Credentials / American College of Sports Medicine

ACSM Certified Personal Trainer

ACSM-CPTcertificationverifiedby 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. 11 sources on file.

At a glance

Credential type
certification
Status
active
Target professional
Personal trainers
Country
US
Official page
https://acsm.org/certification/get-certified/personal-trainer/
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Personal Training

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-CPT | ACSM Certified Personal Trainer | 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| Accredited through 8/31/2031 (renewed; previously accredited through 9/30/2026 per the 2026-09-03/09-05 snapshots - superseded record retained).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
18
Education
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent
Degree required
no
Experience
unknown
CPR/AED
yes
Other prerequisites
Possess current adult CPR/AED certification that has a live/in-person practical skills examination component (e.g., American Heart Association or American Red Cross); First Aid required beginning 2027. Candidates must submit an application with supporting documents via the MyACSM portal.

To earn the certification, candidates must meet eligibility requirements and pass the certification examination. Once an application is approved or paid in full, a three-month eligibility window begins; $50 extensions (up to three) may be purchased.

Examination

Format
Computer-based multiple-choice exam delivered by Pearson VUE; may be taken live remote-proctored online (OnVUE) or at an in-person Pearson VUE testing center
Online exam
yes
Testing center
yes
Length
unknown
Questions
unknown
Passing score
Scaled score of 550 on a 200–800 scale (criterion-referenced, modified Angoff standard setting)
Attempts included
unknown
Retake policy
A retest fee applies for retaking the exam ($205); candidates whose online exam is terminated forfeit their registration and must reschedule, including retest fees.

Initial certification costs

$410
exam fee nonmember
$205
exam retake fee
$50
application fee
$310
exam fee member
  • $609 — ACSM-CPT Prep Bundle + (exam, prep course, practice test), nonmember price
  • $449 — ACSM-CPT Prep Bundle (exam + prep course), member price
  • $559 — ACSM-CPT Prep Bundle (exam + prep course), nonmember price
  • $499 — ACSM-CPT Prep Bundle + (exam, prep course, practice test), member price

$609: Non-member · $410: Non-member · $449: ACSM member · $310: ACSM member · $559: Non-member · $499: ACSM member

Renewal & CEU requirements

3 yr
renewal cycle
45
CEUs per cycle
$60
renewal
Recertification required
yes
CEU unit system
ACSM CEC (Continuing Education Credit; ACSM recognizes 1 CEC per contact hour of education)
Ethics requirement
no
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
Deadline rule
Certification valid 3 years. Certificants certified prior to 2025 expire Dec 31; those newly certified in 2025 expire three years from date of initial certification. Recertification must be completed by 11:59 p.m. EST on the expiration date to avoid the $80 late fee; an automatic six-month grace period follows (certification inactive during grace period), after which the credential lapses and only reinstatement ($225) or re-examination is available.

Recertify by earning 45 CECs during the cycle, maintaining current CPR/AED certification, and paying the $60 fee; alternatively retake and pass the exam. CECs are self-reported in the MyACSM/CEC Dashboard; ACSM-run courses/events auto-post. CECs do not carry over between cycles. ACSM audits 10% of recertification submissions (documentation due within 30 days). Max 5 CECs/year for CPR/AED/First Aid courses; up to 8 CECs/year (24 per cycle) for ACSM committee work; up to 15 CECs/cycle for teaching/lecturing (max 5/year); 10 CECs per college credit hour; up to 10 CECs for authoring publications; 10 CECs for earning a higher-level new ACSM certification. Separate fee required for each credential held. Emeritus status ($165) available at 65+ with 10 years continuous certification and retired, exempting future CEC/fee requirements. Starting 2027 all ACSM certifications will require first aid training.

CEU recognition

  • Other certifying organizations' certifications — not recognized
    Certifications earned from other organizations cannot be applied toward ACSM certification renewal (only new higher-level ACSM certifications earn CECs); ACSM also does not award CECs for auditing college courses, job duties, job shadowing, reading, EMT training or lifeguarding
  • American Council on Exercise (ACE) — accepts ceus from
    Non-ACSM-approved CECs accepted if directly related to the ACSM certification and the provider has CEC approval from a governing body or major fitness organization; ACSM matches the credit amount at 1 CEC per contact hour (1.0 = 1.0; decimal systems 0.1 = 1.0)
  • National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) — accepts ceus from
    Same conditions: activity must be directly relevant to the ACSM certification and approved by a governing body/major fitness organization; credit matched at 1 CEC per contact hour
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) — accepts ceus from
    Same conditions: activity must be directly relevant to the ACSM certification and approved by a governing body/major fitness organization; credit matched at 1 CEC per contact hour
  • AFAA — accepts ceus from
    Listed in the ACSM Certification Guidebook as an example of a major fitness organization whose CEC approval makes an activity acceptable, even if ACSM is not listed
  • ACSM Approved CEC Providers (100+ organizations reviewed by ACSM's Education Department) — approved ceu provider
    CECs from ACSM Approved Providers count toward recertification but are not auto-posted; must be self-reported with documentation retained

Pathway

What this credential requires

All of:
  • Age18 years of age or older
  • EducationHigh school diploma or the equivalent
  • CPR/AEDAdult CPR/AED certification

Open in Pathways →

Sources (11)

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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