Compare
ACTION-CPT vs ACSM-CPT
ACTION Certified Personal Trainer from ACTION Certification LLC and ACSM Certified Personal Trainer from American College of Sports Medicine, side by side: accreditation, eligibility, exam, cost and renewal, each fact from its cited source.
Key differences
- ACTION-CPT renews on a 2-year cycle; ACSM-CPT on a 3-year cycle.
- ACTION-CPT requires 2 continuing-education units per cycle versus 45 for ACSM-CPT — note the providers use different CEU unit systems, so these figures are not directly comparable.
Differences are stated only where both credentials have a known value on record — never inferred against an unknown. No winner is declared; which credential fits depends on your goals. Methodology
ACTION Certified Personal Trainer
ACTION-CPT
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
ACSM-CPT
Credential type
certification
certification
Verification
verified
verified
Accreditation
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
Accredited through
2029-07-31
2031-08-31
Target professional
Entry-level personal trainers working in individual and group settings with healthy clients
Personal trainers
Minimum age
unknown
18
Education requirement
unknown
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent
Degree required
unknown
no
Experience requirement
unknown
unknown
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
unknown
Possess current adult CPR/AED certification that has a live/in-person practical skills examination component (e.g., American Heart Association or American Red Cross); First Aid required beginning 2027. Candidates must submit an application with supporting documents via the MyACSM portal.
Exam format
130 multiple choice questions (100 scored, up to 30 non-scored research); online with live proctors (ProctorU)
Computer-based multiple-choice exam delivered by Pearson VUE; may be taken live remote-proctored online (OnVUE) or at an in-person Pearson VUE testing center
Question count
unknown
unknown
Time limit
150 minutes
unknown
Passing score
72%
Scaled score of 550 on a 200–800 scale (criterion-referenced, modified Angoff standard setting)
Retake policy
May re-test after a 90-day waiting period following the previous exam date.
A retest fee applies for retaking the exam ($205); candidates whose online exam is terminated forfeit their registration and must reschedule, including retest fees.
Exam / application fees
$99 exam fee
$410 exam fee nonmember · $50 application fee · $310 exam fee member
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
2 years
3 years
CEUs per cycle
2
45
CEU unit system
CEC
ACSM CEC (Continuing Education Credit; ACSM recognizes 1 CEC per contact hour of education)
Renewal fees
unknown
$60 standard
Ethics requirement
unknown
no
CPR/AED at renewal
unknown
yes
Renewal deadline rule
unknown
Certification valid 3 years. Certificants certified prior to 2025 expire Dec 31; those newly certified in 2025 expire three years from date of initial certification. Recertification must be completed by 11:59 p.m. EST on the expiration date to avoid the $80 late fee; an automatic six-month grace period follows (certification inactive during grace period), after which the credential lapses and only reinstatement ($225) or re-examination is available.
Reinstatement
unknown
unknown
Credential status
active
active
Last verified
2026-09-12
2026-09-03
CEU recognition
unknown
Other certifying organizations' certifications (not recognized) · American Council on Exercise (ACE) (accepts ceus from) · National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) (accepts ceus from) · National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) (accepts ceus from) · AFAA (accepts ceus from) · ACSM Approved CEC Providers (100+ organizations reviewed by ACSM's Education Department) (approved ceu provider)
Categories
Personal Training, Movement Assessment, Nutrition Coaching, Special Populations
Personal Training
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ACSM-CPT vs ACE-CPTACSM-CPT vs ACE-GFIACSM-CPT vs AFAA-CGFIACSM-CPT vs IFPA-CPFTACSM-CPT vs IPTA CPTACSM-CPT vs NASM-CPTACSM-CPT vs NCCPT-CPTACSM-CPT vs NCSF-CPTACSM-CPT vs NESTA PFTACSM-CPT vs NETA-CGEIACSM-CPT vs NETA-CPTACSM-CPT vs NFPT-CPTACSM-CPT vs NPCP NCPTACSM-CPT vs NSCA-CPTACSM-CPT vs W.I.T.S. CPTACTION-CPT vs ACE-CPT
Full records: ACTION Certified Personal Trainer · ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
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