Every few weeks in the program you will hit a deload week followed by a max test. A lot of members find these confusing at first, so here is exactly what they are and why they matter.
The deload week comes first. It is a lighter training week where volume and intensity drop significantly. The purpose is to let your body recover from the accumulated fatigue of the previous training block. You still train during a deload, but the sessions are shorter and easier. Do not skip it and do not add extra work because it feels too easy. The recovery is the whole point.
After the deload, you do the max test. This is where you perform your pull-up variation for as many clean reps as possible in a single set. The number you hit determines which phase of the program you move into next. Each phase has a rep threshold, and your max test result tells us whether you stay in the current phase or advance.
A question we get all the time is what to do if you get sick right before your max test. The answer is straightforward: rest until you have fully recovered from the illness, then do your deload week, and then test. Do not try to test while sick or immediately after. You will underperform and get an inaccurate result that could hold you back unnecessarily.
Max tests only work if you treat them honestly. Go all out, but only count reps with full range of motion. A partial rep does not count. The result is only useful if it is real.