Beep Test Score by Age: Average and Good Levels (Chart)
Run these workouts on your iPhone, or hands-free on Apple Watch. Get PEAKVO2 A good beep test score depends on your age and sex, because the same level means very different fitness at 25 than at 55. As a general rule, a good score is around Level 10 for a man and Level 7 for a woman in their 20s, dropping by roughly one level per decade after that. Average for most adults sits two to three levels below good.
The reason a single number like "Level 9" cannot be labeled good or bad on its own is that VO2 max, which the beep test estimates, declines with age. A Level 9 finish is merely average for a man in his 20s but genuinely good for a man in his 50s. This chart translates that into concrete average and good levels for every decade, so you can see exactly where your score stands.
Beep Test Score by Age Chart
The levels below are the point where a score crosses into "average" and into "good" for each age group. They are derived by taking the normative VO2 max values for each age and sex from The Cooper Institute and ACSM data, then converting them to a beep test level with the standard Ramsbottom equation. The method is explained under the chart.
| Age | Men: Average | Men: Good | Women: Average | Women: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | Level 7 to 8 | Level 10 | Level 5 | Level 7 to 8 |
| 30-39 | Level 7 | Level 9 | Level 5 | Level 7 |
| 40-49 | Level 6 | Level 8 to 9 | Level 4 | Level 6 |
| 50-59 | Level 5 | Level 7 to 8 | Level 3 to 4 | Level 5 to 6 |
| 60-69 | Level 4 | Level 6 to 7 | Level 3 | Level 5 |
Levels are approximate and rounded to the nearest full level. "Average" is the population midpoint for that age and sex; "Good" is the threshold into the above-average range.
Reading it is simple: find your age row and your sex, and compare your best beep test level. If you land at or above the "Good" column, your aerobic fitness is strong for your age. If you are between the two columns, you are in the normal range. Below "Average" is where the largest health gains are available from training.
How These Numbers Are Derived
Beep test score norms are not measured directly for every age; instead, they follow from VO2 max norms, because the beep test is a VO2 max estimate. Two well established pieces of research make the translation possible:
- The level to VO2 max conversion. Ramsbottom et al., 1988 established that VO2 max in ml/kg/min is approximately 11.5 plus 3.5 times your final level. So Level 9 is about 43, and Level 11 is about 50.
- VO2 max norms by age and sex. The Cooper Institute's data, published in ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, sets the percentile cutoffs for what is average and good at each age. These are the same norms in our VO2 max chart by age.
Combining the two gives the beep level that corresponds to a good or average VO2 max at each age. For example, a good VO2 max for a man in his 40s is about 42, and 42 converts to roughly Level 9, which is why the chart shows Level 8 to 9 as good for that group.
VO2 Max Behind Each Level
Because the whole chart runs on VO2 max, here is the direct conversion for the levels most people reach, so you can read your score either way.
| Final Level | Estimated VO2 Max (ml/kg/min) |
|---|---|
| Level 5 | 29 |
| Level 6 | 32.5 |
| Level 7 | 36 |
| Level 8 | 39.5 |
| Level 9 | 43 |
| Level 10 | 46.5 |
| Level 11 | 50 |
| Level 12 | 53.5 |
To turn any beep test level into a VO2 max and an age adjusted category in one step, use the VO2 max calculator and pick the beep test option.
What Is a Good Beep Test Score for a Teenager?
Youth are a separate case, and the adult chart above does not apply to them. Schools and youth sports use the same 20 meter shuttle run, often called the PACER, but they score it against age and sex specific Healthy Fitness Zones set by The Cooper Institute's FitnessGram program rather than adult percentiles. Teenagers also carry naturally high relative VO2 max, so the healthy bar is higher than many parents expect.
As rough guidance, a 14-year-old boy typically needs around Level 6 to reach the healthy zone, with Level 8 and above counting as strong; a 14-year-old girl sits a little lower, around Level 4 to 5 for the healthy zone. The exact cut points rise with each year of age and are published by FitnessGram, so for a school assessment the official Healthy Fitness Zone for that specific age and sex is the number that matters, not the adult chart.
How to Improve Your Beep Test Score
Your beep test level rises when your VO2 max rises, and the fastest way to raise VO2 max is high-intensity interval training. The two best documented protocols are the Norwegian 4x4, four rounds of four minutes near your maximum, and short all-out efforts like REHIT. Underneath the hard sessions, easy zone 2 base work builds the aerobic engine that lets you hold the later levels. Practicing the shuttle itself, especially the turns, is worth one to two levels on its own. For the full method, see how to improve your VO2 max.
Test Yourself in PEAKVO2
The simplest way to get your level and track it over time is to let the app run the test. PEAKVO2 has the beep test built into its Tests tab: mark 20 meters, tap Start, and it plays the shuttle audio, counts your level and shuttle on screen, and turns your last full shuttle into an estimated VO2 max and an age adjusted category the moment you tap STOP. Retest every few weeks under the same conditions to watch your number climb, and the same app runs the interval workouts that make it climb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good beep test score by age?
For men, a good score is about Level 10 in your 20s, Level 9 in your 30s, Level 8 to 9 in your 40s, Level 7 to 8 in your 50s, and Level 6 to 7 in your 60s. For women it is roughly two levels lower at each age: about Level 7 to 8 in your 20s down to Level 5 in your 60s. These follow from good VO2 max norms for each age converted to beep test levels.
What is a good beep test score for a 14-year-old?
Around Level 6 puts a 14-year-old boy in the healthy zone, with Level 8 and above counting as strong; a 14-year-old girl is a little lower at about Level 4 to 5. Youth are scored against FitnessGram Healthy Fitness Zones by age and sex rather than the adult chart, and the cut points rise each year, so check the official zone for the exact age.
What is the average beep test score for an adult?
Average is about Level 7 for a man and Level 5 for a woman in their 20s and 30s, falling by roughly one level per decade after that. Average corresponds to the population midpoint VO2 max for that age and sex.
How does beep test level convert to VO2 max?
VO2 max in ml/kg/min is approximately 11.5 plus 3.5 times your final level, from the Ramsbottom equation. So Level 7 is about 36, Level 9 is about 43, and Level 11 is about 50.
Does a good beep test score really drop with age?
Yes. VO2 max declines with age, so the level that marks "good" falls by roughly one level per decade. A Level 9 that is only average for a man in his 20s is a good score for a man in his 50s. Comparing your score to your own age group is the only fair reading.
Keep Reading
- The Beep Test: How It Works, Score Tables, and What Your Result Means
- Beep Test for Soccer: Scores by Position and Standards
- VO2 Max by Age: Chart of Normative Scores
- The Cooper Test: 12-Minute Run to Estimate Your VO2 Max
- How to Improve Your VO2 Max
References
- Ramsbottom R, Brewer J, Williams C. A progressive shuttle run test to estimate maximal oxygen uptake. Br J Sports Med. 1988;22(4):141-144. PubMed
- Léger LA, Mercier D, Gadoury C, Lambert J. The multistage 20 metre shuttle run test for aerobic fitness. J Sports Sci. 1988;6(2):93-101. PubMed
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 11th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2021. Normative VO2 max data from The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX.