Prospective agents must take the actual fitness test several times throughout their hiring process, and current special agents are also required to take the test regularly to ensure they remain in shape to handle the physical demands of their jobs.

“In an increasingly mobile technological environment, FBI apps help the public connect with us on the devices they use so frequently—their cell phones and tablets,” said Jonathan Cox, chief of the FBI Office of Public Affairs unit that oversaw the creation of the app in partnership with the FBI’s Training and Human Resources Divisions. “Although physical fitness test instructions are available online, the app adds an interactive, mobile element to learning more about this important test,” Cox explained.

The app has two modes:

• Practice mode allows the user to practice each workout in any order and as many times as desired. Practice scores are provided for each workout after completed.
• Testing mode walks the user through a mock FBI Physical Fitness Test to simulate the order in which exercises are completed and the break time between each exercise. Testing mode provides the user with an overall score.

A key feature of the app is video instruction, featuring actual FBI fitness trainers who work with new agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.