Credentials / American College of Sports Medicine

ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist

ACSM-CEPcertificationverifiedby American College of Sports Medicine· Compare
Verified: this record was checked against its official source and the accreditor’s directory. Last verified 2026-09-03. 12 sources on file.

At a glance

Credential type
certification
Status
active
Target professional
Clinical exercise physiologists
Country
US
Official page
https://acsm.org/certification/get-certified/clinical-exercise-physiologist/
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Exercise Physiology, Special Populations

Accreditation

accreditedNCCAaccredited through 2031-08-31· confirmed in the accreditor’s directory 2026-10-03
Confirmed against NCCA Accredited Program Directory (full listing) on 2026-10-03: American College of Sports Medicine | ACSM-CEP | ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist | NCCA | Accredited through 8/31/2031 (renewed; previously accredited through 9/30/2026 per the 2026-09-03/09-05 snapshots - superseded record retained).

Eligibility & examination

Eligibility

Minimum age
unknown
Education
Pathway A: Master's degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology or equivalent from a regionally accredited college/university. Pathway B: Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology from a regionally accredited college/university. Effective Aug. 15, 2027, the degree must be earned through a CAAHEP-accredited exercise science/exercise physiology program (with transition exemptions).
Degree required
yes — Master's degree (Pathway A) OR Bachelor's degree (Pathway B)
Degree field
Master's in Clinical Exercise Physiology or equivalent; or Bachelor's in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology. Program must document formal preparation in clinical exercise testing and prescription, advanced exercise physiology, and clinical exercise physiology/pathophysiology.
Experience
Minimum 600 hours of clinical experience in a clinical exercise program (Master's/Pathway A) OR minimum 1,200 hours (Bachelor's/Pathway B). Hours must be from a clinical setting; may be internships, volunteer or work experience; no more than 50% may be virtual counseling hours. Observation hours, non-clinical experience, hours with athletes/apparently healthy populations and personal training do not count.
CPR/AED
yes
Other prerequisites
Current certification in Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) or CPR for the Professional Rescuer (with hands-on practical skills component); First Aid beginning 2027. Must submit application with clinical experience log, official transcript, program curriculum/course descriptions and other supporting documentation before registering for the exam.

Candidates must meet eligibility requirements and pass the certification exam; certification valid three years. Applications are reviewed/audited; if eligibility criteria are not met the exam fee is refunded but the application fee is retained.

Examination

Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination delivered by Pearson VUE; available as live remote-proctored online exam (OnVUE) or at an in-person proctored testing center
Online exam
yes
Testing center
yes
Length
unknown
Questions
unknown
Passing score
Scaled score of 550 (scale 200-800); criterion-referenced standard set via modified Angoff
Attempts included
1
Retake policy
Retesting requires payment of the re-test fee ($235); a retest policy is set out in the Candidate Handbook. Candidates whose online exam is terminated forfeit the registration and must reschedule, including retest fees.

Initial certification costs

$460
exam fee nonmember
$350
exam fee member
$235
exam retake fee
$50
application fee
  • $499 — ACSM-CEP Prep Bundle (exam + exam prep course), member price
  • $629 — ACSM-CEP Prep Bundle (exam + exam prep course), non-member price

$460: Non-ACSM member · $350: ACSM member · $499: ACSM member · $629: Non-member

Renewal & CEU requirements

3 yr
renewal cycle
60
CEUs per cycle
$70
renewal
Recertification required
yes
CEU unit system
ACSM CEC (Continuing Education Credit); ACSM awards 1 CEC per contact hour of education; CEUs/CMEs accepted at 1.0 = 1.0 (0.1 CEU = 1.0 CEC if decimal system used)
Ethics requirement
no
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
Deadline rule
Certification valid 3 years; recertification must be completed by 11:59 p.m. EST on the expiration date. Certificants certified before 2025 expire Dec. 31; those newly certified in 2025 expire three years from the date of initial certification. A six-month grace period follows expiration (certification inactive during that time) with an $80 late fee; after the grace period only reinstatement ($225) or re-examination is possible.

Two options: (1) accumulate/report 60 CECs in the cycle, maintain current CPR/AED certification, and pay the fee by the expiration date, or (2) meet current certification requirements and retake/pass the exam. CECs are self-reported in the MyACSM Portal/CEC Dashboard and do not carry over to the next cycle. ACSM audits 10% of recertification submissions; audited certificants must supply documentation within 30 days. Caps: up to 8 CECs/year (24/cycle) for ACSM committee work; max 5 CECs/year for CPR/AED/First Aid certifications; up to 15 CECs/cycle (max 5/year) for teaching/lecturing; 10 CECs per college credit hour; up to 10 CECs for authoring publications; 15 CECs for earning a higher-level ACSM certification. Separate fee required for each credential renewed. Emeritus status ($165) available for retired certificants 65+ continuously certified 10 years, exempt from CECs and fees.

CEU recognition

  • American Council on Exercise (ACE) — accepts ceus from
    Non-ACSM CECs accepted if content is directly related to the ACSM certification and the provider has a governing body or major fitness organization's CEC approval; ACSM matches the credit amount awarded (1 CEC per contact hour).
  • National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) — accepts ceus from
    Accepted if directly related to the ACSM certification and approved by a governing body/major fitness organization, even if ACSM is not listed.
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) — accepts ceus from
    Accepted if directly related to the ACSM certification and approved by a governing body/major fitness organization, even if ACSM is not listed.
  • AFAA — accepts ceus from
    Listed as an acceptable approving organization for non-ACSM-approved CECs in the ACSM Certification Guidebook.
  • ACSM Approved CEC Providers (100+ pre-approved providers) — approved ceu provider
    ACSM operates an Approved Provider Program; credits from approved providers must be manually self-reported in the CEC Dashboard.
  • ACSM (CPR/BLS courses, auditing college courses, job duties, job shadowing, reading books/articles, EMT training, lifeguarding) — not recognized
    ACSM does not award CECs for these activities (note: since Jan. 1, 2025 a maximum of 5 CECs/year may be reported for completing CPR/AED/First Aid certifications).

Pathway

What this credential requires

One of:
all of the following together:
  • EducationMaster's degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology or equivalent
  • Experience600 hours of hands-on clinical experience
— or —
all of the following together:
  • EducationBachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, or equivalent
  • Experience1,200 hours of hands-on clinical experience
One of:
  • CertificationBasic Life Support Provider certification
— or —
  • CPR/AEDCPR for the Professional Rescuer certification

Open in Pathways →

Sources (12)

Latest verification activity: reverification → confirmed (2026-10-03) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-06)

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