Compare
ACTION-CPT vs ACE-GFI
ACTION Certified Personal Trainer from ACTION Certification LLC and ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor from American Council on Exercise, side by side: accreditation, eligibility, exam, cost and renewal, each fact from its cited source.
Key differences
No factual differences on the fields where both credentials have known values.
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
Credential type
certification
certification
Verification
verified
verified
Accreditation
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
Accredited through
2029-07-31
2029-03-31
Target professional
Entry-level personal trainers working in individual and group settings with healthy clients
Group fitness instructors
Minimum age
unknown
18
Education requirement
unknown
Must have completed high school (or the equivalent)
Degree required
unknown
no
Experience requirement
unknown
unknown
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
unknown
Hold a current adult CPR/AED certification with a hands-on (in-person or virtual) live skills check (CPR/AED courses without skills check not accepted; AED only required in USA and Canada); present a current government-issued photo ID with signature (driver's license, passport, military ID).
Exam format
130 multiple choice questions (100 scored, up to 30 non-scored research); online with live proctors (ProctorU)
In-person proctored exam at a testing location or online via Live Remote Proctor (Meazure Learning/ProctorU); multiple choice
Question count
unknown
150
Time limit
150 minutes
180 minutes
Passing score
72%
Score of 500 or greater (scaled)
Retake policy
May re-test after a 90-day waiting period following the previous exam date.
Retake available. Candidates may have a retake voucher in their MyACE account; otherwise an additional exam can be purchased at a discounted retake fee, valid for one year after the initial test date. Exam voucher has a 6-month redemption period; after registering for a Live Remote Proctored exam, candidates have 60 days to complete it.
Exam / application fees
$99 exam fee
unknown
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
2 years
2 years
CEUs per cycle
2
2
CEU unit system
CEC
ACE CEC (0.1 CEC = 1 hour of structured learning; 2.0 CECs = 20 hours)
Renewal fees
unknown
$129 standard
Ethics requirement
unknown
yes
CPR/AED at renewal
unknown
yes
Renewal deadline rule
unknown
Credential must be renewed every two years; CECs must be completed between the start and end dates of the renewal cycle shown in the My ACE profile. Late renewal permitted up to 3 months and up to 6 months past expiration at higher fees; more than 6 months past expiration requires contacting ACE support. If 2.0 CECs are not completed and the certification expires, the exam must be retaken.
Reinstatement
unknown
unknown
Credential status
active
active
Last verified
2026-09-12
2026-09-03
CEU recognition
unknown
American Council on Exercise (ACE) (petition accepted) · ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE Pre-Approved Course Directory) (approved ceu provider)
Categories
Personal Training, Movement Assessment, Nutrition Coaching, Special Populations
Personal Training
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ACE-CPT vs ACE-GFIACE-GFI vs AFAA-CGFIACE-GFI vs IFPA-CPFTACE-GFI vs IPTA CPTACE-GFI vs NASM-CPTACE-GFI vs NCCPT-CPTACE-GFI vs NCSF-CPTACE-GFI vs NESTA PFTACE-GFI vs NETA-CGEIACE-GFI vs NETA-CPTACE-GFI vs NFPT-CPTACE-GFI vs NPCP NCPTACE-GFI vs NSCA-CPTACE-GFI vs W.I.T.S. CPTACSM-CPT vs ACE-GFIACTION-CPT vs ACE-CPT
Full records: ACTION Certified Personal Trainer · ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor
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