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Taking the NASM Exam

Find out what our readers have to say about the NASM exam below.

The NASM personal trainer certification has continued to grow in popularity. And while its not considered the hardest of the personal trainer tests, the NASM exam is not easy. You are going to want to devote some serious time toward preparing for the test.

Passing the NASM Exam?

You need to get at least 70 out of 120 questions right to pass the exam according to NASM. But NASM mixes in 20 research questions that don't count but they also don't tell you which ones they are. So if you get 89 questions correct, and 20 of them were research questions, you would still fail.

NASM tell us that only 65% of candidates pass the exam. So don't take this one lightly. You will need to study smartly to avoid being in the 35% that fail the test and have to pay the $99 fee to take the exam again.

Preparing for the NASM Exam

The NASM exam is broken down into these categories:

You've got a choice of study materials. You can purchase the official NASM study program that includes the textbook, videos, practice exam, study guide, flash cards and the actual exam for $649. But if you can't afford to that, you can self-study and take the exam for $499. Ebay is a great source for used NASM study materials. At any given time there are lots of auctions with deeply discounted items.

You should plan on taking our Exam Prep Course. With over 500 practice questions for only $24.95, it is a great insurance policy against having to pay $99 to take the NASM exam again.

There are also books and videos that might help with your preparation. Or any combination of these unofficial resources with the official NASM exam prep tools will work.

Have You Taken the NASM Exam?

The section below gives our readers the chance to talk about their experience with the NASM exam. 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 NASM personal trainer certification exam. Read the tips and add your comments and ratings to each tip.

NASM exam not what I expected... 
I studied forever for this test. Took the practice test every night for a week and the morning of the test also. I was scoring around 90% on it. I get ...

Not as hard as I'd assumed it would be 
Hi All! I was scared to death when I went to take the NASM test this morning. First of all I have had four months to study. The most I was able to accomplish ...

NASM Tips while they're still fresh in my mind 
I took the NASM exam this morning for the first time, and passed. So, while they are still fresh in my mind, I'll try to remember in some shape or form ...

Muscle groups for NASM exam 
So, I read that the questions aren't too specific about the muscle groups and the actions they are responsible for. But that they are more general: "What ...

NASM Exam No Worries 
I used this site to get ready for the NASM, so I thought I would pay it forward so to speak. I just took the NASM today and passed. It really isn't that ...

NASM exam is not that hard 
First off, don't worry...the exam is not all that hard. I had never worked in a gym before and studied 4 months for the test, but was a full time student ...

A long winded guide to the NASM testing experience 
I recently took the NASM exam, I was not given an actual score only a pass or fail. It was my first time ever taking any CPT test and I passed.

The ...

NASM has too many right choices 
I have taken the NASM test multiple times and have yet to pass. It seems that when asked about which muscles are tight, they offer 4 choices and 3 out ...

Fooled by the NASM exam 
I don't like to admit that I failed the NASM exam, even after get 100% on the practice exams. No matter how confident you might feel, there is always ...

FREAK OUT + Positive Thinking = Success! How I Passed the NASM Exam 
In my previous post I had just recovered from a 'FREAK OUT' session and I was determined to think positive. Fortunately, the effort and thought process ...

16 hours to my NASM Exam = FREAK OUT...think positive! 
WHOA WAKE-UP CALL!!! NASM test questions are nothing like the study materials!

Alright, so I'll admit it...much to my dismay I flew through the NASM ...

Failed the NASM Exam 
So I thought I was well prepared for the NASM exam after spending about an hour each day for about 4 weeks and following the NASM study guide, online practice ...

NASM study materials 
I've been calling around to different gyms in Maryland and decided to go with the NASM cert. Hopefully that doesn't backfire in the end.I was actually ...

My NASM journey. Tips and advice I can offer 
Well i began my journey in march and just completed it. The first time, I studied early on but got burned out and didn't study for a whole month until ...

Don't Rely on the NASM practice Test 
I took the NASM test this week and if it was not for this site and the mention that the practice test wasn't on the test, I think I would have failed. The ...

NASM Test 
Just a warning for anyone taking the NASM examination. I aced the practice exam, knew everything that I had studied on, knew every single muscle and its ...

NASM-CPT exam can be tricky 
I took the NASM CPT exam on Tuesday and passed the first time. I received my study guide and book in August and have been studying off and on ever since....

NASM Practice Test 
The practice test sold by NASM was a total and completely waste of study time and money! It absolutely did NOT "mirror" their exam! I'm so pissed that ...

I passed NASM 
I self-studied for the exam and passed the first time. I didn't find it very difficult if you study all the materials and have been working as a trainer ...

