The test appears to encourage maximal effort by children.

Other variations of the test have also been developed, where the protocol starts at a speed of 8.0 km/h and with either 1 or 2-minute stages, but the original protocol is nevertheless recommended. The multi-stage fitness test was first described by Luc Léger with the original 1-minute protocol, which starts at a speed of 8.5 km/h, and increases by 0.5 km/h each minute. The multi-stage fitness test is also part of most health-related fitness test batteries for children and adolescents, such as Eurofit, Alpha-fit, FitnessGram and ASSOFTB. The test is used by sporting organizations around the world along with schools, the military, and others interested in gauging cardiovascular endurance, an important component of overall physical fitness. The maximum laps on the PACER test is 247, which former Central Middle School student Dennis Mejia achieved, the only person to ever reach such a level.

The score is recorded in Level.Shuttles format (e.g. The number of shuttles completed is recorded as the score of that runner. A second caution ends the test for that runner. If a participant fails to reach the relevant marker in time, they are cautioned. Every minute or so, the next level commences: the time between beeps gets shorter participants must run faster. The test requires participants to run 20 meters back and forth across a marked track keeping time with beeps. The multi-stage fitness test (MSFT), also known as the beep test, bleep test, PACER ( Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run), PACER test, FitnessGram PACER test, or the 20 m Shuttle Run Test (20 m SRT), is a running test used to estimate an athlete's aerobic capacity ( VO 2 max).

What does the beep test measure