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NASM-CPT EXAM INFORMATION

NASM—CPT EXAM INFORMATION

2 WAYS TO TEST:
LIVE REMOTE PROCTORING OR IN-PERSON PROCTORING

To become certified, you must successfully pass NASM’s NCCA-accredited personal trainer certification exam. Until recent months, this exam was only administered in-person at one of our many proctoring locations.

During these uncertain times, we're here to help. For students unable to take their test in-person due to COVID-19, NASM is offering an exclusive opportunity to take your NASM-CPT final exam online through a live remote proctor. 

When you’re ready to take your exam, we’ll make sure nothing stands in your way! To learn more about your testing options, please call to speak to our Member Services department.

  • This opportunity is available to both new students, and those already enrolled in a CPT course.
  • NASM's CPT program is 100% Digital and NCCA Accredited.

PREPARING FOR THE EXAM

ALERT

IMPORTANT COVID-19 NOTICE

NASM recognizes that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is very limited availability of hands on skills assessments for CPR/AED certifications. NASM will be temporarily waiving the hands on skills assessment requirement and accepting online only CPR/AED courses. This waiver applies to exam candidates and professionals recertifying their credentials.

This waiver will be in effect until the CDC and government recommendations for social distancing have been lifted in the United States. Once the social distancing orders have been lifted, there will be a 60 day window before the hands on requirement will be reinstated.

NASM recommends that anyone who certified or recertified during the Waiver Period obtain the hands-on skills assessment once available to avoid any insurance or liability issues which could arise due to the lack of such training.

Please note: The online course must still include Adult CPR and AED

TO BECOME AN NASM-CPT, CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Must have current Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Certification prior to sitting for the exam (not required to purchase the CPT).
  • You must have a passion for health and fitness and helping others live healthier lives!

Certification Candidate Handbook

The Certification Candidate Handbook is a comprehensive overview of the NASM-CPT certification program and is required reading before taking the exam. The Candidate Handbook covers important topic such as eligibility requirements, the exam outline, expectations and recertification. Read Now!

STUDY GUIDE

View our study guide with helpful key highlights, terms and concepts.

EXAM PREP Q&A FORUM

If you still have questions this is the best and fastest way to get answers. Ask us anything about preparing for your certification exam, our study materials or about succeeding as personal trainer. Ask Now!

Note: Purchase of NASM certification preparation materials is not required in order to become eligible to sit for the CPT exam, and does not guarantee a passing score on the exam.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

Need Special Accommodations? (PDF, 101K)
NASM Standard Setting Summary (PDF, 145K)
NASM-CPT Exam Data Statistics (PDF, 445K)
NASM Appeal Form (PDF, 81K)
NASM-CPT Approved References (PDF, 256K)
NASM-CPT Exam Blueprint (PDF, 297K)

TAKING THE EXAM

ALERT

IMPORTANT COVID-19 NOTICE

Given the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19, exams are available both in-person and through a live, remote proctor. If you purchased CPT 7 (likely all orders after 2/9/21), remote exam registration will open on 02/26/21 and PSI (in-person) exam registration will open on 03/03/21.

Step 1: Print and Review

Please print and review the NASM Certification Candidate Handbook for information regarding testing procedures.

Step 2: Register

Please note that if you purchased CPT 7 (likely all orders after 2/9/21), remote exam registration will open on 02/26/21 and PSI (in-person) exam registration will open on 03/03/21.

IN-PERSON TEST: Register for your exam by clicking here or by calling PSI Testing: 1-833-537-1330 (US & Canada), or +1 702-939-6797 (Intl). Note: If the country in which you are looking to schedule your exam is unavailable for registration online or over the phone through PSI, please contact NASM Member Services at 800-460-6276 to start your registration process. Please allow 4-6 weeks for scheduling.

ONLINE TEST: Register for your exam by logging into the testing platform with your established login credentials at https://nasm.ysasecure.com/login. Note: You will be required to schedule your exam appointment at least 24 hours in advance. We recommend you reference the additional exam preparation resources below, to ensure you are the most prepared for your exam.

Step 3: What You Need

At the time of your test, you will be required to show proof of a valid, current, government-issued Photo ID and current, valid Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification.*

*CPR/AED certifications are accepted from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, St. John Ambulance, Emergency Care & Safety Institute or Emergency Medical Technician. Before taking your CPR/AED from another provider, please contact NASM.

remote proctoring tutorial

Questions? Chat now with a program advisor.

CHAT NOW

AFTER THE EXAM

ONCE YOU PASS THE EXAM

Once you pass the exam, you will be able to print a temporary certificate from your Account Page after three to five business days. An official certificate will be mailed to you within four weeks of passing the exam.

IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE EXAM

If you do not pass the exam, call NASM’s Member Services Department at 800-460-6276 to purchase a retest. Candidates who do not pass the certification exam on the first attempt will be allowed to retake the exam after a 1-week waiting period. If the candidate is unsuccessful after the second attempt, he/she will be required to wait 30 days before retaking the exam. For each repeated failure after the 3rd attempt, candidates will be required to wait a year before attempting to take the exam again.

IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE YOUR EXAM APPOINTMENT

If you need to cancel or reschedule your online exam appointment, log in to the testing platform to do so. Note: You can reschedule or cancel a booking no less than 24 hours before the exam start time.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your in-person exam appointment, call PSI at least 24 hours before the exam start time to avoid being charged a late cancellation fee. If you do not show for an exam appointment and you do not cancel, it will be treated as a failed attempt and you will not be entitled to a refund.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are 120 test questions, in which 20 are research questions and do not count toward or against the final score. There is a 2-hour time limit and you must pass with a scaled score of 70 or better.

Yes, NASM does offer Special Accommodations for the CPT Exam. NASM complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In order to ensure the opportunity for all qualified persons, NASM will make reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities that might affect their NASM-certification exam taking. Please click here for the Special Accommodation Application.

Yes. Your CPT Exam expires 180 days from the date of enrollment. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, this exam is currently being administered both online and in-person, depending on your location.

To find your CPT exam expiration date:

  1. Log in to NASM.org
  2. Click on My Account and select the “Courses” menu option.
  3. Within your course list, locate your "CPT Exam" enrollment and click the blue action button (Play sign).

You will be directed to the exam enrollment page and your expiration date will be displayed in red lettering at the upper right hand corner.

Yes. Dependent upon which package was purchased, you may have 1 or more practice exams available to you for the duration of your enrollment period. You can locate the practice exam via your NASM Student Portal.

You can find the CPT Study guide by clicking here.

Please reference the Getting Started and Exam Preparation resources found within your Exam enrollment.

NASM does not release exam scores. If you pass or fail the CPT exam, Yardstick will provide you with a score report providing details of your test results.

No, NASM does not release exam scores.

You will be eligible to schedule your exam once you have received your Measure Registration email. This is typically no more than (3) business days after signing up with NASM. You can schedule your exam online by logging into the testing platform with your established login credentials at https://nasm.ysasecure.com/login. Note: You will be required to schedule your exam appointment at least 72 hours in advance.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your online exam appointment, you will need to access your Measure account. Once you are logged into your profile, you can click on “Exams” at the top of the page. Underneath the exam, you will have the option to Transfer or Withdraw your booking.

Note: You can reschedule or cancel a booking up until the minute before your scheduled exam date/time. If your exam start time has lapsed, you will be unable to reschedule or cancel and must call NASM Member Services for further assistance.

If you miss your exam appointment, you must contact NASM Member Services to reactivate your eligibility. Please know that additional fees may apply.

ProctorU is a remote proctoring solution that allows you to take your exam anywhere that has a stable internet connection! Please reference the CPT Exam Course within your Student Portal to gather additional information for scheduling your exam appointment.

At the time of your exam, you are required to show proof of a valid, current government-issued Photo ID and current and valid Cardiopulminary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification*. Both credentials will be verified by the proctor before you are permitted to begin the exam. Please reference the NASM Candidate handbook for additional testing information.

Failure to provide proof of your valid CPR/AED certification at the time of your test will result in a mandatory rescheduling of your exam. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to NASM Member Services department at 1-800-460-6276.

NASM recommends the following organizations: American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, St. John Ambulance, Emergency Care & Safety Institute or Emergency Medical Technician.

NASM recognizes that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is very limited availability of hands on skills assessments for CPR/AED certifications. NASM will be temporarily waiving the hands on skills assessment requirement and accepting online only CPR/AED courses. This waiver applies to exam candidates and professionals recertifying their credentials.

This waiver will be in effect until the CDC and government recommendations for social distancing have been lifted in the United States. Once the social distancing orders have been lifted, there will be a 60 day window before the hands on requirement will be reinstated.

NASM recommends that anyone who certified or recertified during the Waiver Period obtain the hands-on skills assessment once available to avoid any insurance or liability issues which could arise due to the lack of such training.

Please note: The online course must still include Adult CPR and AED

Below are the standard hardware and system requirements:

  1. A functioning web camera and microphone (some web cameras have them built-in)
  2. The latest Google Chrome (preferred), Mozilla Firefox, or Safari browsers.
  3. The latest version of Adobe Flash Player

NASM recommends testing your equipment prior to your exam appointment. Test out your equipment by clicking on this link.

Access to your online study materials is good for 365 days from date of purchase. Your access will end on the course expiration date. For the CPT exam, the initial enrollment period is 180 days from the date of purchase. Please contact the Member Services team for details on extension options. Please know that additional fees may apply.

If you missed your deadline or failed your initial exam attempt, a retest for the exam can be purchased. Requirements and limitations for retesting are described in the Candidate Handbook. Please contact the Member Services team for additional details regarding pricing and limitations.

An official certificate will be mailed to the mailing address you have listed in your NASM account within 4 – 6 weeks after passing your CPT Exam. A digital copy of your certificate will be made available in the Certificates section of your Student Portal within 1 business day of passing your CPT Exam.

Want the details? Click here for the CPT candidate handbook.

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