All Chester tests: guides and tools
Chester practitioner resources · Choose
Chester Step, Cycle and Treadmill tests: choose by purpose, protocol and setting.
The Chester family includes both aerobic-capacity prediction tests and performance tests. The shared name does not make their protocols, results or occupational uses interchangeable. Start with the assessment question and any required organisational standard before choosing equipment.
A prediction test estimates aerobic capacity from the response to submaximal work. A performance test checks completion of a specified task or stage under its own rules. Neither is direct measurement of oxygen uptake unless respiratory gas analysis is actually performed.
Compare the main test types
| Test | Task and workload | Output / purpose | Practical requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Step Test | Stepping to audio; cadence increases in two-minute stages. Step height is part of the workload. | Protocol-based estimate of aerobic capacity from the heart-rate response. | Correct step and audio, HR monitoring, RPE scale, recording method and competent administration. |
| Chester Cycle Test | Cycle ergometer at 50 rpm, with staged increases in watts in the supplied manual. | Heart-rate/workload extrapolation followed by the cycle equation to estimate aerobic capacity. | Accurate workload control, cadence monitoring, body mass, HR/RPE recording and cycle-specific calculation. |
| Chester Treadmill Prediction Test | Walking with staged gradient increases. The general protocol in the supplied manual uses 6.2 km/h. | Estimate from the submaximal heart-rate response under the prediction protocol. | Suitable treadmill with verified speed/gradient, safety system, monitoring and the matching prediction method. |
| Chester Treadmill Performance Test | A prescribed treadmill walking task, with its own completion and stopping rules. | Performance against a defined task or standard; not automatically an individual maximal aerobic-capacity estimate. | The exact required protocol, appropriate equipment, supervision and documented completion/stopping details. |
| Chester Treadmill Police Walk / Run Tests | Distinct police treadmill protocols. The supplied manual describes 6.0 km/h walking and 10.4 km/h running versions. | Performance within the applicable police fitness framework and role requirements. | Current force instructions, authorised test selection, suitable treadmill and trained administration. |
Speeds above distinguish the named protocols; they are not a complete operating procedure. Do not combine one version’s speed, another version’s gradient schedule and a third version’s threshold.
A practical selection process
- Define the decision. Are you estimating aerobic fitness, following change over time or assessing a prescribed occupational task? Confirm any required test and permitted alternatives.
- Review suitability. Use the appropriate screening and professional assessment for the person and setting. A seated test is not automatically suitable, and a lower step does not itself provide clearance.
- Check the equipment can deliver the protocol. Confirm step height and pacing, cycle workload/cadence, or treadmill speed/gradient and safety arrangements. Check maintenance and calibration requirements.
- Choose the matching method. Use the correct recording intervals, software or graphical method, and interpretation source. A step equation must not be applied to cycle data.
- Plan repeatability and reporting. Record the version and conditions. Explain whether the output is an estimate or completion result, and which reference or standard applies.
Treadmill prediction or treadmill performance?
Establish the intended output before selecting software or recording a result. A heart-rate-based estimate and completion of a prescribed task answer different questions.
| Your purpose | What to establish | What to report |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate aerobic capacity | The supported prediction protocol, suitable observations and matching calculation | The estimated value, method and interpretation limits |
| Assess a prescribed performance requirement | The authorised task, role-specific endpoint and stopping procedure | Actual completion/stopping details and the outcome under that procedure |
| Review change at retest | Whether the original and repeat methods, conditions and outputs are comparable | The observed difference and any limits on interpreting it |
Explore the treadmill prediction software when an estimate is required. For police performance testing, use the walk guide or run guide, then confirm the applicable procedure with the responsible force. These routes do not make the tests interchangeable.
Chester Treadmill Prediction: guidance and software
Use this route when the assessment requires an estimate of aerobic capacity from submaximal heart-rate observations. Confirm the exact prediction protocol, the observations it requires and the matching calculation before testing. Completion time alone is not the prediction method.
