PMT — height, chest and weight standards

Why it matters

You can score well in the Preliminary Written Test and still be sent home in five minutes if your body measurements fall short. That five-minute check is the Physical Measurements Test (PMT).

Plain definition: PMT is a pass/fail check of your height, and either your chest (men) or your weight (women), against minimum numbers printed in the recruitment notification.

Where it sits in the selection (as printed in the 2026 notification, Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026):

1. Preliminary Written Test (200 questions, 3 hours)
2. PMT: only for those who qualify the preliminary test
3. PET (running and jumping events): only for those who pass PMT
4. Final Written Examination
5. Final selection

PMT carries no marks. Final merit is decided by the final written exam (and, for PC AR, the PET marks too). PMT simply decides whether you may continue. Because it is the gate to everything after it, check your own measurements before you spend months preparing.

Core concept

Level 1: the basic standards

The PMT applies to all five posts in this notification: SCT PC Civil (post code 21), SCT PC AR (22), Firemen (42), Warders Men (53) and Warders Women (54).

Group	Height (minimum)	Second measure (minimum)
Men (post codes 21, 22, 42, 53)	167.6 cm	Chest 86.3 cm on full inspiration, with expansion of at least 5 cm
Women (post codes 21, 22, 54)	152.5 cm	Weight 40 kg

Read the table carefully:

• Men are checked for height + chest. The notification gives no weight standard for men.
• Women are checked for height + weight. There is no chest standard for women.
• Every number is a minimum. The notification says "must not be less than", so a reading equal to the number passes, and a reading even 0.1 below it fails. No maximum height, chest or weight is printed.

Level 2: understanding the chest rule

The men's chest rule has two conditions, and both must be met:

1. Full-inspiration chest ≥ 86.3 cm. This is your chest after you take the deepest breath you can.
2. Expansion ≥ 5 cm. Expansion is the difference between your chest after a full breath in and your normal (unexpanded) chest.

Expansion = full-inspiration chest − normal chest

The first condition checks chest size; the second checks how freely your rib cage moves. A big chest that hardly expands fails, and so does a small chest that expands a lot.

Level 3: the special standard for agency-area ABO-ST candidates

The notification gives a relaxed standard only to Aboriginal Scheduled Tribe (ABO-ST) candidates from the agency areas of six districts: Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Polavaram, Alluri Sitharamaraju (ASR), Eluru and Parvathipuram Manyam.

Group (ABO-ST, agency areas only)	Height (minimum)	Second measure (minimum)
Men (21, 22, 42, 53)	160 cm	Chest 80 cm on full inspiration, expansion at least 3 cm
Women (21, 22, 54)	150 cm	Weight 38 kg

To claim this relaxation, the candidate must produce a residence certificate for the agency area, issued by the competent authority. It is on the official list of original documents to bring to the PMT. The notification warns that failing to produce the required documents leads to rejection of the candidature, and no extra time is given.

Being ST alone is not enough. The relaxation is tied to ABO-ST status and the agency areas of those six districts.

Level 4 (advanced): what chest do you actually need?

Combine the two chest conditions into one target:

Required full-inspiration chest = the larger of (86.3 cm) and (normal chest + 5 cm)

Your normal chest	86.3 rule needs	Expansion rule needs	Your real target
79.0 cm	86.3	84.0	86.3 cm (expansion of 7.3 needed)
81.3 cm	86.3	86.3	86.3 cm (both rules meet here)
83.0 cm	86.3	88.0	88.0 cm

The switch point is 81.3 cm (86.3 − 5). If your normal chest is below 81.3 cm, the 86.3 cm figure decides your target. If it is above 81.3 cm, the 5 cm expansion decides it. For ABO-ST men the same logic gives a switch point of 77 cm (80 − 3).

How the measuring is done

The notification states that height, chest and weight are recorded using a digital measurement system, and that height is measured while you stand upright in the correct position. Machines remove guesswork, so tricks do not help. Good posture and following the staff's instructions do.

