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AFAA-CGFI vs NASM-CPT
AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor from Athletics and Fitness Association of America 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
- AFAA-CGFI requires 1.5 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
Credential type
certification
certification
Verification
verified
verified
Accreditation
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
Accredited through
2030-12-31
2031-11-30
Target professional
Group fitness instructors
Personal trainers
Minimum age
unknown
18
Education requirement
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
High school diploma or GED
Degree required
no
no
Experience requirement
None – "You do not need prior experience before taking the CGFI course."
None; no prior fitness certification or professional fitness experience required
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
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.
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
Closed-book, 3rd-party (PSI) proctored exam; administered in-person at a testing center or via live remote online proctoring
Closed-book, proctored exam administered by PSI; available at 500+ in-person testing centers or online via remote proctor
Question count
120
120
Time limit
120 minutes
120 minutes
Passing score
Scaled score of 70 or better
Scaled score of 70 or better (120 questions = 100 scored plus 20 unscored pretest items)
Retake policy
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.
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
1.5
2
CEU unit system
AFAA CEU (contact-hour based: 1 contact hour = 0.1 CEU; 1.5 CEUs = 15 contact hours)
NASM-approved CEU (2.0 CEUs ≈ 20 contact hours of approved continuing education)
Renewal fees
$99 standard
unknown
Ethics requirement
no
unknown
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
yes
Renewal deadline rule
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).
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
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)
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
Compare something else
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ACE-CPT vs AFAA-CGFIACE-CPT vs NASM-CPTACE-GFI vs AFAA-CGFIACE-GFI vs NASM-CPTACSM-CPT vs AFAA-CGFIACSM-CPT vs NASM-CPTACTION-CPT vs AFAA-CGFIACTION-CPT vs NASM-CPTAFAA-CGFI vs IFPA-CPFTAFAA-CGFI vs IPTA CPTAFAA-CGFI vs NCCPT-CPTAFAA-CGFI vs NCSF-CPTAFAA-CGFI vs NESTA PFTAFAA-CGFI vs NETA-CGEIAFAA-CGFI vs NETA-CPTAFAA-CGFI vs NFPT-CPT
Full records: AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor · NASM Certified Personal Trainer
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