Home / Compare certifications / ISSA vs NASM
Updated October 2026
ISSA's 100% Money Back Job Guarantee refunds the price you paid. NASM's refunds only what you paid for the guarantee.
Both are respected personal trainer certifications. The biggest difference is what happens if you do the work and still don't get hired. Every NASM fact on this page is sourced to NASM's own pages.
If you want a certification that backs you until you're hired, read the guarantee. ISSA's 100% Money Back Job Guarantee refunds 100% of the price paid, less applicable discounts, on eligible programs if you complete the requirements and aren't hired within the window.[6][22] NASM sells its job guarantee as an upgrade, and it refunds “only the amount that you paid for the Job Guarantee.”[7]
In 2025, ISSA was #1 globally with 35,293 new certified personal trainers, and Career Connect links them with 23,000+ fitness center partner locations worldwide. NASM's CPT exam is NCCA-accredited; ISSA offers an accredited exam through its subsidiary, the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT), and only that path qualifies for ISSA's guarantee.
Terms from ISSA's Job Guarantee policy and NASM's 2026 Candidate Handbook and FAQ, checked October 7, 2026.
| Guarantee terms | ISSA 100% Money Back Job Guarantee | NASM Job Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| What you get back | A refund of 100% of the price paid, less applicable discounts[6][22] | “Refunded only the amount that you paid for the Job Guarantee”[7] |
| Which enrollments include it | ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Advanced Health Coach and Yoga 200[6] | Premium Self-Study and higher bundles; not the $999 Self-Study package[3][2] |
| How long you have to get hired | Within 6 months following completion of all required credentialing for your program[6][22] | A job within 90 days of passing the NASM-CPT exam[3] |
| What you have to do (personal trainer) | Pass the NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer NCCA-accredited proctored exam (offered in English only) and the ISSA online CPR/AED course; apply and interview with at least 3 gyms within 50 miles of your primary address; and engage with available career resources, hiring opportunities, or employer connections during your job search period. Only the NCCPT-CPT path qualifies[6][22] | Pass the NASM-CPT exam with a score of 70% or higher, apply to at least 3 employers of personal trainers within 50 miles of your primary residence, and submit the request form within 90 days of passing[7] |
| Job help while you search | Career Connect with partner Hiring Hubs and hiring events. Life Time offers eligible ISSA CPTs a guaranteed interview screening[1][4] | Interview guarantee at named gym partners, including Life Time, Equinox, Crunch Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness; NASM says it “does not guarantee a job placement”[2][5] |
ISSA does not provide job placement. Career Connect provides career support, employer visibility and hiring connections. Restrictions apply to both guarantees; see ISSA's Job Guarantee page for full terms.
Facts from each organization's own pages, checked October 6, 2026. Prices are promotional and change often.
| Question | ISSA | NASM |
|---|---|---|
| New certified personal trainers, 2025 | 35,293 new certified personal trainers, #1 globally (all ISSA exam pathways)[1] | 19,338 people passed the NASM-CPT exam[2] |
| Help finding a job | ISSA Career Connect comes with every ISSA certification: partner Hiring Hubs, live hiring events and 23,000+ fitness center partner locations worldwide[1] | NASM's FAQ: “Does NASM help me find a job or clients? No.” The same answer points to NASM programs and its job board[3] |
| Exam attempts included | ISSA CPT course exam: 2 free attempts, then $99 per retake[8] | 1 attempt in the base package; $199 per retest, with waits of 1 week, then 30 days, then 1 year[9][17] |
| Time to take the exam | Self-paced course. NCCPT-CPT: 12 months, plus a free 6-month extension[10] | 180 days from purchase; extensions cost $199[3][9] |
| Exam format | ISSA course exam: open-book, open-note, non-proctored, self-paced. Plus access to the accredited, timed, closed-book, proctored NCCPT-CPT exam (Prometric charges a separate $79 proctor fee; fees subject to change)[10][21][12] | Closed-book, proctored by PSI; 120 questions; two hours[3] |
| NCCA-accredited exam | Yes: the NCCPT-CPT, offered by ISSA's subsidiary, the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT)[10] | Yes: the NASM-CPT (and the AFAA group fitness exam)[11] |
| Price, pay in full (Oct. 6, 2026; promotional) | ISSA CPT: $868[12] | CPT Self-Study: $999. Premium Self-Study (adds a retest, study coach and Job Guarantee): $1,243[2] |
ISSA's 2025 count covers all ISSA exam pathways. NASM's count covers NASM-CPT exam passers. Sources are numbered at the bottom of this page.
