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. 11 sources on file.

At a glance

Credential type
certification
Status
active
Target professional
Medical exercise professionals
Country
US
Official page
https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/certified-medical-exercise-specialist/default.aspx
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Exercise Physiology, Special Populations

Accreditation

accreditedNCCAaccredited through 2029-03-31· confirmed in the accreditor’s directory 2026-09-03
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

Eligibility & examination

Eligibility

Minimum age
18
Education
Proof of a four-year (bachelor's) degree in exercise science or a related field (upload unofficial transcript)
Degree required
yes — Bachelor's (four-year) degree
Degree field
Exercise science or a related field; common accepted degrees include exercise physiology, kinesiology, athletic training, nursing, physical therapy, nutrition/dietetics, sports medicine, etc. (list not all-inclusive)
Experience
Proof of 500 hours of work experience designing and implementing exercise programs for apparently healthy and/or high-risk individuals, documented by a qualified professional (supervisor-completed pre-approval form)
CPR/AED
yes
Other prerequisites
Current adult CPR and AED certificate with hands-on (in-person or virtual) live skills check (courses without skills check not accepted; AED only required in USA and Canada); present a current government-issued photo ID with signature

No prerequisites to purchase the study program; prerequisites apply to sitting for the exam. Candidates may submit pre-approval documents for review. Purchasing ACE study materials is not required to register for the exam.

Examination

Format
Proctored certification exam; can be taken from home via Live Remote Proctor (Meazure Learning/ProctorU, English only) or at an exam location; scaled scoring up to 800 points
Online exam
yes
Testing center
yes
Length
unknown
Questions
unknown
Passing score
Minimum passing score of 500 (out of a possible 800)
Attempts included
unknown
Retake policy
Retake requires a retake voucher (included in Premium program) or purchase of an additional exam at a discounted retake fee via MyACE; discounted retake price valid for one year after the initial test date. Exam voucher has a 6-month redemption period; after registering for a Live Remote Proctored exam candidates have 60 days to complete it.

Initial certification costs

  • $365.40 — Standard study program (includes certification exam, 1 practice test, textbook hard copy) — discounted from $609
  • $485.40 — Premium study program (includes certification exam, 2 practice tests, textbook hard copy + digital, exam retest voucher) — discounted from $809
  • $304.50 — Medical Exercise Specialist program promotional price listed on Get Certified page (from $609)

Renewal & CEU requirements

2 yr
renewal cycle
2
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.

Pathway

What this credential requires

All of:
  • AgeAt least 18 years of age
  • CPR/AEDCurrent adult CPR and AED certificate with hands-on skills check
  • OtherCurrent government-issued photo ID with signature
  • EducationFour-year bachelor's degree in exercise science or a related field
  • Experience500 hours designing and implementing exercise programs for apparently healthy and/or high-risk individuals, documented by a qualified professional

Open in Pathways →

Sources (11)

Latest verification activity: reverification → confirmed (2026-10-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-10-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-07) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-06)

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