The Department of Education has advised against the use of aerobic fitness tests, including bleep tests in primary schools.
The use of whole-class physical fitness testing to assess who is the fastest or strongest is strongly discouraged.
The new guidance says these types of activities are demotivating for students whose physical fitness levels are low.
Bleep tests involve students running between two points, usually around 15-20 metres apart, within a specified time. The running speed gradually increases the longer the students lasts.
Lecturer in Physical Education at the University of Limerick Dr Brendan O'Keeffe said these types of physical fitness tests can be worthwhile if they are done using pedagogically sound principles.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the guidance from the department is welcome as it comes in response to a growing body of evidence about physical education programmes in schools.
He said there needs to be an educational focus with testing in schools and it is a highly debated topic.
"I think there is an emerging consensus as detailed in this guidance document that if implemented appropriately, using pedagogically sound principles, it can make a worthwhile contribution to the broader PE programme."
Dr O'Keeffe said it is important that testing is not discouraged at post-primary level, "that guidance was specific to primary schools, which obviously wouldn't have trained PE specialists.
"But post-primary aerobic tests, the ability to run for long distances or exercise for long periods of time, isn't discouraged. It's still encouraged, provided the methods being used are appropriate," he added.
These tests can be demotivating for younger children.
He said that both nationally and internationally, through various ongoing pieces of research, these tests can be demotivating for children who are the least active in primary school.
"For the more able and active cohort, it can probably be quite the opposite," Dr O'Keeffe said.
Demotivation can be as a result of the methods of implementation, he said.
The guidance document sets out both inappropriate and appropriate uses, he explained.
"But things like announcing or publicly displaying students results and implementing tests completely in isolation of the broader physical education programme or curriculum and these inappropriate uses are probably the source of the demotivating feelings that these students can have."
Dr O'Keeffe said it is important to emphasise the appropriate practices shown in the document and that is the importance of a strong educational focus allowing students the opportunity to practice tests and understand the purpose behind the learning focus, the education focus, through the testing.
Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe not to have representative health related fitness data for children and adolescents, he said.
