The Biddle Test (PAT): Events, the 9:34 Standard, and How to Train
Not every department uses the CPAT. Many agencies — especially in California — screen candidates with the Biddle Physical Ability Test (PAT) instead: a validated, timed, pass/fail circuit of firefighting job simulations performed in a weighted ensemble. If a department on your list runs the Biddle, you want to train for the Biddle — the demands rhyme with the CPAT, but the format and the clock are different.
One note first: the training information in this guide is general fitness and preparation information, not medical advice. If you have any health concerns or are new to hard physical training, talk to a qualified medical professional before starting a program.
What is the Biddle test?
The Biddle PAT was developed by Biddle Consulting Group as a job-related, legally validated way to test whether candidates can handle the physical work of firefighting. Unlike the CPAT's eight discrete events, the Biddle is generally run as a continuous circuit — you move from task to task without the CPAT's structured recovery walks, so pacing and cardiovascular control matter enormously. It's used by a number of fire agencies as their physical screen, and it's particularly common across California, where some departments accept a Biddle result the way others accept a CPAT card.
The essentials, with the standard caveat that the administering agency sets the specifics:
- Pass/fail against a time standard. A cutoff of 9 minutes 34 seconds is the figure most commonly cited for the Biddle PAT — but treat it as indicative, not universal, and confirm the standard your department actually uses.
- Performed in a weighted ensemble simulating turnout gear and an SCBA. The exact load is set by the agency.
- Continuous circuit format. The events flow together; there isn't a CPAT-style mandatory walk between each one, which changes how you spend your heart rate.
- Job-simulation events drawn from real fireground tasks (hose work, ladder work, a crawl/search, forcible-entry-style striking, and a victim rescue drag are typical), but the exact events, order, distances, and loads vary by administering agency.
- Verify everything with the testing agency. Standards, events, dress code, fees, orientation and practice availability, and how long a result is honored all differ by site and department.
The kinds of events you'll face
Because the Biddle is administered by different agencies with local variations, there is no single canonical event list the way there is for the CPAT. What's consistent is the type of work — the Biddle, like any validated firefighter physical test, is built to sample the real physical demands of the job. Expect tasks along these lines:
- Hose deployment and advance. Pulling and advancing a hoseline — dry and/or charged — over a distance. Legs, hips, and grip.
- Ladder work. Removing, carrying, raising, and/or extending a ground ladder under control. Shoulders, grip, and technique — dropping or losing control of a ladder is where careless candidates lose the event.
- A crawl or confined-space search. Moving on hands and knees through a restricted space in the vest. Composure and body control more than raw strength.
- A striking or forcible-entry task. Driving a sled or measuring device with a heavy tool — hip rotation and cumulative grip.
- A victim rescue drag. Moving a weighted mannequin a set distance. Posterior chain and legs, late in the circuit when you're already spent.
- A hose hoist or rope pull. Hauling a load hand-over-hand — grip and upper-back endurance.
Treat that as a representative menu, not a script. The single most valuable thing you can do is get the exact event list, sequence, distances, loads, and time standard from the agency you'll test through and train specifically against it.
Biddle vs. the CPAT
If you're deciding how to train, the format differences matter more than the physical ones:
| Biddle (PAT) | CPAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Biddle Consulting Group | IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative |
| Format | Continuous timed circuit of job-simulation events | 8 standardized events in a fixed sequence, with mandatory walks between |
| Time standard | Commonly cited at 9:34; set by the administering agency | 10:20 for all eight events |
| Recovery | Little to none built in — pacing is on you | Structured walks between events serve as recovery |
| Load | Weighted ensemble; specifics set by the agency | 50-lb vest (75 lbs on the stair climb) |
| Where you'll see it | A number of agencies, many in California | Widely used nationally by CPAT-licensed departments |
The overlap in physical demands is large — both tests punish weak grip, weak legs, and a thin aerobic base, and both reward pacing and technique. If you're genuinely ready for one, you're most of the way to the other. But the Biddle's continuous format tends to expose a weak aerobic base faster than the CPAT's walk-recovery structure does, so if the Biddle is your test, weight your training toward sustained work capacity. For the CPAT side, see the CPAT training plan and the full CPAT event breakdown.
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How to train for the Biddle
You don't need a Biddle-specific secret program — you need the same firefighter physical base, trained toward continuous output. Principles:
1. Build a deep aerobic base, then add load. The continuous circuit is unforgiving if your engine is small. Steady-state cardio (incline walking, stair machine, rucking) several times a week, then progressive weighted-vest work once the base is there — start well under your test load and build.
2. Train grip and forearm endurance deliberately. Hose, ladder, striking, drag, hoist — grip is the thread through every firefighter physical test, and it fatigues cumulatively. Farmer's carries, dead hangs, thick-grip and towel pulls, and rope pulls, trained after your main work when your forearms are already tired.
3. Build legs and the posterior chain. Deadlift variations, squats, lunges, weighted step-ups, and sled drags or pushes cover the hose advance, ladder work, and rescue drag.
4. Don't neglect shoulders and core. Ladder raises and any overhead work reward shoulder stability and controlled technique; overhead presses, pulldowns or pull-ups, and loaded carries build it.
5. Rehearse continuous output. As test day nears, string mixed-task circuits together with minimal rest, in a vest, to teach your body to keep working through the specific cumulative fatigue a continuous circuit produces. If your testing site offers an orientation or practice run, that's the highest-value session on your calendar.
A reasonable runway for most reasonably active candidates is a few months of progressive preparation, longer from a low fitness base. There is no program that guarantees a pass — anyone selling one is selling something.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Biddle test?
The Biddle Physical Ability Test (PAT) is a validated, timed, pass/fail firefighter physical test developed by Biddle Consulting Group. It runs as a continuous circuit of job-simulation events in a weighted ensemble, and is used by a number of agencies — many of them in California — as an alternative to the CPAT.
What is the Biddle test passing time?
A standard of 9 minutes 34 seconds is commonly cited for the Biddle PAT, but the passing time, event list, and loading are set by the administering agency and can vary. Always confirm the exact standard with the department or testing site you will test through.
Is the Biddle test the same as the CPAT?
No. They are separate programs. The CPAT is the IAFF/IAFC national standard of eight fixed events at a 10:20 time limit; the Biddle PAT is a different validated circuit with its own events and time standard, common among California agencies. The physical demands overlap heavily, but the format and standards differ.
Do I wear a weighted vest for the Biddle test?
The Biddle PAT is performed in a weighted ensemble meant to simulate turnout gear and an SCBA, but the exact load and dress requirements are set by the administering agency. Verify what you will wear and carry with your testing site before test day.
How do I train for the Biddle test?
Train the same base as the CPAT: aerobic capacity under load, grip and forearm endurance, legs and posterior chain, and shoulders and core — then rehearse moving continuously through mixed tasks in a weighted vest. This is general fitness information, not medical advice; consult a qualified professional before starting a program.
If you're building toward a test date, Tailboard Academy's CPAT and Biddle training plans lay out these same principles as structured, progressive programming — conditioning, grip work, and event-specific preparation you can follow week to week. No shortcuts, no guarantees — just an organized way to show up ready.
This guide is an independent educational resource. The Biddle Physical Ability Test is a program of Biddle Consulting Group, and the CPAT is a registered program of the IAFF and IAFC; this guide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated on behalf of Biddle Consulting Group, the IAFF, the IAFC, or any fire department. Test details, events, loads, fees, scheduling, and time standards vary by administering agency — always verify current requirements directly with the testing agency and department you're applying to.