The National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT), an affiliate of ISSA offers the NCCPT-CPT, a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited personal training certification. Designed to validate expertise in personal training, it signifies the holder possesses the knowledge and skills required to provide authoritative fitness training. By fulfilling the requirements and passing the nationally accredited NCCPT-CPT certification exam, individuals can confidently showcase their professional competence in the field of personal training.
The NCCPT-CPT certification exam is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). This accreditation ensures the exam has a valid and reliable process for exam development, implementation, maintenance, and governance. NCCA is a division of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE).
Candidates must be at least 18 years and able to show proof of age and valid CPR certification at the time of their testing session. Other than payment of the required fees, there are no additional prerequisites to register for the certification exam.
NCCPT certification exams are administered by Prometric. Candidates may choose to test on-site at a Prometric testing center or via remote online proctoring. An additional testing fee will be charged by Prometric regardless of testing method. Information on scheduling the exam may be found here, while a complete list of exam and proctoring fees is located here.
The NCCPT-CPT certification exam is to be completed in two hours and contains 140 multiple-choice items, 125 are scored as part of the candidate’s overall results and 15 are considered pre-test items and are not scored. Pre-test items are used for research and development of future test questions and are interspersed throughout the exam. The exam is not open book/open note.
A student must log into their ISSA Student Portal to access their exam Eligibility ID.
Once in possession of their exam Eligibility ID, scheduling for both on site and remote testing may be done here.
Candidates have up to 12 months to sit for their exam from the date of purchase. This period can be extended for an additional six months at no charge. If needed, candidates can pay an additional fee to extend exam eligibility for six more months. After two years, a new exam voucher must be purchased.
Rescheduling or canceling an exam may be done here. A candidate who missed their exam date and still desires to sit for the exam should contact support@nccpt.com for rescheduling information.
Candidates have twelve months from the date of purchase to sit for the exam or retake it should they fail. Retakes must then be completed within the twelve-month testing window, with a 14-day waiting period following the first attempt and a 90-day waiting period after the second attempt. To schedule a retake, candidates must first pay applicable retake and proctoring fees by contacting support@nccpt.com.
In the event the candidate fails the exam and the waiting period to retest extends beyond the initial 12-month testing window, candidates may request an additional six-month extension for free. If after 18 months additional time is required, a six-month extension can be purchased for a fee.
Purchase of the extension does not guarantee exam eligibility. Candidates should contact support@nccpt.com if unsure about eligibility or exam deadlines.
Result will be provided upon completion of the administrated exam. Only candidates achieving a passing score may use the NCCPT-CPT designation.
A complete list of exam and proctoring fees may be found here.
The NCCPT complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable laws and regulations and will review and accommodate requests from qualified candidates with a diagnosed disability for accommodations to take the exam if the request is reasonable, does not fundamentally alter the examination or jeopardize exam security.
Candidates will be informed of the decision in writing and NCCPT reserves the right to make final judgement decisions regarding testing accommodations. The candidate can then make final arrangements with Prometric. Prometric may charge additional fees.
Special accommodations need to be documented by a physician, health care professional or government agency. Exam proctors will make all reasonable efforts to assist in the accommodation needs of candidates with disabilities. Requesting a special accommodation may be done by submitting this form to support@nccpt.com.