Motivational Times are calculated by identifying the fastest 16th-place time in each event in the last 4 years and increasing it by a certain amount (generally 5% for the AAAA time, 10% for the AAA time, 15% for the AA time, and so on). The calculation is actually not as simple as this, but the important point is that it is largely based on the fastest 16th-place time and not on data of all recorded times. Consequently, it is difficult to know exactly how many swimmers fall into each level. But some studies have approximated swimming percentiles and are shown in the following table. So although we may not know the specific percentile that is associated with each swim level, you do get a general idea. Regardless of the percentile, motivational swim times are great for goal setting, and swimmers should celebrate achieving each milestone.

A couple more points about motivational times: every swimmer develops differently, so their swim times won't progress together through the levels. As swimmers mature, their best stroke and distances may change. Also, it's normal for swimmers to have different time standards for different swim strokes, and they may even have different standards for the same stroke but different distances. So swimmers should not get discouraged if their times vary in their progression. The important thing is that they keep progressing on their way to achieving their goals!