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Join today<\/a><\/p>\n \n Already a member? I\u2019ve tried the Royal Navy Fitness test<\/a>. I\u2019ve tried the RAF one too<\/a>. So I thought that tackling the prison<\/a> PE instructor test would be nothing I haven\u2019t done before.<\/p>\n I was wrong. After three days of fitness tests<\/a> and coaching assessments, candidates face a mental and physical gut check: a three-round, 12-move circuit of bodyweight movements<\/a> in which each exercise is interspersed with a chunk of running<\/a>.<\/p>\n Barrelling from the bleep test into this new round proved to be a much bigger challenge than I\u2019d anticipated. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s how you can try the workout yourself – and how I fared when tackling it. <\/p>\n How to do the prison PE instructor fitness test <\/p>\n<\/p>\n There are many parts to the prison PE fitness instructor test. Over the course of three days, you are judged on your ability to coach a wide array of sports and exercises, as well as your nature and mindset \u2013 whether you are good under pressure and effective at encouraging others, for example. It\u2019s not just about what you do during the various tests, but also how you go about doing it. <\/p>\n Within these three days of assessments, you need to reach at least level 8.2 on the bleep test, hold a riot shield at a 45-degree angle for 90 seconds and tackle the workout below.<\/p>\n Complete the circuit below three times through. Before you start, complete two laps of a large sports hall (eight badminton courts), then run another lap between each exercise. When you have done all three rounds, run five further laps to finish the workout. <\/p>\n Burpee x12 Press-up x12 Astride jump x12 Sit-up x12 Alternate squat thrust x12 Dorsal raise x12 Squat thrust x12 Dip x12 Tuck jump x12 Crunch x12 Squat x12 <\/p>\n The aim is to complete this work within a 40-minute window. During the workout, instructors watch your attitude closely, looking out for those who approach the test with zeal, perform the exercises correctly and offer encouragement to others around them.<\/p>\n Read more: How to start strength training and see results at any age, according to a top muscle growth expert<\/a><\/p>\n What happened when I took the prison PE instructor test <\/p>\n Part one: the bleep test<\/p>\n On a miserable midweek morning, I drove three hours to Lilleshall Hall National Sports Centre in Shropshire.<\/p>\n Formerly \u201cfootball\u2019s Hogwarts,\u201d hosting the likes of Bobby Moore and Michael Owen at its various residential academies, the enormous estate is now home to the Prison Service College of Physical Education. This is where future prison PE instructors are trained. <\/p>\n Within minutes of arriving, I found myself in a sports hall alongside 10 prospective candidates. Each one stands along a black line, wearing an immaculate white top neatly tucked into dark shorts. The bleep test is imminent.<\/p>\n I take my place at the end of the line, we whizz through a warm-up, then several shrill beeps sound from a large speaker in the corner \u2013 we\u2019re off. <\/p>\n For those unfamiliar with the bleep test: we run as a unit to a line 20 metres away. When another beep sounds, we run back again. Every few lengths, you reach a new level and the beeps become slightly faster. The aim is to keep doing this until you can\u2019t reach the opposite line before the next beep sounds, and the baseline for the prison PE instructor test is reaching level 8.2. <\/p>\n The bleep test is designed to take you to failure, with your legs leaden and no longer able to coordinate a graceful gait. This is an uncomfortable place to be. Approaching the pass mark, one candidate starts to slow down. But their neighbour refuses to let them fall short.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d he urges in a quiet yet forceful voice so that few others can hear. \u201cYou can do this. Keep going. Don\u2019t stop now.\u201d<\/p>\n Together, they make the passing grade. This camaraderie is a constant feature throughout my day in Lilleshall. <\/p>\n The bleep test continues, and I feel my legs growing heavier with each passing shuttle run. Worse, though a few people drop out, certain recruits seem to be coasting along around me. <\/p>\n Competitiveness spurs me on but, eventually, the wheels fall off for me and I call it a day at level 12. <\/p>\n Read more: Gymnastics training can show us the go-to workout for ageing well \u2013 this coach reveals how to start at any age<\/a><\/p>\n Part two: the Prison College\u2019s signature bodyweight workout<\/p>\n When the bleep test wraps up, we are given a few minutes to catch our breath before starting the Prison College\u2019s signature workout \u2013 the 12-move circuit above. With the fire in my thighs still smouldering, I make a slow start. <\/p>\n This quick turnaround is an important part of the test, explains regional PE manager for the south west Andy Dunkerley. Sometimes you can be coaching for hours at a time on the job, while walking between prison wings can easily see your step count rocket to 30,000 or more. Candidates cannot run out of steam or suffer an injury mid-session \u2013 they need to be fit and resilient. <\/p>\n Some of the exercises in the bodyweight workout are more challenging than others. The sit-ups, crunches and squats feel OK, while the burpees and tuck jumps feel sluggish thanks to my pre-fatigued legs. <\/p>\n I resolve to start slowly and build into the workout, and this approach serves me well. As I move, the hangover from the bleep test starts to fade, and halfway through I settle into a somewhat enjoyable rhythm: work, run, work, run, work, run, repeat. Eventually, a tap on the shoulder from Andy tells me I\u2019m done. <\/p>\n
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The test takes place in a sports hall, incorporating a selection of bodyweight exercises and laps of the hall (Harry Bullmore\/The Independent)<\/p>\n![\"My](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/10\/28\/14\/37\/Candidates-tackling-the-bleep-test-in-a-sports-hall-as-part-of-the-prison-PE-instructor-fitness-test.jpeg\")
My day started with the bleep test, where I struggled to keep up with top recruits (Harry Bullmore\/The Independent)<\/p>\n
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Each exercise was performed for 12 repetitions then followed by a lap of the large sports hall (Harry Bullmore\/The Independent)<\/p>\n