How to run a vertical jump test and score it
A vertical jump test is three maximal jumps from standing, measured the same way every time, with the best one recorded. Warm up, jump with an arm swing from both feet, rest a minute between attempts, write down the best with the date and method, then compare it with the published percentiles for your age and sex.
What you need
- A way to measure: a wall, chalk and a tape measure; a Vertec; a jump mat; or a phone camera and an app such as PlyometricAI.
- A flat, hard surface and the shoes you normally train in.
- Somewhere to write the result, including how you measured it.
The protocol
- Warm up. Five to ten minutes of easy movement, then three or four jumps at about half effort.
- Choose the test and keep it. The standard is a standing countermovement jump: feet about hip-width, a quick dip, a full arm swing and a two-foot take-off. No step, no run-up.
- Take three maximal attempts. Rest about a minute between them so each one is fresh.
- Measure each attempt the same way. For a reach test, subtract standing reach from jump reach (see how to measure your vertical jump). For a phone video, film from the side with your whole body and feet in frame.
- Record the best of the three with the date, method, shoes and surface.
Scoring your result against norms
The fairest everyday comparison is with people of your own age and sex. Statistics Canada measured a nationally representative sample aged 8 to 69 doing exactly this jump (one countermovement jump from standing, arm swing allowed, on a force plate) and published percentiles. A few rows, in inches:
| Group | Average (P50) | Good (P80) | Top 5% (P95) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boys 12–13 | 15.7 | 18.2 | 20.7 |
| Girls 12–13 | 13.7 | 15.6 | 17.5 |
| Boys 16–17 | 18.5 | 21.4 | 24.1 |
| Girls 16–17 | 13.3 | 15.2 | 17.1 |
| Men 20–24 | 19.4 | 22.4 | 25.1 |
| Women 20–24 | 12.5 | 14.4 | 16.3 |
Source: Hoffmann et al., Health Reports 30(10), 2019, Table 4 (Canadian Health Measures Survey 2016–17), converted from centimetres. Every age band is on the vertical jump percentile calculator, with a page for each age from 10 to 18 and one for adults.
If you play a jumping sport, the general-population table is a floor, not a target. For a sport target, compare your standing jump with the NFL and NBA combine verticals by position.
Common mistakes
- Testing cold, or at the end of a hard session.
- Mixing tests: a standing jump one month and an approach jump the next.
- Comparing a number from one method (a wall) with a table measured another way (a force plate) without saying so.
- Counting a single attempt instead of the best of three.
- Retesting every day. Every two to four weeks shows a trend; daily tests mostly show noise.
Score your result now
The free vertical jump percentile calculator takes an age, sex and jump and shows where it sits, with a combine target. PlyometricAI does the same after every jump it measures from your phone's video, and makes a combine card you can share.
Related guides
- How to measure your vertical jump
- Average vertical jump by age and level
- How high do you have to jump to dunk?
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Stop if a jump hurts and see a qualified clinician.
More guides: Sports & fitness · all Adelyons guides