Comparison of untrained vs trained soldiers performing the occupational physical assessment test

Abstract

Purpose: Beginning January 2017, all soldiers entering the US Army must pass the Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) to qualify for their job prior to Initial Entry Training (IET). Because the OPAT was developed using trained soldiers, but will be utilized to test untrained recruits, it is important to determine the effects of military physical training on OPAT performance. The purpose of the study was to compare the scores of recruits (R) to that of trained soldiers (T) in order to determine the effect of non-specific Army physical training on OPAT scores.