The Army retired the tape test and height/weight tables on July 7, 2026. The single standard now is the waist-to-height ratio: your waist at the navel divided by your height. Under 0.55 passes, and it is the same for everyone.
Waist-to-height ratio, the current ABCP standard.
The Army measures in inches. The ratio is the same in either unit as long as both boxes use it.
Measured at the navel (belly button).
Standing height without shoes.
Enter your waist and height to see your waist-to-height ratio.
To pass, your waist must be under 0.55 times your height. Same threshold for everyone.
| Height | Waist must be under |
|---|---|
| 5'0" (60 in) | 33.0 in |
| 5'2" (62 in) | 34.1 in |
| 5'4" (64 in) | 35.2 in |
| 5'6" (66 in) | 36.3 in |
| 5'8" (68 in) | 37.4 in |
| 5'10" (70 in) | 38.5 in |
| 6'0" (72 in) | 39.6 in |
| 6'2" (74 in) | 40.7 in |
| 6'4" (76 in) | 41.8 in |
| 6'6" (78 in) | 42.9 in |
This calculator uses the waist-to-height ratio adopted by Army Directive 2026-13 (effective July 7, 2026): waist at the navel divided by height, in the same unit, recorded to three decimals without rounding, with under 0.55 passing. Results are for reference only. Official measurements are taken by your unit and recorded on DA Form 5500.
For years the Army estimated body fat with the circumference (tape) method under AR 600-9, using neck, waist, and hip measurements plugged into a formula, with maximum body fat percentages that varied by age and sex. That is over. Army Directive 2026-13, effective July 7, 2026, adopted the waist-to-height ratio as the sole Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) standard and discontinued both the tape test and the height and weight screening tables. No secondary method is authorized to challenge a WHtR result.
If you searched for an “Army body fat calculator” or the tape test, the WHtR above is what you now need. It is simpler and, unlike the old method, the same threshold applies to every soldier.
The calculation is deliberately straightforward:
There are no age brackets and no separate male and female scales. Every soldier, including USMA and Senior ROTC cadets, is held to the same 0.55 line. Soldiers are screened at least twice per calendar year, and if the first measurement fails, a second team re-measures the same day before any action is taken.
Under the old policy, a total AFT score of 465 or above exempted a soldier from body fat screening. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded that exemption (formerly Army Directive 2025-17). No AFT score exempts you from the WHtR standard. Fitness performance and body composition are now assessed completely independently: you can max the AFT and still be enrolled in the ABCP if your WHtR is 0.55 or higher.
Units must also leave at least seven days between a soldier’s AFT or Combat Field Test and their WHtR screening. For the fitness side, calculate your total on the AFT calculator; just know it no longer affects your body composition status.
A WHtR of 0.55 or greater means a flag and enrollment in the Army Body Composition Program. Before any action, a second team re-measures you the same duty day to confirm. Active component and AGR soldiers then receive a commander-directed medical exam to rule out an underlying condition; reserve component soldiers may request one at their own expense. You remain enrolled until you meet the standard, at which point commanders remove you administratively.
Two important protections carry over. Existing medical exemptions for pregnant and postpartum soldiers remain in effect. And during the rollout, the Army is running a 180-day assessment of the new standard, and no soldier will be separated for a WHtR failure until that review is complete and further guidance is issued.
The practical path to compliance is reducing waist circumference, which is driven by nutrition and consistent training over weeks to months. Our training guide covers conditioning that supports it, and the directives behind all of this are explained on the AFT regulation page.