Q.A student steps for the full 5 minutes in the Harvard Step Test. His pulse count from 1 to 1.5 minutes after exercise is 54 beats. Compute his Physical Fitness Index and state the fitness category.

This is a Numerical question. You are given the raw data and the prescribed formula, so the answer must show the substitution, the arithmetic, and the final band.

The formula is:

PFI = (Duration in seconds × 100)/(5.5 × Pulse count (1–1.5 min))

The student stepped for the full 5 minutes, so the duration is exactly 300 seconds. The pulse count given is the raw 30-second count of 54 beats — you do not double it to 108.

Substitute:

PFI = (300 × 100)/(5.5 × 54) = 30000/297

Now divide:

30000/297 ≈ 101.01 …

The Harvard Step Test is a cardiovascular fitness test that measures how quickly your heart rate recovers after a standardised bout of stepping. The core idea is simple: a fitter heart recovers faster, so a lower pulse count after exercise yields a higher PFI. The formula prescribed by the CBSE syllabus uses only a single 30-second pulse count taken from 1 to 1.5 minutes after exercise — not the three-pulse variant sometimes seen elsewhere.

Let’s define each term clearly:

• Duration of exercise in seconds: The student stepped for the full 5 minutes, so this is 5 × 60 = 300 seconds.
• Pulse count: This is the raw 30-second count taken between 1 minute and 1.5 minutes after exercise. The question gives this as 54 beats. Do not double it to 108 beats per minute — that would be a common error.
• 5.5: A constant in the denominator.

Now substitute the values:

1. Write the formula:

   PFI = (300 × 100)/(5.5 × 54)

2. Multiply numerator: 300 × 100 = 30000

   Multiply denominator: 5.5 × 54 = 297

3. Divide:

   PFI = 30000/297 ≈ 101.01 …