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How fit is a student? Has their endurance improved after training? To answer such questions, coaches and teachers use tests to collect information, measurement to record it in numbers, and evaluation to judge what the numbers mean.
This chapter explains these terms and describes the fitness tests in the CBSE syllabus: the Khelo India school fitness tests, the Harvard step test for cardiovascular fitness, the calculation of basal metabolic rate (BMR), and the Rikli and Jones test for older adults.
Learning goals
Define test, measurement and evaluation and explain their importance.
Describe the SAI Khelo India fitness tests for ages 5–8 and 9–18.
Calculate BMI.
Conduct the Harvard step test and calculate the fitness index.
Calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Describe the Rikli and Jones senior citizen fitness test.
Core ideas
1. Test, measurement and evaluation
Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
Test | An instrument or tool used to collect information about a quality | A 50 m sprint |
Measurement | The process of collecting data using a test and expressing it in numbers | Recording the sprint time as 7.8 seconds |
Evaluation | Interpreting and judging the measured data against standards or norms | Deciding that 7.8 seconds is "good" for the athlete's age |
Importance: tests and measurement help to assess fitness, identify talent, classify students into groups, track progress, motivate students, plan training programmes, diagnose weaknesses, and conduct research.
2. SAI Khelo India fitness test in schools
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) designed the Khelo India Fitness Assessment for school students.
Age group 5–8 years (Classes 1–3):
Test | What it measures | How it is done |
|---|---|---|
BMI | Body composition | Weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²) |
Flamingo balance test | Static balance | The student balances on one leg on a beam, holding the other foot; the number of falls in 60 seconds is counted (fewer is better) |
Plate tapping test | Speed of limb movement and coordination | The student taps two discs placed 60 cm apart alternately with one hand, with the other hand placed between them; the time for 25 cycles (50 taps) is recorded |
Age group 9–18 years (Classes 4–12):
Test | What it measures | How it is done |
|---|---|---|
BMI | Body composition | Weight ÷ height² |
50 m speed test | Speed | Sprint 50 m from a standing start; time is recorded |
600 m run/walk | Cardiovascular endurance | Cover 600 m as fast as possible, running or walking; time is recorded |
Sit and reach test | Flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings | Sit with legs straight, feet against a box; reach forward along a scale; the distance reached is recorded |
Partial curl-up | Abdominal strength and endurance | Lie on the back with knees bent; curl up so the fingers slide along the mat; the number of curl-ups in 30 seconds is counted |
Push-ups (boys) / modified push-ups (girls) | Upper body strength and endurance | Push-ups with the body straight; girls do push-ups with knees on the floor; the number completed is counted |
3. Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²)
BMI | Category |
|---|---|
Below 18.5 | Underweight |
18.5–24.9 | Normal |
25–29.9 | Overweight |
30 and above | Obese |
Example. A student weighs 55 kg and is 1.65 m tall. BMI = 55 ÷ (1.65 × 1.65) = 55 ÷ 2.7225 = 20.2, normal.
4. Harvard step test (cardiovascular fitness)
Purpose: to measure cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness and the ability to recover from exercise.
Equipment: a bench or step about 20 inches (50.8 cm) high for men and about 16 inches for women, a stopwatch, and a metronome.
Procedure:
The subject steps up and down the bench at 30 steps per minute (one step every two seconds) for 5 minutes (300 seconds), or until exhaustion.
Immediately after the exercise, the subject sits down.
The pulse is counted for 30 seconds at 1–1.5 minutes, 2–2.5 minutes and 3–3.5 minutes after exercise.
Fitness index (long form):
Fitness index = (100 × test duration in seconds) ÷ (2 × sum of the three pulse counts)
Fitness index (short form):
Fitness index = (100 × test duration in seconds) ÷ (5.5 × pulse count from 1 to 1.5 minutes)
Example. A student completes 300 seconds. Pulse counts: 80, 70 and 60.
Long form: (100 × 300) ÷ (2 × 210) = 30,000 ÷ 420 = 71.4.
Short form: 30,000 ÷ (5.5 × 80) = 30,000 ÷ 440 = 68.2.
Rating (long form): above 90 excellent; 80–89 good; 65–79 high average; 55–64 low average; below 55 poor. So 71.4 is high average.
A lower recovery pulse gives a higher fitness index, showing better cardiovascular fitness.
5. Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
BMR is the minimum energy the body needs at complete rest to maintain basic functions such as breathing, circulation, temperature and cell activity. It accounts for most of the daily energy used by an inactive person.
Factors: BMR is higher in males, younger people, people with more muscle mass, and larger bodies; it falls with age.
Harris–Benedict equations (kcal per day): W = weight in kg, H = height in cm, A = age in years.
Men: BMR = 66.47 + (13.75 × W) + (5.003 × H) − (6.755 × A)
Women: BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 × W) + (1.850 × H) − (4.676 × A)
Example (boy). Age 17, weight 60 kg, height 170 cm.
BMR = 66.47 + (13.75 × 60) + (5.003 × 170) − (6.755 × 17) = 66.47 + 825 + 850.51 − 114.84 = 1,627 kcal per day (approximately).
Example (girl). Age 16, weight 50 kg, height 160 cm.
BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 × 50) + (1.850 × 160) − (4.676 × 16) = 655.1 + 478.15 + 296 − 74.82 = 1,354 kcal per day (approximately).
Total daily energy needs are higher than BMR because of physical activity.
6. Rikli and Jones senior citizen fitness test
Designed by Roberta Rikli and Jessie Jones to assess the functional fitness of older adults (60–94 years), helping them stay independent.
Test | Measures | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
Chair stand test | Lower body strength | Number of full stands from a chair in 30 seconds, with arms folded across the chest |
Arm curl test | Upper body strength | Number of bicep curls in 30 seconds with a dumbbell (about 5 lb (2.27 kg) for women, 8 lb (3.63 kg) for men) |
Chair sit and reach test | Lower body flexibility | Sitting on the edge of a chair with one leg extended, reach towards the toes; the distance between fingertips and toes is measured |
Back scratch test | Upper body flexibility | One hand reaches over the shoulder and the other behind the back; the distance between the middle fingers is measured |
Eight-foot up and go test | Agility and dynamic balance | Time taken to rise from a chair, walk 8 feet around a marker and return to sit |
Six-minute walk test | Aerobic endurance | Distance walked in 6 minutes around a rectangular course |
A reliable approach to questions
Distinguish test, measurement and evaluation with an example.
Match each Khelo India test to the quality it measures and the age group.
Calculate BMI and classify it.
For the Harvard step test, use the right formula (long or short form), compute and interpret.
For BMR, substitute carefully into the correct formula for men or women.
Match each Rikli and Jones test to the quality it measures.
Connections that matter
Training in sports uses fitness test results to plan training.
Sports and nutrition relates BMR to energy needs and weight control.
Physiology and injuries in sport explains the cardiovascular response to exercise.
Common mistakes
Mixing up measurement (collecting numbers) and evaluation (judging them).
Saying a higher recovery pulse means better fitness. A lower pulse gives a higher fitness index.
Using the men's BMR formula for women.
Saying the flamingo balance test measures dynamic balance. It measures static balance.
Revision checklist
I can define test, measurement and evaluation.
I can describe the Khelo India fitness tests for both age groups.
I can calculate and classify BMI.
I can conduct the Harvard step test and calculate the fitness index.
I can calculate BMR for men and women.
I can describe the six Rikli and Jones tests.