ACSM Personal Trainer Exam

If you are interested in the ACSM fitness certification you are going to need to pass the ACSM exam. This is a very challenging test as you will see from our readers comments below. You need to have a strong knowledge of anatomy and nutrition. Find out what our readers have to say about the ACSM personal trainer exam.

ACSM Exam Requirements?

ACSM states that you need to be able to demonstrate competence in the key areas (KSA) listed in the Seventh edition of ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. You also need adequate skill in risk factor and health status identification, fitness appraisal, and exercise prescription. In other words, be able to accurately prescribe a safe and effective fitness program for both healthy adults and special needs clients.

The ACSM personal trainer must also demonstrate ability to deliver innovative activities that will improve an individual's functional capacity as well as effectively communicate with individuals regarding lifestyle modification

Even people experienced in exercise sciences will want to take a few months to prepare for the ACSM personal trainer exam. With retests costing $150 you definitely want to pass on the first time. Taking our exam review course is a cost effective way to know when you are ready for the ACSM test. ACSM also recommends attending one of their workshops. There is a one day workshop for experienced trainers and a three day workshop for the rest of us.

Preparing for the ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Test

There are lots of study materials available from ACSM and from independent sources . The official ACSM materials are a bit pricey but you can also buy used study materials on ebay. We used to point people toward the Morrison study guides but we received a lot of negative feedback. That is what prompted us to develop our own exam study course with over 500 practice questions to help you pass the ACSM exam.

What did you think of the ACSM Exam?

The section below gives our readers the chance to talk about their experience with the ACSM personal trainer certification test. After you take your exam, remember to come back and tell us how you did and what worked for you!

Our readers submit some great tips about passing the ACSM personal trainer certification exam. Read the tips and add your comments and ratings to each tip.

ACSM Updated Exam
Has the test preperation course on this site been updated since the KSA have changed.

If I know everything on the exam prep..through this site will ...

Where do I begin studying?
Ok, so I just bought all of the books for the ACSM Personal Trainer test... and I am a little confused about where exactly to start. I started reading ...

ACSM - Study it all!
I am a registered dietitian, have a degree in psychology and a degree in dietetics and also took a few upper division exercise prescription courses and ...

ACSM exam.... 150 questions...150 minutes. Changes made
I completed the exam 6/26/09. I passed with a score of 596, 550 needed to pass. I studied all the recomended material for three months. As long as you ...

Get your behind to the 3-Day WorkShop!!!
Do the ACSM 3 day workshop! And again - Do the workshop! Before this thing I was all over the place with the 3 Study Guides, much too much information,...

ACSM KSA help!
Hey Friends,

The KSAs listed in the back of "Resources for the Personal Trainer" say I should be familiar with major muscle groups and bones. I've ...

Need help passing the ACSM exam
I have a few questions about passing the exam. First I have been reading the ACSM Certification Review book and I have been passing the practice questions ...

Topics from the ACSM Test
I was a business undergrad, not Exercise Science so I have been studying a lot for this. I took the test just to see how it compared to the ACSM Certification ...

Question about the ACSM Exam
I am studying for the ACSM personal training exam... how in depth should I study, especially the equations (VO2, etc)? I am horrible with remembering ...

Memorize the calculations
I prepared for the ACSM exam by taking the $375.00 workshop and had a study session with a former exam taker/passer. I did not pass the exam the first ...

ACSM exam tips
Make sure you know what the joint is doing and in what plane the movement is in for the ACSM exam. Example: lumbar flexion - plane of motion is Sagital....

I just passed the ACSM Exam
Okay guys, I just passed the ACSM exam this morning, and I'm going to tell you some things that will hopefully alleviate some anxiety! I studied for 5 ...

ACSM Exam... Tougher Than a Two Dollar Steak!
ACSM Exam... Tougher Than a Two Dollar Steak!

I just finished taking the ACSM exam, (for the second time) and I have to say… This is no walk in the ...

How much should I study for the ACSM exam?
I am studying for the ACSM certified personal trainer test and I feel overwhelmed. I have a full time job in an office and want this certification as a ...

ACSM certification is not an entry level cert
If you are in it for some quick money, just get an easier certification and find clients on your own. You can make $50 an hour easily and they won't know ...

ACSM exam is not worth the effort
Well I've talked to a few people who are majors in exercise science and they have failed the ACSM test. They told me the books are basically 2-3 years ...

ACSM is very tricky
I arrived with full confidence and left with uncertainty. The exam was very tricky and confusingly worded.

ACSM Success Not rated yet
Dear Katie,

I have been losing sleep over my ACSM personal trainer test for over a year, but I bought your prep course a few days before my test and ...

ACSM Study Plan Needed Not rated yet
I could use some help with where to start to study for the exam. I wanted to become a personal trainer because I love to work out myself. I have been an ...

Depth of knowledge for ACSM exam Not rated yet
I have been completely memorizing all of the muscles, including facial muscles, and am now questioning whether I even need to know all of that. Does the ...

What study materials to use? Not rated yet
I've been studying for the ACSM for a couple months and I've learned all the calculation, nutrient, and THAT information. But I don't feel like any of ...

The New ACSM Cert Exam Not rated yet
If anyone has taken the new exam could you give some feedback, specifically:

Questions about special populations
Questions about angina, infarction,...

Make sure how to apply what you know Not rated yet
I took the ACSM today, Passed it! HOWEVER here is the following information regarding what I did and how I did it. First of all I am a Sports and Exercise ...

Tips to Help You PASS!! Not rated yet
I passed ACSM..YAY!! I thought the test was about the level of the practice exam available on this site, not as difficult as the quizzes in the ACSM Certification ...

I just passed the ACSM exam,my advice to you Not rated yet
I read a lot about the ACSM exam before I took it,to find out what exactly I needed to know to pass.I wanted as much as an edge as I could get because ...

ACSM study tips Not rated yet
Took the test today (3/13/09) and passed (yay!) In addition to the tips offered here I would say take a second look at special considerations (what and ...

Challenging exam but prep course helped Not rated yet
I just passed the ACSM Exam last week and it was fairly challenging even with the study materials from ACSM and having prepared for nine months. I took ...

Am I Ready for the ACSM Exam? Not rated yet
I am in the military as a Naval Hospital Corpsman. To sum it up, we have quite a diverse amount of knowledge in medicine, A&P, nursing, emergency care,...

ACSM Much easier than I thought it would be Not rated yet
To pass this exam, you need to study intensely for about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks. Know basic anatomy (very rudimentary), know how people adapt to various modalities ...

STUDY AND TAKE YOUR TIME ON THE ACSM EXAM Not rated yet
I just passed the ACSM exam a few weeks ago. I studied a total of about 140 hours over a 3 month period. The main thing is to study all the materials and ...

ACSM is a tough exam Not rated yet
It is a tough exam, it is definitely worth studying the ACSM materials, regardless of whether you take the exam or not. It is a very good program and ...

You can pass the ACSM exam Not rated yet
The ACSM test is not so difficult that it can't be passed. Most of the test material is what you will learn in your physical assessment or similar class....

ACSM Exam: Choose the MOST correct answer Not rated yet
The ACSM test is a tough one. It has many questions with all the right answers and you must choose the one MOST correct. Study and it will be tough. Don'...