NASM STUDY FLASH CARDS 
I AM BEGINNING TO STUDY FOR THE NASM EXAM, SOMEONE MENTIONED FLASH CARDS FOR STUDYING.
MY QUESTION IS ARE THEY WORTH BUYING?

NASM Exam is challenging 
The exam is challenging for anyone who has not been working as a trainer or been certified elsewhere. Or at least I found that to be the case. I just took ...

Just finished the NASM exam 
I just finished taking the NASM exam this morning.

The sample questions were helpful such as protein for endurance athlete, diastolic blood pressure,...

Second time didn't work either  Not rated yet
Wow,,, Failed the first time with 61% and just took my second exam and failed 69%, thats the worst when 70 is a pass
Practice exam is nothing like the ...

Time and Dedication is all you need. . .  Not rated yet
Time and Dedication is all you need. . .to pass this exam. From reading the posts regarding the NASM exam, I was under the impression that it was quite ...

READ THE HIGHLIGHTS!  Not rated yet
Sept 19th 2009 I took and passed the NASM CPT the first time in 32 mininuts! But I studied for 120 days and I hit it hard!

Is it easy? NO
Is it Hard?...

Thanks Katie!  Not rated yet
Your site helped me to pass my NASM test. it was so helpful for me, not a good test taker, to practice practice practice and familiarize myself with the ...

JUST STUDY! I Passed NASM  Not rated yet
First I want to say thank you to others who have posted their experiences - you really helped me!

I heard horror stories and how difficult the test ...

NASM Exam was way too easy... very disappointed  Not rated yet
I read horror stories on this site about how hard the test was so i studied REALLY hard for a month and finally took the test. When i got to the testing ...

NASM exam was easier than I thought.   Not rated yet
I took the NASM exam 2 days ago and honestly didn't think it was that bad. The earlier posts were very helpful in regards to the types of questions the ...

Passed NASM Test   Not rated yet
You can do it! Be confident and relaxed. There is a feature that allows you to flag any question you are not sure of. This is a nice feature in that ...

2 vital things I did to pass NASM-CPT  Not rated yet
I just took the NASM exam this morning and passed on the first time. I read a lot of the comments on this site and was a little nervous due to a lot of ...

NASM is easy if you study, Hard if you don't  Not rated yet
I have never had a certification, but have been involved in the fitness industry for years. From what I have seen NASM is the safest and is very effective....

Do not take the NASM test lightly.....  Not rated yet
I am a CPT with NASM and work in a small one on one studio in my home town. I have several certifications but NASM is the one that I am currently most ...

NASM CPT possible questions  Not rated yet
Watch for the wording on the NASM questions, confusing sometimes. I took it twice and passed.

Some practice NASM questions:

remember 3 quarts or ...

Watch the NASM DVDs, Take the Practice Exams  Not rated yet
I just took and passed the NASM exam after 2 weeks of studying. I don't have a background in health or exercise science, so I needed those two weeks. All ...

Just passed the NASM exam!  Not rated yet
First off, whoever created this site is awesome because it helped me so very, very much. The exam was hard and not hard all at the same time. I passed ...

Study Guides For Sale Didnt Help  Not rated yet
I was very nervous and unsure about taking the test. I had purchased a "study guide" from a website that I found on google, and after printing it out,...

NASM exam not that hard  Not rated yet
I'm surprised at the general review for this exam. I found it rather perfunctory and not that in depth or hard. The study materials are pretty straight ...

Study, Study and Study Again. I Passed First Time  Not rated yet
The NASM Exam was very similar to the practice questions although only very few of the practice questions were on the test. Follow the breakdown of the ...

NASM Study Tips - I found to be the best resource  Not rated yet
I took the test today and passed. I agree with what most people have already posted, know the OPT model, know how the regressions and progressions for ...

Overstudied for NASM exam  Not rated yet
I just took the NASM exam about 30 minutes ago and it was not hard at all. I had no experience with training before taking the exam and I'd be surprised ...

I passed NASM and It was exactly what I expected  Not rated yet
I watched the NASM DVD segments in 2 days. Skimmed through the text in 2 days and did the workbook in 2 days.

I think if you learn the highlighted ...

Taking the NASM exam this week  Not rated yet
I am getting ready to take my NASM certification this week. I have a full time job, and just starting out in the PT business. I have been studying for ...

Know the OPT Model In and Out to Pass the NASM exam  Not rated yet
It was not as hard as it seems ...Just make sure you know the OPT model in and out.

Use the NASM daily study guide  Not rated yet
I literally just took the exam today and passed. This was my first attempt. I found the book, study guide and CD-ROM lectures invaluable to my passing ...

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