Pro Tips for Passing the POPAT on Your First Try

Pro Tips for Passing the POPAT on Your First Try

Published on Nov 4, 2025 | By Training Club

Failing your POPAT is more than just frustrating—it's expensive, it costs you time, and it delays your career. The hard truth is that most applicants who fail aren't in bad shape. They just fail to prepare for the specifics of the test.

The POPAT is a skills test as much as a fitness test. As a coach who trains applicants for this test every single week, I've seen the same small mistakes derail countless careers.

Don't be one of them. Here are 7 pro tips to ensure you pass on your first attempt.

1. Don't Redline the First Lap

The number one mistake is going out too hard. Adrenaline is high, you're amped up, and you sprint the first 1-2 laps of the obstacle course like you're running a 100m dash. By the time you get to the push-pull machine, your heart rate is at its absolute maximum and you have no energy left.

• Pro Tip: Your first lap should be a "controlled sprint," not an all-out panic. Aim for 85-90% effort, focusing on clean technique. Save your final gear for the last lap and the bag carry.

2. Your Shoes Are Your Equipment

This is a huge one. Do not show up in "squishy" long-distance running shoes. Those soft, cushioned soles are built for forward-only motion. On the POPAT, you're making hard 180-degree cuts, vaulting, and driving into the floor on the push-pull.

• Pro Tip: Wear a "court" shoe or a cross-trainer. You need a stable base with good lateral (side-to-side) support and a firm grip on the floor. The wrong shoes are an instant energy leak.

3. Master Your 180-Degree Turns

You will perform dozens of 180-degree turns around the cones. Most applicants waste huge amounts of energy here by rounding their turns or "stomping" their feet. Every sloppy turn adds a half-second to your time and drains your energy.

• Pro Tip: Practice the "low-and-quick" crossover or pivot step. Stay low to the ground, aim to touch the line with your foot, and "pop" off the cone to accelerate into the next sprint. This alone can shave 10-15 seconds off your final time.

4. Respect the Push-Pull Machine

This machine is the great equalizer and the single biggest failure point. It's not a test of strength; it's a test of strength endurance. Applicants (especially strong ones) try to muscle it through, and their grip or back gives out after two laps.

• Pro Tip: Use your legs and body weight, not just your arms. On the push, get low and drive with your legs. On the pull, "hang" off the bar with your body weight and use your hips, letting your arms just be hooks.

5. Train Your Grip (Twice as Much as You Think)

Your grip will be tested on the push-pull (holding on while fatigued) and on the 100lb bag carry. If your grip fails on either, you fail the test.

• Pro Tip: Add Farmer's Carries, Deadlifts, and "dead hangs" (just hanging from a pull-up bar for time) to every workout. A strong grip is non-negotiable.

6. Practice the "Bag Clean," Not Just the "Bag Carry"

Everyone worries about carrying the 100lb bag. The real challenge is lifting it safely and efficiently when you're already exhausted. I've seen applicants waste 10-15 seconds just fumbling to get the bag off the ground.

• Pro Tip: Train the movement of a "Power Clean" or "Hang Clean" with a sandbag or dumbbell. You need to learn how to use your hips and legs—not your lower back—to pop the bag up to your chest in one smooth, efficient motion.

7. Visualize the Course

A first-time fail often happens because an applicant gets flustered. They forget which way to turn, miss a vault, or get no-repped on the machine. This is a mental error, not a physical one.

• Pro Tip: Before your test, close your eyes and mentally walk through the entire test, step by step. Visualize your turns, your vaults, and your transitions. When you step on the floor for real, it should feel like you've already done it a dozen times.

Don't Leave Your Career to Chance

You've read the tips. Now it's time for action.

Reading about the test is one thing. Building the specific strength, power, and anaerobic endurance to pass it is another.

As a specialist in law enforcement physical testing, I've helped countless applicants replace guesswork with a proven system. If you are serious about your career and want to walk into your test day with the confidence that you are 100% prepared, it's time to train with an expert.