5. Training vendors and prep materials reflect but may not equal official thresholds
Commercial PFT training plans from Mountain Tactical Institute and other prep sites map workouts to the four events and claim to prepare candidates for ICE’s PFT, but these are derivative products and not authoritative policy; they reflect the test structure rather than official numeric cutoffs [8] [9]. Use them for preparation, not as legal confirmation of pass marks [8] [9].
6. What you should do next to get exact 2025 minimums
Because ICE’s official PFT page confirms the battery and pass/fail nature but the provided snippets do not list numbers, the only reliable step is to consult the full ICE Physical Fitness Test page or PFT administrative instructions/FAQ PDFs published by ICE or DHS for the specific numeric minimums [1] [5]. If you want, I can pull the full ICE PFT page or available ICE PFT PDF and extract the exact per‑event numeric standards and retest policy from the authoritative documents [1] [5].
Limitations and competing perspectives: ICE’s official materials (careers page) present a clear four‑event, per‑event minimum model [1]. Media outlets report operational strains — many recruits failing and internal debate about screening rigor — and DHS statements push back that standards are unchanged while processes shifted earlier [7] [6]. The provided search results do not include a snippet showing the numeric cutoffs, so I cannot state the exact 2025 minimums from these sources alone (available sources do not mention the numeric cutoffs in the supplied excerpts).