NASM leads with prestige. Its product page calls the NASM-CPT “the gold standard personal training credentials,” its homepage title reads “#1 Accredited Fitness Certification,” and its FAQ says “nearly all commercial gyms, insurers, and corporate wellness employers require an NCCA-accredited certification.”[2][3]
Here's what that model looks like from the student's side:
Then, in March 2026, NASM launched its own open-book, unproctored, non-accredited Personal Trainer Certificate. NASM described it this way: “No proctored exam. No accreditation pressure.” Its terms call it “a credential respected by employers.”[15][16]
Most of what separates NASM and ISSA shows up after the exam: help finding work, the cost of another attempt, and what a guarantee pays back.
In 2025, ISSA was #1 globally with 35,293 new certified personal trainers, up 12.8% from the 31,298 certified in 2024.[1]
Build a profile, follow partner Hiring Hubs and meet employers at live hiring events. ISSA does not provide job placement; Career Connect provides career support, employer visibility and hiring connections.
24 Hour Fitness set out to certify its general managers as personal trainers, most of them through ISSA.[19] VASA Fitness sponsors up to 150 ISSA certifications a year for its team.[20] Life Time guarantees eligible ISSA CPTs an interview screening.[4]
The ISSA CPT course includes the non-accredited, open-book course final exam and access to the accredited NCCPT-CPT exam, offered by the ISSA subsidiary the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers. Prometric charges a separate $79 proctor fee (fees subject to change).[10]
Eligible ISSA programs include the 100% Money Back Job Guarantee: a refund of 100% of the price paid, less applicable discounts.
Only the NCCPT-CPT path qualifies for the Job Guarantee. Restrictions apply; see the Job Guarantee page.
Ask hiring managers and you hear about readiness. At ISSA's 2026 Global Summit, gym operators were consistent: what's missing is business readiness (finding clients, keeping them and being comfortable with a sales conversation), regardless of which certification the applicant holds.[18]
Even NASM agrees acceptance depends on the employer. Its comparison page says “ISSA CPT is accepted at many gyms, though acceptance varies by employer,” and a September 2026 NASM post notes that “the job description remains the final authority.”[13][14]
ISSA's position is the same: the non-accredited ISSA certification is globally respected and highly valued by most local and national gym chains, including ISSA's preferred gym partner network. An accredited certification such as the NCCPT-CPT is generally considered the “Gold Standard.” Check with your target employer.
In fitness, accreditation applies to the certification exam, not the organization. ISSA offers an accredited personal training certification exam through its subsidiary, the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT).
NASM lists two NCCA-accredited programs: the NASM-CPT and the AFAA group fitness instructor exam.[11] The ISSA CPT course final exam is open-book and is not accredited; the NCCPT-CPT exam is accredited, timed, closed-book and proctored, and it is separate from the ISSA course final exam.
Either way, read the job posting for the gym you want. ISSA and NASM agree on that.
Career Connect comes with every ISSA certification, so the hiring partners come with it too.
NASM is a trademark of its owner; ISSA is not affiliated with NASM. NASM facts are quoted from NASM's public pages as accessed October 6, 2026, and may change. Prices are promotional pay-in-full prices on that date. ISSA does not provide job placement. Partner programs vary by location, and employers make their own hiring decisions.