Credentials / American Council on Exercise

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

ACE-CPTcertificationverifiedby 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

Personal trainers

Country

Official page

https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/personal-trainer-certification/b/

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-CPT | Personal Trainer | 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 per 2-year cycle)

Ethics requirement

yes

CPR/AED at renewal

yes

Deadline rule

Credential valid 2 years; CECs must be completed between the start and end dates of the renewal cycle shown in My ACE, then submit renewal and pay fee before expiration. Late renewal permitted up to 6 months past expiration at higher fees; beyond 6 months requires contacting ACE support. Expired certifications without completed CECs require retaking the exam.

Requirements: 20 hours (2.0 CECs) ACE-approved CE, of which 1 hour (0.1 CEC) must be in the Professional Conduct & Ethics category; current adult CPR/AED certificate (live skills check; AED required in US/Canada); renewal fee. Excess CECs do not roll over; the same course cannot be repeated for credit. CPR/AED/First Aid completion earns up to 0.4 CECs (0.2 each). CECs can count toward multiple ACE credentials if completed while each is current, but each credential requires its own renewal fee. CEC Power Pass offers unlimited CECs and free credential renewal.

CEU recognition

ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE pre-approved course directory) — approved ceu provider
Courses carry an ACE course code (CEP/CP/CA/CS/CL) that is entered in My ACE; ACE approves courses individually and providers pay annual/application fees.
Non-ACE-approved course providers — petition accepted
Courses not yet ACE-approved may be petitioned for CECs via My ACE for a non-refundable $25 fee; must be within the ACE Scope of Practice, completed within the current renewal cycle, and taught by instructors meeting credential qualifications.
Accredited colleges/universities — petition accepted
College course from an accredited institution completed within the renewal cycle, grade 'C' or higher, within ACE Scope of Practice; max 2.0 CECs per approved petition (0.5 CEC for certification prep courses); 1 semester hour = 1.0 CEC, 1 quarter hour = 0.8 CEC.

Sources (5)

Schedule Your ACE Certification Examtier 1 primary
official provider page · retrieved 2026-09-02
Personal Trainer 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
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)