There is no single number, because the honest answer depends on which group you are being compared to. This table gives the rep count at each percentile for eight cohorts, so you can read your own row instead of somebody else's.
The comparison group is all adults in your age band, not gym regulars. That is the whole point: the median is the middle of a normal population, so it sits lower than what people claim in conversation.
| Tier | Percentile | Men 18-29 | Men 30-39 | Men 40-49 | Men 50+ | Women 18-29 | Women 30-39 | Women 40-49 | Women 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 10th | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Novice | 25th | 12 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Intermediate | 50th | 20 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Advanced | 75th | 30 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Elite | 90th | 40 | 35 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 14 |
Reps in a single set. "n/a" means that cohort's published table starts higher up. Provisional reference table. The same curve scores you when you take the test, and it compares you against all adults rather than gym regulars. These numbers are our own working estimate, not a published dataset: they are here to place you roughly, and they get replaced by camera-verified results as the board fills.
The median drops with age, so read your own band. For men the 50th percentile goes from 20 reps at 18-29 to 10 at 50 and over. For women it goes from 9 to 4 over the same span. Anything at or above your band's median puts you in the top half of it.
20 push-ups is exactly average for men aged 18-29, because that is their median. The same 20 reps is at or above the 75th percentile for women aged 18-29 and at or above the 50th percentile for men aged 40-49. "Good" is a cohort question, not an absolute one.
Yes, and the camera enforces it rather than the honour system. A rep only counts at full lockout with the body line held. Shallow reps and hip sags are logged as no-counts with the reason attached, so a verified number here means the same thing for everyone.