A beep test calculator turns your beep test score into numbers you can use. You enter the level and shuttle where you stopped, and the beep test calculator works out your estimated VO2max, the total distance you ran, your running time and your final speed.

This beep test calculator is built for football. As well as VO2max, it rates your beep test score for your position, from needs work to elite, shows the level you need for the next rating and gives you training tips to get there. You can also download your beep test result as a PDF to share with your coach or keep as a record.

Use the beep test calculator after every test, for example in pre-season, mid-season and at the end of the season, to see whether your fitness is going up.

The beep test, also called the multistage fitness test, 20 m shuttle run or bleep test, is one of the most common fitness tests in football. Players run back and forth between two lines 20 metres apart, reaching the line before each beep. The beeps get closer together every level, so you have to run faster and faster.

The test starts at a gentle 8.0 km/h and gets 0.5 km/h faster with each new level, which lasts about a minute. You keep going until you can’t reach the line in time twice in a row. Your score is the last level and shuttle you completed.

Because it is cheap, needs only a flat 20 m space and can test a whole squad at once, clubs and academies use it to check aerobic fitness in pre-season and track progress through the year.

• Mark 20 metres: use a tape measure and put cones on two lines exactly 20 m apart on a flat, non-slip surface.
• Play the audio: use an official beep test recording or app so the beeps match the standard levels.
• Warm up: do 10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging, mobility and a few short sprints.
• Run to the beep: reach the line with one foot before each beep, turn and run back.
• Stop rule: you are out after failing to reach the line in time twice in a row.
• Record your score: write down the last level and shuttle you completed, then enter it in the beep test calculator above.

For a fair comparison, do every beep test on the same surface, at a similar time of day and with the same warm-up.

This is the same calculation the beep test calculator runs for you. VO2max is the most oxygen your body can use during hard exercise, measured in millilitres per kilogram of body weight per minute. A higher VO2max means a bigger aerobic engine, which helps you keep running hard and recover faster between sprints.

• Goalkeepers: targets are about one level lower, because the position needs less running.
• Midfielders: targets are about half a level higher, because they usually cover the most distance.
• Defenders and forwards: use the outfield targets above.

The beep test calculator uses these ratings for your result. They are GlobeHour benchmarks to help you set targets, not official standards. Clubs and coaches often set their own pass marks.

The beep test calculator is only as accurate as the test itself. The beep test is a good field estimate of aerobic fitness, but it isn’t a lab test. Motivation, turning skill, the running surface, the weather and even how tired you are can change your score by a level or more. Results are most useful when you compare yourself with your own past scores under the same conditions.

The test also measures only one part of football fitness. Speed, repeated-sprint ability, strength and agility matter too, so use the beep test alongside other tests.