Read the purpose comparison above, then explore Chester treadmill prediction software. Record the software and protocol edition using the checklist below. Confirm supported functions and access before purchasing.
Chester Treadmill Performance: guidance and reporting
Use this route when the requirement is completion of a prescribed treadmill walking task. Establish the authorised protocol, endpoint and stopping rules with the responsible organisation. Report the actual outcome under that procedure; do not turn a task’s reference oxygen demand into an individually measured VO₂max.
For a fire-service setting, use the fire-service assessment workflow. Police Walk and Police Run are separate versions with their own guides. Use the standardisation pack to agree recording and review arrangements.
Copyable treadmill performance record
Participant/session reference: [ ]. Assessment purpose: [ ]. Full test name: [ ]. Authorised protocol/version and issuing organisation: [ ]. Required endpoint: [ ]. Equipment and check references: [ ]. Screening/consent references: [ ]. Required observations: [ ]. Actual elapsed time/stage: [ ]. Completion or stopping reason: [ ]. Deviations: [ ]. Recovery and follow-up: [ ]. Outcome and responsible reviewer/date: [ ].
This recording aid does not calculate a pass or provide medical clearance. Apply the organisation’s required record and decision process. Guidance routes and recording aid added 20 October 2026.
Check the exact software and protocol edition
Record the details below before adopting or changing a Chester workflow. A shared test name or a familiar screen is not enough to establish which method is being used. Obtain the current edition’s instructions rather than filling gaps from another edition.
Test and intended population/purpose: [ ]. Software edition/version: [ ]. Manual or authorised procedure title/date: [ ]. Step height or workload settings: [ ]. Observation intervals and required fields: [ ]. Maximum-heart-rate method, where applicable: [ ]. Progression and stopping rules: [ ]. Incomplete-data and warning instructions: [ ]. Calculation and output type: [ ]. Rating reference or occupational standard: [ ]. Responsible reviewer and date confirmed: [ ].
Keep previous versions with historical records. If a software update changes the method or reference categories, document its effect on comparisons before treating a new result as progress. The standardisation pack supports local version control.
Three common decisions
A portable testing service
A step-based setup may be practical where transport and space matter, provided the test suits the participant and purpose. Use the setup builder to identify the equipment and training needed.
A service with a cycle ergometer
Confirm accurate control of the specified watts and cadence before choosing CCT. Use the Chester Cycle guide and calculator with the correct raw record.
An occupational requirement
Use the employer’s current assessment requirement and referral process. Do not substitute a convenient calculator estimate for a prescribed treadmill performance test.
Can results be compared across tests?
Two results expressed in mL O₂/kg/min can come from different exercise modes, equations and sources of error. Do not assume they are interchangeable or interpret a switch of test as a training effect. For monitoring, keep the method and conditions consistent where appropriate and document any necessary change.
For repeat testing and communication, use the result interpretation guide and standardisation pack.
Police tests and current requirements
Eligibility, local arrangements and the required standard must be checked with the responsible force or occupational-health service. The older manual is not sufficient evidence of a current pass threshold. The police walk guide explains a difference between dated official sources; the police run guide distinguishes its published stage structure from current role-specific instructions.
Check College of Policing job-related fitness guidance.
Put the resources to work
Check what you need with the testing setup builder. Explore Chester Step Test equipment, CST2 professional software or the Practitioner Programme.
For a broader assessment workflow, request Cartwright Assess details and confirm the functions available for your setting.
K. Sykes, The Chester Aerobic Fitness Tests, supplied Cartwright Fitness manual (copyright/update 2016), chapters 2–6, printed pages 11–35. This comparison summarises purposes and practical differences; it does not reproduce a full administration protocol. See also the Chester Step research guide for study-specific evidence and limitations. Comparison expanded 19 October 2026 with treadmill workflow guidance, an edition-verification record and links to the reviewed police guides. The original manual remains a dated source, not confirmation of every current occupational requirement.