Passed the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Test Today

by Tami
(Chicago)

I am 51 years old with no prior fitness industry work experience. However, I am a former Div I college athlete and have a lifelong passion for fitness, proper nutrition, and exercise. I took the ACE Personal Trainer Certification test today for the first time and passed. I purchased the premier package from ACE; which is the manual, a DVD, two workbooks, practice test, an audio CD (reviews most of the chapters),a book on musculoskeletal anatomy and human movement, and flash cards. I studied for three months. I took the practice test (60 questions) included in the package twice; once at the very beginning (ouch) and once near the end (much better). I also purchased two on-line practice tests from ACE (helped a lot!) and I have been reviewing comments on this site for the last three months for additional information.

Okay...the test is difficult, but you can do it! Do not allow yourself to read any of the negative comments about the test and about people who did not pass. Concentrate only on those comments of people who have passed. Take in their advice and put it to practice during your studying. Stay positive and keep yourself in a positive mindset.
I agree with another poster on this site, Ryan; it's not about memorizing the material, it's about putting the material into PRACTICE and understanding the concepts so you can apply them and figure out the correct answer.

Know special populations and how to adjust training for their special needs and medications, pregnancy, diabetes, etc. Know the differences between flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, transverse). Be comfortable with posture issues: kyphosis, lordosis, sway-back, flat-back, scoliosis. Know which muscles are tight and which are weak and what exercises the client can perform to help correct the posture imbalances. Know how to read a food label; know the calories per gram for protein, carbs, fat and how to calculate percentages of each for the total amount of servings. Know how to calculate lean body vs. fat body mass to determine how many pounds a person would have to lose to go from say 28% body fat to 25% body fat given their current body weight. Know the difference between maximal and submaximal cardiovascular testing and when you would use each one. Know the risk factors on the health history and which clients will need a physician's release. Know program progression and when to re-assess a client. And finally, review the legal liability chapter and know the difference between a waiver and an informed consent form.

I did not have a lot of math calculations on my test.....mostly figuring out how many lbs of body fat a person had at a certain weight and body fat percentage. Multiply the body weight by the body fat percentage and you get the lbs of body fat. Also, I had a couple questions on how to read a food label.

Last: If you are reading this you are most likely in the process of studying for the test. Give yourself time to go through the material as it is very comprehensive. Do the practice tests. I actually thought the practice tests were slightly harder than the real thing. (This site also offers practice tests) If you are passing the practice tests, that's a good indication you can pass the actual certification test. Do the workbooks; actually write the answers in the workbooks as it just reinforces what you are learning.

Most of all, remind yourself when you are in there taking the test that the answers are right there before you. Pick them off like a conveyor belt. The correct answers will pop out at you. Make sure you read the whole question and that you understand what they are asking; such as BEST, FIRST, CORRECT, LEAST, etc.

Confidence is everything. Give yourself time to learn the material, practice, and take the test! You can do it! Believe in your passion and go for it! Visualize success! YOU WILL PASS! Congratulations!