NSCA Certification

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NSCA Certification

This page has all the vital statistics for the NSCA Certification.

The NSCA is the National Strength and Conditioning Association. They offer two levels of personal trainer certification; the Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

You should also check out our full review of the NSCA certification here. Exam information for both the NSCA CPT and CSCS exams is available here.

The NSCA certification is one tough program. But it is widely respected as a serious certification throughout the industry. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) is superior to the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT), but it requires a bachelor's degree as a pre-requisite. If you don't have a degree, the NSCA CPT certification will get you training clients much quicker than going through a degree program.

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Getting the NSCA certification requires hands on experience. Passing the NSCA test is tough if you only have book knowledge. If you have no experience, you should budget for at least one exam retest. You can also pick up some hands on experience by taking a workshop, a full education course, or just shadowing a personal trainer. Practical knowledge is a big part of the NSCA exam.

And if you are studying for the NSCA exam, take our exam prep course. With over 750 practice questions, it is good insurance protecting you from failing the NSCA exam.

Vital Statistics: NSCA Certification

NSCA Certification	NSCA
Certification	NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
Established	1993

Workshop length	2 days
Workshop Availability	Limited cities
Program Cost	N/A
Materials cost	up to $468
Industry recognition	High
Accreditations	NCCA
Prerequisites	18 years old, Adult CPR and AED Certificate, high school diploma or equivalent

Exam Questions	140
Exam Time	3 hours
Exam Cost	$235-270(members)/$355-390(non-members) (Pencil/paper exam) $285(members)/$405(non-members) (Computer-based exam)
Retest Cost	$185-220(members)/$305-340(non-members) (Pencil/paper exam) $235(members)/$355(non-members) (Computer-based exam)
Exam deadline	1 year
Exam locations	Major cities worldwide (pencil/paper) United States only (computer-based)
Time to Complete (Approx.)	3 to 9 months

Recertification	every 3 years
Recertification Cost (Approx.)	$500

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