What Is a NCCA-Accredited Personal
Trainer Certification?
These days, there are many different paths you can
take to become a personal trainer. However, the most reliable and
respected path you can take is to earn a certification from one of the
organizations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying
Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA was the first institution to offer
accreditation in the fitness industry as a means for ensuring the
public's safety, health and welfare. NCCA-accreditation also guarantees
that all certified personal trainers will be nationally recognized by
most gyms and fitness establishments. For more than 30 years, the NCCA
has been a global leader in providing education, networking and
advocacy resources to the credentialing community. It's not surprising,
then, that NCAA-accredited personal trainer certifications are the most
well-known and widely accepted credentials in the industry. The purpose
of this article is to compare the four major providers of
NCAA-accredited personal trainer certifications:
- American Council on Exercise (ACE)
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association
(NSCA)
Who Are the Top Providers of
Personal Trainer Certification Programs?
Every personal trainer certification program has
unique benefits to offer participants. In the following section, we'll
discuss the important features and specific details of each of the four
fitness organizations mentioned above. For your convenience, we've
included a well-defined chart below so you can easily compare some of
the major similarities and differences between each program.
ACE – The American
Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization that was
established back in 1985. As one of the largest fitness certification,
education and training organizations in the world, ACE has more than
50,000 certified professionals, and four accredited certification
programs: Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, and two
advanced fitness certifications – the Advanced Health & Fitness
Specialist and Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach. To become a
personal trainer through ACE, you must be at least 18 years of age and
hold an Adult CPR/AED Certificate. Program participants can take the
exam in one of two ways: 1) traditional pen and paper method, which
costs $219; or 2) computer-based exam, which runs at about $249.
Candidates preparing for the ACE personal trainer certification exam
are offered a wide range of study materials including free study coach
program, manuals, practice tests, study guides, online courses,
flashcards, consultations and more. Discounted study bundles are
available between $199-$579. Exam participants are given three hours to
complete 150 questions. Once the individual passes the exam and becomes
an ACE-certified personal trainer, he/she must renew their
certification every two years by completing 2.0 CECs (20 hours of
continuing education) and paying a standard renewal fee of $79.
NASM – The National
Academy of Sports Medicine has been around since 1987, and they too
offer an official CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) credential. Similar
to the ACE personal trainer certification, NASM programs requires
participants to be at least 18 years of age and possess a valid CPR/AED
Certificate. However, NASM credentials are a bit more costly than other
fitness certification programs. Certification packages run anywhere
from $599-$799, with the exam itself costing about $549. After properly
enrolling and preparing for the CPT exam, individuals are allotted 2
hours to complete 120 questions. The price of renewal is also more than
other recertification fees (about $700), but the continuing education
requirements are the same. Every two years, professionals must complete
2.0 CECs to maintain their personal trainer certification.
ACSM – Established in
1954, the American College of Sports Medicine offers its own
NCAA-accredited personal training certification. To become an ACSM
certified personal trainer, you must be at least 18 years of age, and
possess both a high school diploma and an adult CPR certificate. The
basic CPT program is comparable to other personal trainer
certifications in that it qualifies you to train healthy individuals,
provide exercise recommendations and make fitness assessments. Test
applicants must pay the $279 exam fee and then complete 125-150
questions over the course of 2.5 hours. Unlike the ACE and NASM
personal training certifications, ACSM credential programs require
fitness professionals to enroll in continuing education courses every
three years instead of two.
NSCA – Founded in
1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association is an
international nonprofit educational association that currently serves
nearly 30,000 members across 52 countries. Besides the standard age
requirement and essential CPR/AED Certificate, the NCSA insists that
all program participants possess a high school diploma (or equivalent).
The actual exam is widely viewed as a very difficult test consisting of
140 questions—35 of which are based upon responses to a video
presentation. Many believe it would be in their best interests to get
hands-on, practical experience prior to taking the exam. After passing
the exam, NCSA-certified personal trainers must renew their credentials
every three years by earning continuing education credits and paying a
recertification fee (approximately $185-$220 for members; $305-$340 for
non-members).
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/comparing-the-top-
four-personal-trainer-certifications-2905671.html
About the Author
Julia Michaels is a fitness enthusiast with a
passion for helping fellow personal trainers teach safe, effective
exercises. She conducts regular research and gathers information from
multiple resources. Learn more about NCCA-accredited personal
trainer certification programs and take the first step to
find out how you can become
a personal trainer.
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