"ACE Personal Trainer Certification"

Your Guide to the ACE Personal Trainer Certification

The ACE Personal Trainer Certification is a product of the American Council on Exercise, founded in 1985 as a nonprofit fitness certification and education providing organization. ACE offers several certifications all of which are accredited by the NCCA.

Here are their current offerings:

ACE Personal Trainer
ACE Group Fitness Instructor
ACE Lifestyle and Weight Management
ACE Clinical Exercise Specialist

Our focus will be the first of the group.

Prerequisites

As with many organizations, you must meet several requirements before you are eligible for an this one. These include:

You must be at least 18 years old
You must have a current CPR/AED certification

ACE Exam Contents

ACE provides a comprehensive testing format. Here are the sections that you will be tested on:

Exercise Science
Nutrition
Fitness Assessment
Exercise Program Design
Instructional Technique

Exam Costs and Materials

The cost of the exam materials will vary depending upon your study preferences. Your materials investment will range from $90 - $400. Actual certification cost in addition to the study materials ranges from $200 - $225.

Exam Preparation and Options

If you have previous experience in the fitness industry, you may only need a few weeks of dedicated study to familiarize yourself with the ACE concepts.

If this is your first certification, I would suggest preparation time of 4 - 6 months. If you need to retake the exam, there is a fee of $135.

You may elect to take the exam in one of two ways; either traditional pencil and paper or with ACE's Computer Based Testing.

Computer Based Test results will be available immediately upon completion of your exam. Results for the traditional method of testing may take up to 4 - 6 weeks to receive by mail.