Prison Service · Officer
Prison officer fitness test: what level is 5:4?
The Job-Related Fitness Assessment (JRFA) uses the same 15 m shuttle run as the police JRFT, to level 5:4, plus grip strength, a static shield hold and a timed speed and agility course. The shuttle run is one attempt only.
Verified 2026-09-06 against Ministry of Justice — Prison Officer Fitness Testing.
The pass mark
15 m shuttle run (JRFA)
5:4
3 min 35 s · 525 m (35 shuttles) — one attempt only
Grip strength
25 kgf each hand
dynamometer, both hands tested
Static shield hold
6 kg for 1 minute
candidate portal states 7 kg — TO SETTLE on publish
Speed and agility course
34 s
timed course, part of the JRFA
Role standards
Control and Restraint (C&R) Advanced
7:2
Run itGood to know
VO₂ equivalent
The guidance booklet lists 5:4 as approximately VO₂ 34.7 ml/kg/min.
Common questions
What level is the Prison officer (JRFA) bleep test?
15 m shuttle run (JRFA) to level 5:4 (3 min 35 s · 525 m (35 shuttles) — one attempt only).
When do I take the Prison officer (JRFA)?
At the assessment centre, after a conditional offer.
How many attempts do I get?
Three attempts in total: fail the first, retest after 8 weeks, retest again after a further 4 weeks, then a final attempt. A full fail means reapplying after 6 months.
Does the standard change by role?
Yes — 1 roles carry a different standard from the entry-level one. See the role standards below.
Train it yourself
Some of Prison officer (JRFA) doesn't fit a normal training session. Here's what to do for each part.
Vargr builds a plan back from your test dateandSteelRep logs your lifting.
Grip strength
A dynamometer squeeze is a five-second peak-grip test — there's no 40-minute session built around it.
Bolt heavy farmer's walks or loaded carries for time onto the end of two or three sessions a week, 3-5 sets. Add dead hangs from a bar, working toward 30-45 second holds, and finish your last set of any pulling exercise with a thick-bar or towel hold. Stop each set before your grip fails completely.
Static shield hold
Holding a fixed weight still for a minute is a specific isometric skill your bleep sessions don't train.
Twice a week, finish a session with front plate holds — arms extended, holding a light plate, building the time toward a full minute. Isometric front raises (holding the top of a front raise) load the same shoulders the same way. Add a few seconds each week rather than jumping straight to a minute.
Speed and agility course
This is a short, technical shuttle course — practising the turns is what drops your time, not general fitness.
Once a week, when you're fresh, run short shuttle sprints with sharp changes of direction, 5-10 m each way, 6-8 reps, full recovery between. If you know the course's layout, rehearse its actual turns. Keep it short and sharp — never tacked onto the end of a hard session.