ISSA Personal Training Certification

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“Warning: Some people view the online exam and free retests as a sign that this is not a legitimate certification.”
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ISSA Personal Training Certification

ISSA is the International Sports Sciences Association and the ISSA Personal Training Certification is one of the more recognized certifications in the industry.

ISSA makes it easy for personal trainers by offering one certification:

The Certified Fitness Trainer (CFT)

The CFT is unique in that it can be taken online including the certification exam! For those studying in rural areas, this is an attractive feature. This is no lightweight certification, you can tell by holding the thick textbook! You will have to devote some serious study time to master this cert.

You can compare ISSA Certification against other Personal Trainer Certifications using our Certification comparison table. Also check out what other personal trainers are saying about ISSA certification.

What are the costs?

The ISSA personal training certification program offers a single price approach. For $595 you get all your materials, your exam cost, access to the online training resources and a free tech support hotline where you can get help from trainers. This unlimited phone support is one of the ways that makes this online course less isolating.

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Free ISSA Exam Retests

Yes, can you believe it! The ISSA personal training certification allows you to take the exam twice free of charge, after that it will cost you $50 administrative fee each time. The one nice thing about this program is you really know how much its going to cost. No additional textbooks to buy, no hidden fees.

And they give you two years to complete the program, not a stingy 90 days like some other programs. If you are studying from home part-time (any Moms out there?), the extra time plus the free online retest and phone support make this a much nicer experience.

Even with the free retests, it would be a good idea to take our Exam Review Course. It is over 15 hours of review including 750 practice questions for only $32.95.

Who can enroll?

Standard requirements here. 18 years old, high school diploma and Adult CPR/AED.

Recertification

While the ISSA personal training certification is definitely good, keeping your certification current is not cheap. You must recertify every two years by taking continuing education classes through the ISSA so plan on spending about $600 plus your valuable time to keep current.

100% Online Option

The ISSA personal training certification really is an online certification. Support, resources and even the exam are available online. However there is an option to attend a 2-day workshop for an additional $149. You can not take the workshop without being enrolled in the full $595 program.

What do you think about ISSA certification?

Here's your chance to have your say about the ISSA personal trainer certification. Ask a question, submit a comment, or even rant or rave about ISSA.

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ISSA Personal Training Tips

Getting feedback about ISSA certification from people who have gone through the program is valuable. Click on each tip to read and rate the comments submitted by our readers.

ISSA any good in Canada?
I am about to sign up for Personal Training Certification and I'm stuck between Can-Fit-Pro and ISSA. It is pretty clear to me that ISSA is more detailed ...

ISSA Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning
I recently took the Specialist in martial Arts Conditioning and I just passed the exam and the course was well worth the money. I had to sit down and ...

ISSA CFNS
I was about to sign up to get the CFNS until I started reading reviews.. Please give me your honest advice about starting the program. Is there a better ...

My take on ISSA
I just completed the ISSA personal training certification program and thought that it was a good experience. As a full-time college student in my final ...

NYSC does not accept ISSA Certification
I had an experience when i went into the new york sports club for a job interview they would not accept my certification from the ISSA. Was just wondering ...

ISSA Recertification Cost
I'm certified through ISSA and just recertified. It only cost me $375 which included the cost of a seminar for the 20 CEUs and $75 recertification fee....

ISSA For Part-Time Personal Trainer?
I currently already have a great career established in the IT industry, but I frequently find myself helping others out with health/fitness questions, diets,...

ISSA not "Preferred"
How do you feel about the ISSA certifications? Are they recognized by most companies? Where I am working here in San Antonio, TX (Spectrum), they don'...

ISSA Online Exam
I understand that the ISSA online test is an open book test. Was everything on the test covered in the book? If you did the online test, did you use your ...

ISSA not widely accepted?
I am currently looking at which Certification is right for me. I like your website. It's GREAT info but there is a correction to be made regarding ISSA....

ISSA certification in 4 months
I started the ISSA personal training certification in early 2005. I worked on it while working at a health club. It took me four months to complete it ...

ISSA Rip-off
Knew there had to be a catch somewhere ! They cut you off after two yrs if you don't take the CEC "Continuing Education Classes" thats $600+ each two yrs....

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification
Greetings everyone! My name is Chris and I am not a personal trainer yet and nor do I consider myself a fitness expert but I do know how industries can ...

Health club won't hire with an ISSA certification
The ISSA certification is a good fit for me. But several health clubs in my area will not hire with this certification. Anyone else have this experience?...

ISSA DETC Not rated yet
This is the only certification that is recognized by the DETC, and that should say a lot. The programs are worth 3 semester hours, that says a lot about ...

ISSA CFT: It's real... only not. Not rated yet
I'm a CFT through ISSA and while the course is in fact a real certification... It isn't thought of as such by chain gyms.

I was hoping to work at 24hour ...

ISSA recognition!! Not rated yet
I live in North alabama and I have been researching online and the local gyms. ISSA is highly recognized around north alabama. All the gyms that I have ...

Group Training Certification with ISSA Not rated yet
Hey Guys,
My plan is to get a group certification and start teaching a class. Does ISSA offer a group training certification or does the CFT cover both ...

ISSA CEU's Not rated yet
I have had my ISSA CFT for almost 4 years and was impressed with their program. I have used SCW conventions to get my 20 CEU's to re certify. This year ...

LOVE ISSA!!!! Not rated yet
The material is very detailed yet easy to understand. If you put in the time it is a very reasonable test to complete. They give you plenty of time to ...

My ISSA Review Not rated yet
I have completed the ISSA CFT certification and am glad I did. There was the support that was promised and the course was very detailed. I feel like ...

ISSA gets my vote Not rated yet
I think ISSA is doing a lot of things right. They aren't the biggest name in the industry but their program is recognized and highly regarded. Being able ...

ISSA certification in seven months Not rated yet
Great customer service. It took me seven months to complete the ISSA certification online and I really learned a lot. It really breaks it down so you understand ...

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