Credentials / American Council on Exercise

ACE Certified Medical Exercise Specialist

ACE-CMEScertificationverifiedby American Council on Exercise· Compare

Verified: this record was checked against its official source and the accreditor’s directory. Last verified 2026-09-03.

At a glance

Credential type

certification

Status

active

Target professional

Medical exercise professionals

Country

Official page

https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/certified-medical-exercise-specialist/default.aspx

Recertification page

unknown

Accreditation

accreditedNCCAaccredited through 2029-03-31

Confirmed against NCCA Accredited Program Directory (full listing) on 2026-09-03: American Council on Exercise | ACE-CMES | Certified Medical Exercise Specialist | NCCA | Accredited through 3/31/2029

Renewal & CEU requirements

2 yr

renewal cycle

CEUs per cycle

$129

renewal

Recertification required

yes

CEU unit system

ACE CEC (0.1 CEC = 1 hour of structured learning; 2.0 CECs = 20 hours)

Ethics requirement

yes

CPR/AED at renewal

yes

Deadline rule

Renew every two years by the end date of the renewal cycle shown in the My ACE profile; CECs must be completed between the cycle start and end dates and do not roll over. Late renewal is permitted up to 3 months past expiration ($169) and up to 6 months ($199); more than 6 months past expiration requires contacting ACE support. If CECs are not completed and the certification expires, the exam must be retaken.

Renewal requirements: 20 hours (2.0 CECs) of ACE-approved continuing education within the two-year cycle, of which at least 1 hour (0.1 CEC) must be in the Professional Conduct & Ethics category (effective 9/13/2023); a current adult CPR/AED certificate (AED required in US/Canada); and payment of a renewal fee. CECs are entered in the My ACE Account via course (CEP) number. Same courses cannot be repeated for credit; excess CECs do not carry over. If holding multiple ACE credentials, the same CECs can apply to each credential current in that cycle, but each credential requires its own renewal fee. CPR/AED/First Aid recertification is worth 0.2 CEC each (up to 0.4 CECs noted on renewal page).

CEU recognition

ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE Pre-Approved Course Directory) — accepts ceus from
Courses pre-approved by ACE carry a CEP/CP/CA/CS/CL course code that is entered in the My ACE Account.
American Council on Exercise (non-ACE-approved courses and college courses) — petition accepted
Non-approved courses may be petitioned for CECs ($25 non-refundable fee per course, reviewed within 30 days); must be within the ACE Scope of Practice, completed within the current renewal cycle, and taught by qualified instructors. Accredited college courses with a grade of 'C' or higher may be petitioned for a maximum of 2.0 CECs (certification prep college courses up to 0.5 CEC). Education from other credentialed fields outside ACE Scope of Practice is not accepted.
American Council on Exercise (other ACE credentials) — reciprocal
CECs earned for one ACE credential can be applied to another ACE credential if completed within that credential's renewal cycle; each credential still requires its own renewal fee.

Sources (6)

Schedule Your ACE Certification Examtier 1 primary
official provider page · retrieved 2026-09-02
Medical Exercise Specialist Certificationtier 1 primary
official provider page · retrieved 2026-09-02
https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/recertification/tier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
https://www.acefitness.org/faqs/tier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
https://www.acefitness.org/about-ace/press-room/press-releases/8266/ace-elevates-standards-for-certified-professionals-through-new-recertification-requirement/tier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
NCCA Accredited Certification Programs Directory — full listing (311 programs), Institute for Credentialing Excellencetier 2 authoritative registry
accreditation directory · retrieved 2026-09-03

Latest verification activity: initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-02)