NAPFA was launched in January 1982 as a standardised assessment of overall fitness for the general population.
Before the changes to the IPPT, a minimum of a silver grade allowed Singaporean males who have reached the age of 18 to perform just 9 weeks of Basic Military Training (BMT) in their National Service (NS) period, instead of the usual 17 weeks if the silver grade is not attained.
[3] Those without at least a NAPFA Silver have to undergo an extra eight-week Physical Training Phase (PTP) prior to their nine-week BMT.
[5] According to data from the Ministry of Education, the percentage of students passing NAPFA has been increasing steadily over the years, from 58% in 1992 to 74% in 1998, and further to 80% in 2007.
The Walk-Run item is usually attempted on a different day, although sometimes a 2-week window limit is set.