IPPT Age Groups: How Much Your Age Is Actually Worth
IPPT has fourteen age groups, and your age group changes everything. The same three numbers that scrape a bare Pass at 21 are a comfortable Silver at 59. This page shows exactly how much your age is worth.
The fourteen age groups
Every IPPT station is scored against your age group, not against a single national standard:
Below 22 · 22–24 · 25–27 · 28–30 · 31–33 · 34–36 · 37–39 · 40–42 · 43–45 · 46–48 · 49–51 · 52–54 · 55–57 · 58–60
They run in three-year bands from 22 upward, with everyone under 22 in a single group. Servicewomen use the same fourteen bands but entirely separate scoring tables.
What your age group is actually worth
This is the clearest way to see it. Take one fixed performance — 30 push-ups, 30 sit-ups and a 13:40 run — and score it in every age group:
| Age group | Push-ups | Sit-ups | Run | Total | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below 22 | 16 | 13 | 23 | 52 | Pass |
| 22-24 | 17 | 14 | 24 | 55 | Pass |
| 25-27 | 17 | 14 | 25 | 56 | Pass |
| 28-30 | 17 | 15 | 27 | 59 | Pass |
| 31-33 | 18 | 16 | 28 | 62 | Pass with Incentive |
| 34-36 | 18 | 17 | 29 | 64 | Pass with Incentive |
| 37-39 | 18 | 18 | 30 | 66 | Pass with Incentive |
| 40-42 | 19 | 18 | 31 | 68 | Pass with Incentive |
| 43-45 | 19 | 19 | 32 | 70 | Pass with Incentive |
| 46-48 | 19 | 19 | 33 | 71 | Pass with Incentive |
| 49-51 | 20 | 20 | 34 | 74 | Pass with Incentive |
| 52-54 | 20 | 20 | 35 | 75 | Silver |
| 55-57 | 21 | 20 | 35 | 76 | Silver |
| 58-60 | 21 | 21 | 36 | 78 | Silver |
Read the ends against each other. That performance is 52 points and a bare Pass under 22. The identical performance is 78 points and Silver at 58 to 60.
Twenty-six points of difference, from nothing but the date on your NRIC.
Notice also where it comes from. Push-ups move from 16 to 21 points across the whole range — five points. Sit-ups move from 13 to 21 — eight. The run moves from 23 to 36 points, which is thirteen points, half the total swing. The 2.4km run is where age relief is concentrated.
What this means in practice
If you are in a younger band, your test is genuinely harder. Not unfair — calibrated — but harder in the sense that the same body doing the same work earns fewer points. Plan for that rather than comparing yourself to an older colleague’s score.
If you are about to change age group, check the timing. Your band is determined by your age, so a birthday between attempts can move you into a more forgiving column. It will not turn a fail into a Gold, but across a three-point band it can be the difference between Pass and Pass with Incentive.
Never use someone else’s targets. The single most common mistake we see is training to a number a friend quoted. Their 13:40 and your 13:40 are not worth the same thing unless you are in the same band.
Find your own numbers
The IPPT calculator scores your reps and timing against your own age group and tells you what you need for the next award. If you would rather read the tables directly, the full IPPT score tables publish every station and every age group, and you can highlight just your own column.
Station by station: push-up reps by score, sit-up reps by score, and 2.4km timings by score. Servicewomen should use the female IPPT calculator — all three tables differ, not just the push-up one.
Frequently asked questions
How many IPPT age groups are there?
Fourteen. Everyone under 22 is in one group, then three-year bands from 22-24 up to 58-60.
Does IPPT get easier as you get older?
The standards get more forgiving. The same performance that scores 52 points at under 22 scores 78 points at 58 to 60 for a serviceman — a 26-point difference from age alone.
Which station changes most with age?
The 2.4km run. Across the full age range it accounts for about half the total swing, roughly 13 points. Push-ups move only about five points.
Do women have the same age groups?
Yes, the same fourteen bands, but every station is scored on a separate table with different benchmarks.
What happens when I move into the next age group?
Your standards ease slightly. Across a single three-year band it can be worth a few points, which is sometimes the difference between Pass and Pass with Incentive.
Can I use my friend’s IPPT targets?
Not unless you are in the same age group and the same gender. Identical reps and timings are worth different points in different bands, which is the most common mistake people make when training.
Sources
All scores on this page are calculated from the IPPT scoring tables the SAF implemented on 1 April 2015, as published by MINDEF, and checked against the official IPPT calculator on the NS Portal. Independent site, no connection to MINDEF, the SAF or CMPB — see our disclaimer.