The 8 Best Personal Trainer Certifications in 2021. What is the Easiest Personal Training Certification to Get?
There are a lot of personal training certifications.There are a lot of fake certs floating around.That makes it difficult to find the right one.Wrong!The problem is finding the right cert for you.
Many new and hopeful people face the issue of finding a certification that suits them, and in many cases the key factor is exam difficulty.
We are going to rank personal trainer certifications according to difficulty.If exam difficulty is a big factor in your decision, you can decide which cert is best for you.Make sure to check out my article on how to become a great personal trainer, as well as what the average personal training salary is to see how much she can make.
I recommend you take the quiz to find out which certification is best for you.The menu at the top of the page will answer any questions related to personal training.I will respond within 24 hours if you leave a comment here.The home page has the most recent and popular articles.
There are some real war zones when it comes to personal trainer certifications.Take the NSCACSCS.This is a gold standard cert.It should be rated a pain in the butt.
As of writing this, this cert had a 45% pass rate.You are almost as likely to fail as you are to pass.
There are many easy certifications available for you to choose from.A lot of the easy to pass certs are the ones you need to watch out for.
Many goods and services are scam prone, especially the internet variety.There are bogus certs on the internet.
We will not be dealing with those fake certs.We want to keep it real, so instead of trying to weed out the bad, we should look at how to spot the good ones.
You need to look for accreditation to figure out which certifications to avoid.There are two accrediting bodies you need to be concerned with when it comes to accreditation.
Credibility and official recognition are the first things you want to look for in a certification.
That includes accreditation.A certification is called accreditation.This cert is supported and recognized by a panel of industry governing experts.
There are two accrediting bodies that you need to worry about.The National Commission of Certifying Agencies and the Distance Educationcrediting Commission are related.
The older of the two is theNCCA, it is more recognized as an accrediting body.The DEAC was founded in response to the growing need for accredited remote learning certifications.
No matter what you do, make sure you look out for one of these two.You are ready to pick a cert.
We need to discuss if an easy cert is really the way to go.The harder a cert is, the more incentive it is to properly learn and apply the material.Right?
It is really not that.Many of the harder certifications are lacking.The NSCACSCS is the hardest of them all.
You would think that it has all its bases covered in terms of applied concepts.TheCSCS is based on theory and has no practical component.
ISSA has a lot of practical relevance for an applied approach to coaching clients.The certifications are ranked from easiest to hardest.
The easiest personal trainer certifications are listed below.The pass rate of their personal training exams is used to rank them.The easiest personal training certifications are in the order of this list.
The ISSA program is number one on our list of the easiest certifications.The International Sports Sciences Association is also known as ISSA.
ISSA is available in many countries around the world, giving it a global reach and relevance.ISSA is accredited but not with the NCAA.
The ISSA is accredited by the DEAC.It makes sense that ISSA is done almost completely online.
The open book test of the ISSA exam makes it very easy to pass.The pass rate for ISSA is 89.9%.
One of my top three overall certifications is the ISSA certification.Sometimes they offer three certifications for the price of one.The elite trainer deal includes their personal training certification, their nutritionists certification and one other certification of your choice.When the deal is running, it is a steal to have this cost as low as $999.The price of the elite trainer program can be found here.There is a free study guide and practice test here.
Eugene Mcilvaine developed the program in 1997.Unlike most of the other certifications on this list, NPTI is an extensive 500-hour program, where you progress and qualification is directly tied to the hours you put in and the course work you do.
The program is very hands-on, with class room and practical activity forming the bulk of your learning experience.There are simulations and real in-the-field experiences that you will be getting up to with this one.
NPTI doesn't have a final exam or an exam pass certification because of this.It's a shame that what you get with NPTI is a non accredited diploma.This program is unique and well- structured.
NPTI is in a weird place on this list because it is neither here nor there in terms of difficulty.The price tag is the biggest problem I have with the NPTI.It's the most expensive on the list.
A new kid on the block, ACTION is a very new certifying agency.ACTION has a long way to go before it gets the same level of industry recognition as some other big ones on this list.
The cost of the cert is unique.It is the cheapest cert you can get.The quality of content offered by this program is agreeable, it is after all accredited by the NCCA, but it doesn't hold much of a light compared to the other more established certs discussed here.
From what I have seen in reviews and forums, the current pass rate is unknown.It is easy to pass the exam for the first time.
There has been a recent surge in popularity of the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers.A fusion of well-rounded knowledge resources is what this cert is about.
