Credentials / Athletics and Fitness Association of America

AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor

AFAA-CGFIcertificationverifiedby Athletics and Fitness Association of America· 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
Group fitness instructors
Country
US
Official page
https://www.afaa.com/courses/group-fitness-certification
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Personal Training

Accreditation

accreditedNCCAaccredited through 2030-12-31· confirmed in the accreditor’s directory 2026-09-03
Confirmed against NCCA Accredited Program Directory (full listing) on 2026-09-03: Athletics and Fitness Association of America | AFAA-CGFI | Certified Group Fitness Instructor | NCCA | Accredited through 12/31/2030

Eligibility & examination

Eligibility

Minimum age
unknown
Education
High school diploma or equivalent (or within no more than 90 days of completing all requirements for a high school diploma/GED or recognized equivalency); candidates under 18 must present the NASM|AFAA Academic Partner High School Verification form or their GED/diploma to the proctor at testing
Degree required
no
Experience
None – "You do not need prior experience before taking the CGFI course."
CPR/AED
yes
Other prerequisites
Current Adult CPR and AED certification from an approved provider (e.g., American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute) with a hands-on component; proof required prior to sitting for the exam. May enroll in the course before obtaining CPR/AED but must have it before the final exam. Valid government-issued photo ID required at the exam.

Purchase of AFAA preparation material is not required to be eligible to sit for the CGFI exam (exam-only option available by phone). AFAA does not require candidates to be 18 to sit for the exam, though most employers/insurers require age 18. Eligibility exception requests may be submitted to the Disciplinary & Appeals Committee. Exam must be taken within 180 days of enrollment.

Examination

Format
Closed-book, 3rd-party (PSI) proctored exam; administered in-person at a testing center or via live remote online proctoring
Online exam
yes
Testing center
yes
Length
120 minutes
Questions
120
Passing score
Scaled score of 70 or better
Attempts included
unknown
Retake policy
Candidates who fail are subject to a retest wait period: 30 days after the first and/or second failed attempt; 1 year for each repeated failure after the 3rd attempt. A retest must be purchased (or a retest voucher activated) by calling Member Services.

Initial certification costs

  • $299 — Group Fitness Certification course, starting price (payment plan from $21/month)

Renewal & CEU requirements

2 yr
renewal cycle
1.5
CEUs per cycle
$99
renewal
Recertification required
yes
CEU unit system
AFAA CEU (contact-hour based: 1 contact hour = 0.1 CEU; 1.5 CEUs = 15 contact hours)
Ethics requirement
no
CPR/AED at renewal
yes
Deadline rule
All requirements must be met by the certification expiration date (materials mailed/submitted prior to expiration). Recertification applications may be submitted up to one year late provided all continuing education was completed before or within 90 days of the expiration date; late fees apply ($30 up to 90 days post-expiration, $50 after the grace period and before one year post-expiration).

AFAA-CGFI must be recertified every 2 years with 1.5 AFAA-approved CEUs plus current hands-on adult CPR/AED certification (online-only CPR/AED not accepted; CPR/AED counts as the required 0.1 CEU in Category D). CEUs come from four categories: A - AFAA-approved provider offerings (max 1.5), B - industry contributions such as speaking or authorship (max 1.5), C - post-certification collegiate coursework, 0.1 CEU per semester credit hour (max 1.5), D - required CPR/AED (0.1 only). Renewal is submitted through the online Recertification Portal (Credentials > Recertification); NASM/AFAA-completed courses auto-populate. Random audits are performed; audited applicants have 30 days to submit documentation. 'Certify for Life'/'Recertify for Life' is a one-time $299 program that eliminates the recurring $99 fee (CEUs and application still required; late fees still apply).

CEU recognition

  • Colleges/universities (post-certification collegiate coursework) — accepts ceus from
    Category C: 0.1 CEU per official semester credit hour for courses within the 2016 Job Analysis performance domains; must appear on official transcript; practicum, internship and lab-format courses not accepted; massage therapy courses must be part of an ACCET-accredited program; max 1.5 CEUs
  • American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, National Safety Council, St. John Ambulance, EMT programs — accepts ceus from
    Category D CPR/AED (0.1 CEU, required); must include hands-on training, skills demonstration evaluation and a standardized exam; online-only CPR/AED certifications not accepted
  • AFAA-Approved Continuing Education Providers — accepts ceus from
    Category A: workshops, conferences, symposiums, home-study courses, AFAA-credential courses and other approved certifications from AFAA-approved providers; CEU value as awarded by AFAA; max 1.5 CEUs
  • Non-AFAA-approved continuing education providers/courses — petition accepted
    Reviewed by petition only; $25 non-refundable administrative fee per course/event petitioned

Pathway

What this credential requires

All of:
  • EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent
  • CPR/AEDCurrent CPR/AED certification

Open in Pathways →

Sources (12)

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

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