Worked examples

Example 1: a clean pass (man, PC Civil)

Ravi Teja, general category: height 168.1 cm, normal chest 82.0 cm, full-inspiration chest 87.4 cm.

• Height: 168.1 ≥ 167.6, so it passes.
• Full-inspiration chest: 87.4 ≥ 86.3, so it passes.
• Expansion: 87.4 − 82.0 = 5.4 ≥ 5, so it passes.

Result: PASS. All three conditions hold.

Example 2: a big chest that still fails (man, Firemen)

Suresh, general category: height 171.0 cm, normal chest 84.0 cm, full-inspiration chest 88.5 cm.

• Height: 171.0 ≥ 167.6, pass.
• Full-inspiration chest: 88.5 ≥ 86.3, pass.
• Expansion: 88.5 − 84.0 = 4.5, which is less than 5, so it fails.

Result: FAIL. His chest is large, but it did not expand enough. Using the Level 4 rule, his target was 84.0 + 5 = 89.0 cm, not 86.3.

Example 3: the feet-and-inches trap (woman, PC AR)

Lakshmi says, "I am exactly 5 feet, so I am safe." Her weight is 46 kg.

• 1 inch = 2.54 cm, so 5 feet = 60 inches = 60 × 2.54 = 152.4 cm.
• 152.4 is 0.1 cm less than 152.5, so on these numbers she fails the height condition.
• Weight: 46 ≥ 40, pass. But one failed condition is enough to fail PMT.

Lesson: the rule is printed in centimetres, so always check in centimetres. "About 5 feet" is not the same as 152.5 cm.

Example 4: relaxed standard with the certificate (man, ABO-ST)

Ramesh is an ABO-ST candidate from the agency area of ASR district and carries his agency-area residence certificate. Height 161.5 cm, normal chest 78.5 cm, full-inspiration chest 81.8 cm.

• Height: 161.5 ≥ 160, pass.
• Full-inspiration chest: 81.8 ≥ 80, pass.
• Expansion: 81.8 − 78.5 = 3.3 ≥ 3, pass.

Result: PASS on the relaxed standard. Against the general standard (167.6 cm), the same height would fail, so the certificate is essential.

Example 5: weight on the line (women, Warders)

• Fatima (general, post code 54) weighs 39.6 kg: 39.6 < 40, so she fails.
• Sunitha (ABO-ST, agency area, with certificate) weighs exactly 38.0 kg: 38.0 is not less than 38, so she passes.

Real-world connection

A constable's job is physical: long hours at traffic points, crowd control at festivals and elections, and foot patrols. A minimum build helps every recruit handle this load and train safely. Chest expansion also links to the next stage: a rib cage that moves freely supports the deep breathing you need for the 1600 m run in the PET.

PrepAtlas recommendation (general fitness guidance, not medical advice):

• Measure early. Use a wall, a steel tape and a flat floor, or better, get measured at a clinic or gym. Write down your height, normal chest, full-inspiration chest and weight. Compare them with the tables above in week one, not in the last month.
• Chest expansion: practise slow, deep breathing that fills the lower ribs as well as the upper chest, keep your upper back mobile, and keep up regular running. These are legitimate ways to breathe fully on the day. Never hold your breath until you feel dizzy.
• Weight (women below 40 kg): gain slowly through regular balanced meals with protein (dal, eggs, milk, groundnuts) and strength training. Avoid weight-gain pills and crash diets. If you stay underweight despite eating well, see a doctor.
• Height: once growth is complete, exercises or "height increase" products cannot add permanent height, so do not spend money on them. Sleep well the night before and stand tall on the machine.
• Safety: if you have any heart, lung, joint or blood-pressure condition, get a medical check before you start training. The notification itself advises a Civil Surgeon check before applying. On PMT/PET day, eat lightly, drink water, and stay out of the sun while you wait. Spike shoes are not allowed at the PET.

How it is asked in the exam

In the written paper: the official syllabus (English, Arithmetic, Reasoning, General Science, History, Geography/Polity/Economy, Current Events) does not list physical standards, so do not expect PMT numbers as written questions. PMT is "asked" on the ground, as a real test.

