12 Minute Timer
A 12 minute timer counts down 720 seconds and sounds an alarm when it reaches zero. That is 0.2 decimal hours on a timesheet, or 20% of an hour.
A twelve minute timer is the fixed duration of the Cooper test, the fitness assessment used by armed forces and sports teams since 1968.
Paused at 12:00
What a 12 minute timer is used for
The Cooper test, timed runs and short focused reading.
- The Cooper test
- Run as far as possible in twelve minutes, then read the distance against age and sex norms to estimate VO2 max. Kenneth Cooper designed it for the US Air Force in 1968.
- A fifth of an hour
- Twelve minutes divides an hour into five, so five blocks fill an hour exactly.
- Focused reading
- Twelve minutes covers roughly three thousand words at an average adult reading speed of two hundred and fifty words per minute.
Running the Cooper test yourself
Use a running track or another flat, measured route, so you can work out the distance accurately at the end. Warm up for about ten minutes, then start the timer and run as far as you can, walking if you need to. When it sounds, stop and note exactly how far you got.
Cooper's formula estimates VO2 max from the distance: subtract 504.9 from the distance in meters and divide the result by 44.73. Someone who covers 2,400 meters comes out at about 42. Treat the number as a rough guide rather than a lab result, and check with a doctor first if you have a heart condition or have not exercised in a long time.
The 12 minute timer at a glance
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 minutes |
| Seconds | 720 |
| Decimal hours | 0.2 |
| Clock format | 0:12 |
| Share of an hour | 20% |
| Fraction of an hour | 1/5 |
| Blocks per hour | 5 |
| Blocks per 8 hour day | 40 |
| Pomodoros (25 min each) | 0.48 |
| Break that pairs with it | 3 minutes |
| Decimal hours are rounded to two places, as payroll does. Block counts are whole blocks with no breaks between them. | |
For other lengths, use the minutes to decimal hours converter or the hours calculator.
Your focus time, counted and kept
A countdown tells you when the block ends. PomoTodo records that the block happened, which task it went to and what the week added up to, so a month of 12 minute blocks becomes something you can actually look at.
Free plan tracks unlimited focus time across unlimited tasks. No card required.
Timers either side of 12 minutes
If 12 minutes is the wrong length, the two nearest are 10 minutes and 15 minutes.
Questions about the 12 minute timer
What is the Cooper test?
A twelve minute run where the distance covered estimates aerobic fitness. Kenneth Cooper developed it for the US Air Force in 1968, and the result is read against a table of norms by age and sex to approximate VO2 max. It is still used by military and emergency services selection.
Can I do the Cooper test on a treadmill?
You can, but the formula and its norms were built from running over the ground, so treat a treadmill result as approximate. Setting the incline to about one percent is a common way to bring the effort closer to running outdoors.