You will learn a lot from the research of ACSM.This is not uncommon because of the specialized research capacity of ACSM, which supplies data and knowledge to most other certifying agencies.
This cert is accredited by the NCCA, meaning you can rely on its credibility.The pass rate for first time test takers is 65.9%, putting it on the easier side of the spectrum.
NESTA is a pioneer in the game.Their implementation of technology and trainer is second to none.Trainers can better manage and interact with clients with the help of this tool.
This is one of the newer certs.It isn't as well known as the others here, but its rise up the ranks is obvious.For more information about this cert, check out my NESTA review.
It is not easy to get a good experience when it comes to the final exam.The challenge level is one thing, but also the fact that you have a full 2 hours to complete just 100 questions might suggest why it is relatively easier.The pass rate for first timers is 65.4%.
One of the big certs out there, ACE, stands toe to tounge with thenasm in terms of recognition, reputation and popularity.The certifications of the establishment are accredited by the NCCA.
ACE has a more general approach to training and offers good core principles to carry you through into a lucrative career.The exam comes in at a moderate difficulty level with a rich evidence-based knowledge delivery system.
As of the time of writing, the pass rate for first time exam takers is 65%.There are two certifications on this list that are in my top three.You can check out the certification here.There is a free study guide and practice test here.
Next up we have the exam.You can get behind your name with this cert.It has a high level of industry recognition and is considered to be one of the best.Have a look at my review.
The focus is on a corrective approach to personal training.It covers all the right things.The exam offers enough of a challenge to test your commitment to applied knowledge, but not so much that it can be considered hard.
The pass rate for first time test takers is 64.3%, which is on the moderate side of the scale.There are three certifications on this list that are in my top three.The most well-recognized certification in the industry is this one.You can check it out here.There is a free study guide and practice test here.
When it comes to exam difficulty, NSCA is a notorious certifying agency.The NSCACSCS is one of the hardest tests out there with a 45% pass rate.
TheCSCS is that.The Certified Sports Conditioning Specialist is focused on athletic performance improvement.It makes sense.You would assume it is easy because the NSCA CPT is a general cert.
Unfortunately, that is not the case, which lands the NSCA pretty high up on this list, and with a 58% pass rate, it is clear to see why.
NSCA has a strong reputation, so nabbing this cert will be a great investment.There is a free NSCA study guide and practice test here.
The National council of strength and fitness is one of the toughest exams on the list.
The 150 multiple choice question test has many tricky questioning standards which require plenty of prep and strategic insight in order to avoid tripping up.The exam focuses on program design, exercise form and correct exercise prescription.
As of writing, NCFS has a pass rate of over 50%.It isn't very far ahead of ACSM CPT in terms of difficulty.Not for you if you are trying to get an easy mode cert.
The hardest of all the certs is the ACSM CPT exam.This test is notorious for being in the same league of difficulty as other more advanced qualifications such as NSCACSCS which you can read about in a separate article.
It is one of the least passed certifications of all time, with a global pass rate of 54%.ACSM is not an easy personal training certification.
You will walk away with a lot of what ACSM has to offer.It is in league with other Gold Standard certs because of its deep medical heritage.
The hardest personal trainer courses are ranked for convenience.
My three certifications are the same regardless of how easy the personal training certification is.
The ISSA special deal to get the elite trainer program for only $999 is the best overall bang for your buck.The current price for the elite trainer program can be found here.
It's not the only factor you look at when deciding which path to take.Remember to allow a degree of challenge so that you can be assured of quality, as the easiest path is not always the best one.
I will be doing more ranked break-down, isolating different aspects of the certification world and ranking them accordingly.
Drop any questions in the comment section below if you are not sure which way to go.
Overall.What is the cheapest, easiest and accredited course to take out of them all?To start working, I need the credentials on paper.
Do you know what the easiest certification is?Do you want to know what the cheapest personal training certification is?ISSA is the easiest certification.The cheapest certification for personal training is the Action CPT.
I have trouble choosing the right cert.I want to be able to train other kids in different sports and possibly do virtual training with clients and the ISSA CPT might be the best one because I am a high school coach in two sports.I might have to shift my work to virtual in order to become more licensed in my coaching certs.I have a license to coach basketball and soccer.What cert would help me the most?Thanks for your help!
The ISSA certification can be used for online training.General personal training certifications are good options.If you have a 4 year degree, you should check out the NSCS if you want to get a strength-and-conditioning certification.
There is no affiliation with any of the certifying agencies.If you click a link in this post, we will receive a commission.The disclosure page has more information.