The military tape test and where each service stands in 2026

The Army's tape test took neck and abdomen readings for men and neck, waist and hip readings for women, each three times. Army Directive 2026-13 ended it for soldiers on 1 July 2026. The other services now use a tape only as a later step, or not at all.

What the name covers

In these documents a tape test means estimating body fat from circumference readings instead of from weight alone. The Army calls it the circumference-based tape method. The Marine Corps says multi-site tape test, and the Air Force says 2 to 3 site taping method. Each compares the estimate with a body fat limit.

Where each service stands

The tape test in each service in 2026, with the governing document

Service	Document and date	Tape test in 2026
Army	Army Directive 2026-13, 1 July 2026	Ended for soldiers. Applicants are still screened by table weight, then body fat.
Air Force	AFMAN 36-2905, 24 March 2026	Only when the ratio is 0.55 or more and the composite is also unsatisfactory. A machine is used, or a tape if none is present.
Marine Corps	MARADMIN 066/26, 26 February 2026	After the waist-to-height limit is exceeded, by tape or by machine.
Navy	Guide-4, June 2026	Not used. A table is read by weight and by height minus waist.

How the Army tape method worked

AR 600-9 called the circumference-based tape method the only authorized way to estimate body fat. For men, the abdomen reading minus the neck reading gave a circumference value. For women, waist plus hip minus neck did the same. Every reading was recorded to the nearest half inch and averaged. The value and the soldier's height in inches then pointed to a percentage in a printed table.

Table B-2 of AR 600-9 set the maximum percentage by age group.

Maximum body fat by age group in the Army's former tape method (AR 600-9, Table B-2)

Age group	Men	Women
17 to 20	20 percent	30 percent
21 to 27	22 percent	32 percent
28 to 39	24 percent	34 percent
40 and older	26 percent	36 percent

What Directive 2026-13 ended

Paragraph 5a of the directive makes the waist-to-height ratio the sole measurement for all soldiers and discontinues the height and weight screening tables. Paragraph 5a(1) also bars any secondary method from being used to challenge a ratio. The Army waist-to-height calculator applies the new line, and the comparison of each service's ratio shows how the others draw theirs.

What applicants still face

AR 601-210, dated 20 March 2026, screens enlistment applicants by height and weight. An applicant who is qualified in a specialty follows AR 600-9, and any other applicant follows AR 40-501. If the applicant exceeds table weight, body fat is screened, and waivers are not considered for body fat.

AR 40-501 sets its own maximums for applicants in Table 2-1 for men and Table 2-2 for women. The body fat limits for the same four age groups are 24, 26, 28 and 30 percent for men. For women they are 30, 32, 34 and 36 percent.

For a 70 inch applicant aged 17 to 20, Table 2-1 allows 132 to 189 pounds. Above 189 pounds, body fat is measured by the AR 600-9 method. An applicant who also exceeds the body fat limit is rejected for service.

Army Directive 2026-13 does not mention applicants, and both regulations are dated before it. Whether the ratio now applies to applicants is not stated in the documents used for this guide.

Air Force and Marine Corps: the tape after the ratio

AFMAN 36-2905 requires a body fat assessment only when the ratio is 0.55 or more and the member also fails the composite. The assessment uses a bioelectrical impedance scale. If none is present, a two or three site tape method is used. Its Attachment 8 measures the neck and abdomen for men, and the neck, waist and buttocks for women. The limits are 26 percent for men and 36 percent for women. The Air Force body composition rules list the manual and its dates.

Marine Corps message 066/26 sends a Marine who exceeds the maximum waist for their height to a body composition evaluation. The two authorized methods are the multi-site tape test and bioelectrical impedance. When an approved device is at hand, the Marine may pick the first method. A Marine who exceeds the limit by both methods is processed for the Body Composition Program. The message says the body fat standards remain unchanged, and that bioelectrical impedance devices will replace the tape test once they are fielded Marine Corps-wide. The Marine Corps body composition rules list the order and the messages in force.

Navy: a table instead of a tape test

Guide-4 takes height, waist and weight for every Sailor. Step 1 divides waist by height, and a ratio of 0.5499 or lower is within standards. At 0.5500 or higher, Step 2 reads a table with the Sailor's weight and the difference between height and waist. The limits are 26 percent for men and 36 percent for women. The Navy body composition rules list the guides and the NAVADMIN in force.