Compare
ACE-GFI vs AFAA-CGFI
ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor from American Council on Exercise and AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor from Athletics and Fitness Association of America, side by side: accreditation, eligibility, exam, cost and renewal, each fact from its cited source.
Key differences
- ACE-GFI requires 2 continuing-education units per cycle versus 1.5 for AFAA-CGFI — note the providers use different CEU unit systems, so these figures are not directly comparable.
- The renewal fee differs: $129 for ACE-GFI versus $99 for AFAA-CGFI.
- ACE-GFI carries an ethics requirement at renewal; AFAA-CGFI does not.
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
2030-12-31
Target professional
Group fitness instructors
Group fitness instructors
Minimum age
18
unknown
Education requirement
Must have completed high school (or the equivalent)
High school diploma or equivalent (or within no more than 90 days of completing all requirements for a high school diploma/GED or recognized equivalency); candidates under 18 must present the NASM|AFAA Academic Partner High School Verification form or their GED/diploma to the proctor at testing
Degree required
no
no
Experience requirement
unknown
None – "You do not need prior experience before taking the CGFI course."
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
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).
Current Adult CPR and AED certification from an approved provider (e.g., American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute) with a hands-on component; proof required prior to sitting for the exam. May enroll in the course before obtaining CPR/AED but must have it before the final exam. Valid government-issued photo ID required at the exam.
Exam format
In-person proctored exam at a testing location or online via Live Remote Proctor (Meazure Learning/ProctorU); multiple choice
Closed-book, 3rd-party (PSI) proctored exam; administered in-person at a testing center or via live remote online proctoring
Question count
150
120
Time limit
180 minutes
120 minutes
Passing score
Score of 500 or greater (scaled)
Scaled score of 70 or better
Retake policy
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.
Candidates who fail are subject to a retest wait period: 30 days after the first and/or second failed attempt; 1 year for each repeated failure after the 3rd attempt. A retest must be purchased (or a retest voucher activated) by calling Member Services.
Exam / application fees
unknown
unknown
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
2 years
2 years
CEUs per cycle
2
1.5
CEU unit system
ACE CEC (0.1 CEC = 1 hour of structured learning; 2.0 CECs = 20 hours)
AFAA CEU (contact-hour based: 1 contact hour = 0.1 CEU; 1.5 CEUs = 15 contact hours)
Renewal fees
$129 standard
$99 standard
Ethics requirement
yes
no
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
yes
Renewal deadline rule
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.
All requirements must be met by the certification expiration date (materials mailed/submitted prior to expiration). Recertification applications may be submitted up to one year late provided all continuing education was completed before or within 90 days of the expiration date; late fees apply ($30 up to 90 days post-expiration, $50 after the grace period and before one year post-expiration).
Reinstatement
unknown
unknown
Credential status
active
active
Last verified
2026-09-03
2026-09-03
CEU recognition
American Council on Exercise (ACE) (petition accepted) · ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE Pre-Approved Course Directory) (approved ceu provider)
Colleges/universities (post-certification collegiate coursework) (accepts ceus from) · American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, National Safety Council, St. John Ambulance, EMT programs (accepts ceus from) · AFAA-Approved Continuing Education Providers (accepts ceus from) · Non-AFAA-approved continuing education providers/courses (petition accepted)
Categories
Personal Training
Personal Training
Compare something else
Related comparisons
ACE-CPT vs ACE-GFIACE-CPT 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-GFIACSM-CPT vs AFAA-CGFI
Full records: ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor · AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor
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