Q.In the Harvard Step Test, the pulse used in the CBSE-prescribed formula is counted during which interval after the exercise stops?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →In the CBSE-prescribed Harvard Step Test formula, the single pulse count used is the raw 30-second count taken 1 to 1.5 minutes after exercise stops — it is not doubled to a per-minute rate.
The Harvard Step Test measures cardiovascular fitness by seeing how quickly your heart rate recovers after a standardised stepping exercise. The key insight is that a fitter heart recovers faster — its pulse drops more in the first minute after stopping. That's why the timing of the pulse count matters so much.
The CBSE-prescribed formula is:
PFI = (Duration of exercise in seconds × 100)/(5.5 × Pulse count (1 to 1.5 min after exercise))
The pulse count in the denominator is the raw number of heartbeats counted over 30 seconds, taken specifically during the interval 1 minute to 1.5 minutes after the exercise ends. You do not double it to get a per-minute rate — that would halve the PFI and put a fit person into the wrong band.
A common mistake is to count the pulse from 0 to 30 seconds (option a) or to use a later interval. The CBSE formula is explicit: only the 1 to 1.5 minute count is used. Counting earlier gives a higher pulse (lower PFI, unfairly poor score); counting later gives a lower pulse (higher PFI, falsely good score).
Now let's look at each option:
- (a) 0 to 30 seconds — This is the immediate recovery period. The pulse is still very high from the exercise, so using this would give an artificially low PFI. Not correct. …
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