At the PMT itself:

• You bring the intimation letter, downloaded from the SLPRB website, along with your original certificates and one attested photocopy set.
• You are measured on the digital system: height, plus chest (men) or weight (women).
• Each reading is compared with the minimum. Any one shortfall means you do not go on to the PET.

In PrepAtlas practice: the self-checks below use the same pass/fail decision. Aim to settle each one within about 54 seconds, the same pace as one question in the 200-question, 180-minute written paper.

• Easy: recall a number. "What is the minimum height for a woman?"
• Medium: decide pass/fail from three readings, including the expansion subtraction.
• Hard: combine rules, for example an ABO-ST candidate with or without the certificate, a feet-to-cm conversion, or working out the chest target with the "larger of" rule.

తెలుగు సారాంశం (Telugu summary)

ప్రిలిమినరీ రాత పరీక్షలో అర్హత సాధించిన వారికి మాత్రమే శారీరక కొలతల పరీక్ష (PMT) ఉంటుంది.
PMT కి మార్కులు ఉండవు. ఇది కేవలం అర్హత పరీక్ష. ఇందులో పాసైతేనే PET కి అనుమతి ఉంటుంది.
పురుషులు: ఎత్తు కనీసం 167.6 సెం.మీ. ఉండాలి. పూర్తిగా గాలి పీల్చినప్పుడు ఛాతీ కనీసం 86.3 సెం.మీ., ఛాతీ విస్తరణ కనీసం 5 సెం.మీ. ఉండాలి.
మహిళలు: ఎత్తు కనీసం 152.5 సెం.మీ., బరువు కనీసం 40 కిలోలు ఉండాలి. మహిళలకు ఛాతీ కొలత లేదు; పురుషులకు బరువు ప్రమాణం లేదు.
ఆరు జిల్లాల ఏజెన్సీ ప్రాంతాలకు చెందిన ఆదిమ షెడ్యూల్డ్ తెగ (ABO-ST) అభ్యర్థులకు సడలింపు ఉంది: పురుషులకు 160 సెం.మీ. ఎత్తు, 80 సెం.మీ. ఛాతీ, 3 సెం.మీ. విస్తరణ; మహిళలకు 150 సెం.మీ. ఎత్తు, 38 కిలోల బరువు.
ఈ సడలింపు పొందాలంటే ఏజెన్సీ ప్రాంత నివాస ధృవీకరణ పత్రం తప్పనిసరిగా తీసుకురావాలి.
కొలతలను డిజిటల్ యంత్రంతో తీసుకుంటారు. ఎత్తు కొలిచేటప్పుడు నిటారుగా, సరైన భంగిమలో నిలబడాలి.
"కనీసం" అంటే ఆ సంఖ్యకు సమానమైనా పాస్ అవుతారు; 0.1 సెం.మీ. తక్కువైనా ఫెయిల్ అవుతారు. అడుగుల్లో కాకుండా సెంటీమీటర్లలో లెక్కించండి.
మీ కొలతలను మొదటి వారంలోనే సరిచూసుకోండి. మాత్రలు, అకస్మాత్తు డైట్‌లు వద్దు. ఇది PrepAtlas సూచన మాత్రమే, వైద్య సలహా కాదు.

Key terms (English — తెలుగు)

• Physical Measurements Test — శారీరక కొలతల పరీక్ష
• Height — ఎత్తు
• Chest — ఛాతీ
• Full inspiration — పూర్తిగా గాలి పీల్చడం
• Chest expansion — ఛాతీ విస్తరణ
• Weight — బరువు
• Minimum — కనీసం
• Relaxation — సడలింపు
• Agency area — ఏజెన్సీ ప్రాంతం
• Residence certificate — నివాస ధృవీకరణ పత్రం
• Digital measurement system — డిజిటల్ కొలత విధానం
• Qualifying test — అర్హత పరీక్ష