Credentials / American College of Sports Medicine

ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist

ACSM-EPcertificationverifiedby 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
Exercise physiologists
Country
US
Official page
https://acsm.org/certification/get-certified/exercise-physiologist/
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Exercise Physiology

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-EP | ACSM Certified 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| Accredited through 8/31/2031 (renewed; previously accredited through 9/30/2026 per the 2026-09-03/09-05 snapshots - superseded record retained).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
At least a Bachelor's degree (baccalaureate or higher) with a major in Exercise Science (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited college/university; candidates may test in the last semester of their degree program. An 'equivalent major' requires a degree including a minimum of 21 semester or 28 quarter hours of exercise science coursework covering Exercise Physiology (min. 3.0 credit stand-alone course), Strength and Conditioning, Applied Kinesiology or Biomechanics, Anatomy and Physiology, Exercise Testing and Prescription, Special Populations, and Health Risk Appraisal.
Degree required
yes — Bachelor's degree or higher
Degree field
Major in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology (or equivalent major as defined by required coursework)
Experience
unknown
CPR/AED
yes
Other prerequisites
Current adult CPR/AED certification with a live/in-person practical skills examination component (e.g., American Heart Association or American Red Cross); First Aid required beginning 2027.

No petition or appeals process for non-exercise science based degree programs, and no consideration made for past experience. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements and pass the certification exam; application and supporting documents submitted via the MyACSM portal.

Examination

Format
Computer-based proctored exam delivered by Pearson VUE; may be taken online (OnVUE live remote-proctored) 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 standard set via modified Angoff)
Attempts included
unknown
Retake policy
Retest requires payment of a re-test fee ($235 for ACSM-EP); handbook contains a Retest Policy section.

Initial certification costs

$350
exam fee member
$235
exam retake fee
$460
exam fee nonmember
  • $459 — ACSM-EP Prep Bundle (exam + prep course) - member price
  • $649 — ACSM-EP Prep Bundle (exam + prep course) - nonmember price
  • $509 — ACSM-EP Prep Bundle + (exam, prep course, practice test) - member price
  • $699 — ACSM-EP Prep Bundle + (exam, prep course, practice test) - nonmember price

$350: ACSM member · $460: Non-member · $459: ACSM member · $649: Non-member · $509: ACSM member · $699: 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; 1 CEC = 1 contact hour of education); CEUs/CMEs accepted at 1.0 = 1.0 equivalency (0.1 = 1.0 if provider uses decimal system)
Ethics requirement
no
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
Deadline rule
Certification valid 3 years; those certified before 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 is expired/inactive during it), after which the credential lapses and only reinstatement ($225) or re-examination is possible.

Two options: (1) accumulate/self-report the required CECs within the cycle, maintain current CPR/AED certification, and pay the fee by the expiration date, or (2) retake and pass the certification exam. CECs must be earned during the current cycle and do not carry over; CECs earned before certification are not accepted. CECs earned outside ACSM must be self-reported in the CEC Dashboard; ACSM auto-posts CECs from ACSM online courses and official ACSM events. ACSM audits 10% of recertification submissions (documentation due within 30 days; retain records at least one year after renewal). Caps: up to 8 CECs/year (24 per cycle) for ACSM committee work; max 5 CECs/year for CPR/AED/First Aid certifications (effective Jan 1, 2025); up to 15 CECs per cycle (max 5/year) for teaching/lecturing; 10 CECs per college credit hour (grade C or better); up to 10 CECs for authoring peer-reviewed publications/books/accepted abstracts; 15 CECs for earning a new higher-level ACSM EP/CEP certification. No CECs for auditing courses, job duties, job shadowing, reading books/articles, CPR/BLS courses (beyond the 5/yr policy), EMT training or lifeguarding. Emeritus status (age 65+, continuously certified 10 years, retired) removes CEC/fee obligations; fee $165.

CEU recognition

  • ACSM Approved CEC Providers (100+ programs reviewed and approved by ACSM's Education Department) — approved ceu provider
    CECs from approved providers are accepted but are not auto-posted; certificant must self-report via the CEC Dashboard and retain documentation.
  • ACE (American Council on Exercise) — accepts ceus from
    Non-ACSM-approved CECs accepted if directly related to the ACSM certification and the provider has a governing body or major fitness organization's CEC approval, even if ACSM is not listed; ACSM awards 1 CEC per contact hour and matches the credit amount awarded.
  • NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) — accepts ceus from
    Accepted when the event is endorsed/approved by the organization; ACSM matches the credit amount (1.0 = 1.0, or 0.1 = 1.0 for decimal systems).
  • NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) — accepts ceus from
    Accepted when the event is endorsed/approved by the organization; ACSM matches the credit amount.
  • AFAA — accepts ceus from
    Listed as an example of a major fitness organization whose CEC approval makes an activity acceptable to ACSM.
  • Other certifying organizations (for credential-earning credit) — not recognized
    Certifications earned from other organizations cannot be applied toward ACSM certification renewal (only new higher-level ACSM certifications earn CECs).

Pathway

What this credential requires

All of:
  • EducationMinimum bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, or Kinesiology
  • CPR/AEDAdult CPR/AED 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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