IDF reservists. Photo: wiki commons.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has decided to raised the standard for new recruits who are looking to join elite combat units.

More stringent tests are planned for the “Bar-Or” exam, used by the IDF to gauge physical fitness and the ability of candidates to withstand the pressures of combat situations. Candidates will now be tested on the number of sit-ups and push-ups they can perform at one session and the time it takes them to run 2,000 meters. Those who do not meet undisclosed time limitations will not be eligible for entry to the desired unit.

Each elite unit will decide on its own time limitation for the 2,000-meter run. The time limit will also be subject to change from time to time within each unit.

The running test will be carried out on the first day of a candidate’s application to an elite unit, even before the unit’s basic training program begins. Candidates who are assigned to basic training programs, such as the one for the Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit, will participate in the 2,000-meter run several days before the program begins.