Q.A student obtains a Physical Fitness Index of 46 on the Harvard Step Test. According to the prescribed interpretation bands, his cardio-vascular fitness is classified as:
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The prescribed scale has only three bands — up to 49 = Poor, 50 to 80 = Average, 81 and above = Good. A Physical Fitness Index of 46 is at or below 49, so it is classified Poor. "Excellent" is not one of the bands.
Where the number 46 comes from
The Physical Fitness Index (PFI) is the score of the Harvard Step Test. The subject steps on a bench (20 inches for men, 16 inches for women) at 30 complete cycles per minute for 5 minutes; then, sitting, the pulse is counted for the 30-second window from 1 minute to 1.5 minutes after the exercise.
PFI = (Duration of exercise in seconds × 100)/(5.5 × Pulse count from 1 to 1.5 min after exercise)
- Duration in seconds — 300 for a full 5-minute test; the actual seconds if the subject stops early.
- Pulse count — the raw 30-second recovery count, used as counted (never doubled).
The index is a ratio of work done to how hard the heart is still working afterwards. A fit heart drops its rate quickly, so the denominator is small and the index is large. A slow-recovering heart keeps the pulse high, the denominator stays big, and the index comes out low. A score of 46 therefore tells you the pulse was still elevated a full minute after the test ended.
Placing 46 on the prescribed scale
| Physical Fitness Index | Rating |
|---|---|
| Up to 49 | Poor |
| 50 to 80 | Average |
| 81 and above | Good |
These are the only three bands. There is no "Excellent", no "Very Good", no "Below Average".
- Test the top band: is 46 ≥ 81? No.
- Test the middle band: is 50 ≤ 46 ≤ 80? No — 46 is below 50.
- Test the bottom band: is 46 ≤ 49? Yes.
So the classification is Poor.
The commonest error here is to reach for a five-level scale (Poor / Below Average / Average / Good / Excellent) borrowed from some other fitness test. Do not import bands from elsewhere — this scale has three levels, and a student who writes "Excellent" as an option's rating is describing a band that does not exist.
What the student should do about it …
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