List the fitness test items prescribed under the SAI Khelo India Fitness Test for the 5–8 years age group (Cla

Concept understanding — SAI Khelo India Fitness Test

SAI Khelo India Fitness Test

The SAI Khelo India Fitness Test is a school-level physical fitness assessment carried out under India's Khelo India movement, coordinated through the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Its purpose is not to pick out champion athletes but to give every student — whatever their sporting ability — a simple, standardised snapshot of their own physical fitness, in the same spirit as a routine medical check-up.

The idea behind any national school fitness-testing programme is straightforward: fitness cannot be judged from appearance, or from how a student performs in one favourite sport alone. A student may run well but lack flexibility; another may be very flexible but weak in the arms. A standardised test battery — a fixed set of simple tasks, performed the same way with the same equipment everywhere — makes it possible to measure different aspects of fitness fairly, and to compare a student's results against age-and-gender norms and against their own earlier scores.

Programmes of this kind generally look at a spread of fitness qualities together rather than just one — strength, endurance, flexibility, speed and agility are the qualities most commonly assessed, because together they give a rounded picture of how a body moves and copes with physical demand. These qualities are typically measured through simple, low-equipment tasks: timed runs, standing jumps, push-ups or curl-ups, reach tests, and shuttle runs are common examples. Several such individual tests — each with its own precise procedure and scoring — are covered separately elsewhere in this chapter's test-and-measurement content.

Important

A national fitness test of this kind is a screening and awareness tool, not a pass/fail examination. There is no minimum score a student must clear. The results are meant to show a student, and their teacher, where fitness is already good and where focused practice would help — and to track that progress across repeat tests over time. …

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The SAI Khelo India Fitness Test for the 5–8 years age group (Classes 1–3) prescribes the following five test items:

Test Item	Fitness Component Measured
Partial Curl-up (abdominal crunches for 30 seconds)	Abdominal strength & endurance
Push-ups (modified, from knees, for 30 seconds)	Upper body strength & endurance
Sit and Reach (flexibility test)	Flexibility (primarily hamstring and lower back)
20-metre Shuttle Run (PACER test, progressive beeps)	Cardiorespiratory endurance (aerobic capacity)
4×10-metre Shuttle Run (agility run)	Speed & agility (anaerobic power and change of direction)

Note

The 20-metre shuttle run (PACER) is the aerobic component; the 4×10-metre shuttle run is a separate agility test. Do not confuse the two — they measure different fitness components. …

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The SAI Khelo India Fitness Test for ages 5–8 (Classes 1–3) includes six items: Partial Curl-up, Push-ups (modified), Squats, Front Plank, Back Plank, and Sit and Reach — each measuring a specific fitness component like muscular endurance, strength, flexibility, or core stability.

The SAI Khelo India Fitness Test is a standardized battery designed to assess physical fitness in Indian schoolchildren. For the youngest group — ages 5 to 8 years, covering Classes 1 to 3 — the test items are carefully chosen to be safe, developmentally appropriate, and to measure foundational fitness components. Understanding which component each item tests is crucial because it tells you what aspect of fitness the child is developing or lacking.

Here is the complete list of prescribed test items for this age group, along with the specific fitness component each one measures.

1. Partial Curl-up — Measures abdominal muscular endurance. The child lies on their back with knees bent and feet flat, arms straight and reaching forward. They curl up, sliding their fingers forward 10 cm, and return. The number of correct repetitions in 30 seconds is recorded. This tests how long the core muscles can sustain repeated contractions, not raw strength.

2. Push-ups (modified) — Measures upper body muscular endurance. For this age group, the modified version is used: the child starts in a plank position but with knees on the ground, hands shoulder-width apart. They lower the chest to the floor and push back up. The count in 30 seconds reflects the endurance of the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

3. Squats — Measures lower body muscular endurance. The child stands with feet shoulder-width apart, then bends the knees to lower the hips as if sitting in a chair, keeping the back straight, and returns to standing. The number of correct squats in 30 seconds is counted. This tests the endurance of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.

4. Front Plank — Measures core strength and stability. The child holds a straight-body plank position on forearms and toes (or knees for a modified version) for as long as possible, up to a maximum of 60 seconds. The time held is recorded. This is an isometric test of the entire core musculature, including the abdominals, lower back, and hips. …

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Q.List the fitness test items prescribed under the SAI Khelo India Fitness Test for the 5–8 years age group (Class 1–3) and state the fitness component each item measures.

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