NETA-CGEI vs NETA-CPT

certification

certification

2027-07-31

2027-07-31

Group exercise / group fitness instructors

Personal trainers / aspiring exercise professionals

18

18

Candidates must be at least 18 years old or hold a high school diploma or GED. Candidates under 18 who hold a high school/GED diploma must complete a NETA-CB Minor Waiver and Permission Form.

Must be at least 18 years old OR hold a high school diploma or GED; candidates under 18 with a high school/GED diploma must complete a NETA-CB Minor Waiver and Permission Form

no

no

None — "No prior fitness-related experience, training, formalized education, or certification is required." No college degree, science background, or prior teaching experience required.

None — "No prior fitness-related experience, training, formalized education, or certification is required"

yes

yes

Group Exercise Instructor candidates must hold valid adult CPR certification from a nationally recognized provider (e.g., ARC, AHA, ASHI, NSC) that includes a live hands-on practical skills evaluation (fully online CPR not accepted); documentation (copy of card front & back or certificate) must be submitted to NETA prior to the exam. Signed Candidate Compliance Statement and registration form required. (AED is required only for the Personal Trainer credential.)

Valid adult CPR and AED certification from a nationally recognized provider (e.g., ARC, AHA, ASHI, NSC) that includes a live hands-on practical skills evaluation; documentation (copy of card front & back or certificate) must be submitted to NETA prior to the exam. Online-only CPR/AED certifications not accepted. Signed Candidate Compliance Statement required with registration.

120 multiple-choice questions (four options A–D); 100 scored plus 20 unscored experimental items. Delivered as paper/pencil at live review workshops with independent proctor, or computer-based online with live remote proctoring by ProctorU.

120 multiple-choice questions (4 options A–D); 100 scored plus 20 experimental. Available as paper/pencil proctored at conclusion of a live review workshop, or computer-based online via remote proctoring with ProctorU

120

120

120 minutes

120 minutes

Minimum score of 67% of the 100 scored questions (exam forms administered on or after June 1, 2022)

Minimum score of 70% of the 100 scored questions (exam forms administered on or after June 1, 2023)

Eligible to retake for one year following the initial attempt; mandatory 30-day wait between attempts; maximum of three attempts (initial plus two retakes) per 12-month period; $129 registration fee per retake. If not retaken within one year, the full application process and standard first-time fees apply.

$249 exam fee

$59 application fee · $449 exam fee

yes

yes

2 years

2 years

20

20

NETA CEC (1 hour of education contact time = 1 NETA CEC; 0.1 ACE CEC / 0.1 AFAA CEU / 0.1 NASM CEU = 1.0 NETA CEC)

NETA CEC (1 hour of education contact time = 1 NETA CEC; 0.1 ACE CEC / 0.1 AFAA CEU / 0.1 NASM CEU = 1.0 NETA CEC)

$75 standard

$75 standard

no

no

yes

yes

Certification valid 2 years from date of issue; renewal applications accepted up to 90 days before (not earlier than) the designated expiration date. NETA advises submitting ~2 months (at least 30 days) prior to expiration. Automatic 180-day reinstatement grace period after expiration with higher fees; beyond 180 days the exam must be retaken. Upon renewal the new expiration is 2 years from the previous expiration date.

Certification is valid two years from date of issue; 20 CECs must be earned between date of issue and the designated expiration date. Applications accepted up to 90 days before expiration (NETA advises submitting ~30-60 days prior). Automatic 180-day reinstatement grace period after expiration (status is 'expired'); beyond 180 days the exam must be retaken. Renewed certifications are dated two years from the previous expiration date.

active

active

2026-09-03

2026-09-03

American Council on Exercise (ACE) (accepts ceus from) · National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) (accepts ceus from) · CPR/AED and First Aid course providers (not recognized) · Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) (accepts ceus from) · NETA Certification Board (non-preapproved providers / college courses) (petition accepted)

American Council on Exercise (ACE) (accepts ceus from) · National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) (accepts ceus from) · Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) (accepts ceus from) · National Exercise Trainers Association Certification Board (NETA-CB) (petition accepted)

Personal Training, Conditioning, Professional Development

Personal Training, Exercise Physiology, Behavior Change, Movement Assessment, Nutrition Coaching