This test was designed by Dr Kenneth H. Cooper in 1968, for use within the US military, and is used as an assessment of your aerobic fitness.
The objective of the test is to run as far as possible within 12 minutes. Pacing is important, as you will not cover a maximal distance if you set off too quickly. A Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of around 8 would be suitable.
There are many tables which exist to categorise the outcome of the test, the ones below are based on the table of “Percentile values for maximal aerobic power” from the “ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th Edition (2010)”, and use a martial art style belt ranking.
Note: Clicking on a table should display a larger image.