Chester practitioner resources · Prepare
A practical preparation pack for a well-organised Chester Step Test session.
Use the equipment checklist, participant briefing and blank session record together. Print the pack or save a clean offline copy; download the record as CSV if you prefer a spreadsheet. Complete participant details only in your organisation’s approved records system.
Write down the exact protocol/software edition and its screening, recording and stopping requirements. Different Chester versions and occupational settings may use different rules. This pack does not decide whether a participant is suitable for testing.
1. Practitioner preparation checklist
Session date: ____________________ Practitioner: ____________________
Protocol/edition: ____________________ Organisation SOP version: ____________________
Equipment and room
- □ Correct, measured step height; stable step and clear working area.
- □ Footwear, surface, lighting and room conditions checked.
- □ Correct Chester pacing audio, playback device and volume tested.
- □ Heart-rate monitor fitted and signal checked before starting.
- □ Authorised Borg 6–20 RPE scale available and explained.
- □ Timer, recording sheet/software and power supply ready.
- □ Equipment cleaned and checked under manufacturer instructions.
Participant and practitioner
- □ Current approved pre-participation screening process completed.
- □ Any suitability questions resolved through the appropriate professional pathway.
- □ Purpose, voluntary participation, result use and privacy explained.
- □ Relevant pre-test conditions checked and deviations recorded.
- □ Movement and pacing practised; understanding confirmed.
- □ Protocol-specific monitoring and stopping criteria reviewed.
- □ Local emergency procedure, assistance and recovery arrangements ready.
Final check
□ The selected step height, audio, software edition and recording method match. If they do not, resolve the mismatch before starting.
Outstanding issue / action:
Readiness decision and practitioner initials:
2. Participant briefing sheet
Appointment: ____________________ Location: ____________________
Contact for questions: ____________________
What will happen?
You will step up and down in time with Chester pacing audio. The pace increases in stages while the practitioner monitors your heart rate and asks how hard the exercise feels. The assessment estimates aerobic fitness; it does not directly measure oxygen uptake or diagnose a medical condition. You are not expected to complete every stage.
Before your appointment
- Complete the screening information requested by your practitioner and tell them about relevant changes before the session.
- Wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear for stepping.
- Follow the preparation instructions supplied for your test. Ask if you have not received them or cannot follow them.
- Tell the practitioner if you are unwell, recovering from illness, or have symptoms or concerns about exercising.
- Tell the practitioner about medicines that may affect the assessment. Do not change or stop prescribed medication for the test unless your prescribing clinician instructs you to do so.
During and after the assessment
Tell the practitioner immediately if you feel unwell or want to stop. You can ask to stop at any time. Use the effort scale as explained and report how the exercise feels to you. Follow the practitioner’s recovery instructions and ask what the result means for your own circumstances.
Practitioner: complete the edition-specific instructions
Food, drinks, smoking and exercise preparation:
Other instructions / accessibility arrangements:
How results will be explained and shared:
3. Blank session record
Use a participant reference where practical. Keep identifying and screening information securely under your organisation’s policy. This web page does not collect session data.
| Participant reference / session date and time | ________________________________ |
|---|---|
| Practitioner / location | ________________________________ |
| Protocol edition / local SOP version | ________________________________ |
| Step height (cm) / audio version / software version | ________________________________ |
| Screening outcome reference / consent record reference | ________________________________ |
| Pre-test conditions and deviations / resting observations as required | ________________________________ |
| Heart-rate device / equipment identification | ________________________________ |
Record observations at the intervals required by your edition. Use additional rows for minute-by-minute recording; do not substitute this template for required software records.
| Stage / time | Cadence / workload | HR (bpm) | RPE (6–20) | Notes / decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________________ |
Stopping time, reason and any incomplete stage:
Recovery observations / action:
Estimated aerobic capacity (mL O₂/kg/min), calculation method and quality notes:
Reference source (if used), explanation and follow-up agreed:
Practitioner sign-off / reviewer if required:
Next: check your understanding, use the result interpretation guide, or adopt the team standardisation pack.
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, explore Cartwright Assess and its currently available features.
Adapted from K. Sykes, The Chester Aerobic Fitness Tests, Cartwright Fitness resource manual (supplied copy, copyright/update 2016), especially the step-test administration guidance, printed pages 11–18. These original working templates support the current test instructions; they do not replace the manual, authorised screening materials or supervised training. Check the edition and local procedure before use. Resource version 1.0 · reviewed 9 October 2026.