Compare
ACSM-CPT vs NASM-CPT
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and NASM Certified Personal Trainer from National Academy of Sports Medicine, side by side: accreditation, eligibility, exam, cost and renewal, each fact from its cited source.
Key differences
- ACSM-CPT renews on a 3-year cycle; NASM-CPT on a 2-year cycle.
- ACSM-CPT requires 45 continuing-education units per cycle versus 2 for NASM-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
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
ACSM-CPT
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT
Credential type
certification
certification
Verification
verified
verified
Accreditation
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
Accredited through
2031-08-31
2031-11-30
Target professional
Personal trainers
Personal trainers
Minimum age
18
18
Education requirement
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or GED
Degree required
no
no
Experience requirement
unknown
None; no prior fitness certification or professional fitness experience required
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
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.
Current CPR and AED certification from an approved provider (AHA, American Red Cross, ASHI, St. John Ambulance, ECSI, or EMT; NASM also offers an ASTI-powered online course); may enroll in the self-study course before obtaining CPR/AED but must have them before the exam. Purchase of NASM self-study material is not required to sit for the exam.
Exam format
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
Closed-book, proctored exam administered by PSI; available at 500+ in-person testing centers or online via remote proctor
Question count
unknown
120
Time limit
unknown
120 minutes
Passing score
Scaled score of 550 on a 200–800 scale (criterion-referenced, modified Angoff standard setting)
Scaled score of 70 or better (120 questions = 100 scored plus 20 unscored pretest items)
Retake policy
A retest fee applies for retaking the exam ($205); candidates whose online exam is terminated forfeit their registration and must reschedule, including retest fees.
Retest waiting periods: one week after first failure, 30 days after second failure, one year after third or subsequent failures. Retests purchased by calling NASM Member Services; a retest is included with the CPT Premium Self-Study and CPT All-Inclusive programs.
Exam / application fees
$410 exam fee nonmember · $50 application fee · $310 exam fee member
unknown
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
3 years
2 years
CEUs per cycle
45
2
CEU unit system
ACSM CEC (Continuing Education Credit; ACSM recognizes 1 CEC per contact hour of education)
NASM-approved CEU (2.0 CEUs ≈ 20 contact hours of approved continuing education)
Renewal fees
$60 standard
unknown
Ethics requirement
no
unknown
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
yes
Renewal deadline rule
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.
Credential must be renewed by its two-year expiration date. If requirements are not met, the credential expires; renewal applications are accepted up to one year after expiration provided all CE courses were completed before or within 90 days of the expiration date. A late fee applies to applications received up to 90 days post-expiration; after 90 days an additional fee applies.
Reinstatement
unknown
unknown
Credential status
active
active
Last verified
2026-09-03
2026-09-03
CEU recognition
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)
NASM Preferred Providers / NASM-approved course providers (accepts ceus from) · Non-preapproved continuing education providers (petition accepted) · CPR/AED providers (e.g., American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute) (accepts ceus from)
Categories
Personal Training
Personal Training
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Full records: ACSM Certified Personal Trainer · NASM Certified Personal Trainer
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