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ACE-CPT vs NASM-CPT
ACE Certified Personal Trainer from American Council on Exercise 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
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
2029-03-31
2031-11-30
Target professional
Personal trainers
Personal trainers
Minimum age
18
18
Education requirement
Have completed high school diploma (or the 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
Hold a current adult CPR/AED certificate with 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); pay the exam/proctoring fee (not included in study program price).
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
In-person proctored exam or online exam with a Live Remote Proctor (proctored through Meazure Learning/ProctorU); 150 multiple-choice questions
Closed-book, proctored exam administered by PSI; available at 500+ in-person testing centers or online via remote proctor
Question count
150
120
Time limit
180 minutes
120 minutes
Passing score
Score of 500 or greater (out of 800)
Scaled score of 70 or better (120 questions = 100 scored plus 20 unscored pretest items)
Retake policy
Retake available; ACE recommends allowing about one week of review for every 10 points below the passing score of 500 before rescheduling. After registering for a Live Remote Proctored exam, candidates have 60 days to complete it.
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
unknown
unknown
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
2 years
2 years
CEUs per cycle
2
2
CEU unit system
ACE CEC (0.1 CEC = 1 hour of structured learning; 2.0 CECs = 20 hours per 2-year cycle)
NASM-approved CEU (2.0 CEUs ≈ 20 contact hours of approved continuing education)
Renewal fees
$129 standard
unknown
Ethics requirement
yes
unknown
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
yes
Renewal deadline rule
Credential valid 2 years; CECs must be completed between the start and end dates of the renewal cycle shown in My ACE, then submit renewal and pay fee before expiration. Late renewal permitted up to 6 months past expiration at higher fees; beyond 6 months requires contacting ACE support. Expired certifications without completed CECs require retaking the exam.
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
ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE pre-approved course directory) (approved ceu provider) · Non-ACE-approved course providers (petition accepted) · Accredited colleges/universities (petition accepted)
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: ACE Certified Personal Trainer · NASM Certified Personal Trainer
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