Top 10 Best Personal Trainer Certifications

Updated March 9th, 2023.

Becoming a personal trainer opens the door to an exciting new career. As a personal trainer, you can become your own boss, help others with the skills you have, and motivate people to be their best.

While the training course to prepare for the certification exam will give you the knowledge you need, holding that certification puts everyone at ease, knowing they are in capable hands. But with so many certifications available, how can you know which one to get?

Here are the 10 best personal trainer certifications that we’ve come across with a breakdown of each to help you can make the best choice for your situation.

10 Best Personal Trainer Certifications

1. 1. International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
   2. National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)
   3. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
   4. Action Personal Trainer
   5. American Council on Exercise (ACE)
   6. Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)
   7. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
   8. National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
   9. National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
   10. National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)

1. International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

ISSA Certified Personal Trainer Certification is first on the list, and rightly so. ISSA is one of the best personal trainer certifications available for several different reasons.

Because of how the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer Certification program is structured, you can finish it as quickly as you would like.

ISSA goes above and beyond, offering support through its study coaching program, a free website upon completion, support after course completion, and much more. The ISSA program offers multiple different exam options, including an open-book option if preferred.

ISSA also has more reviews than most, with over 8,500 reviews at the time of this writing. ISSA also includes a money-back job placement guarantee, promising to help land you a personal training job within 6 months of graduation or your money back.

ISSA also offers multiple tiers of certification, with additional tiers providing things like a specialization program, nutrition coaching, HIIT training, and more. As an industry leader, the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer Certification is widely believed to be one of the best options for the support you receive before, during, and after the exam to help you build and establish a career.

Get our full ISSA review here.

Highlights:

• Price: $69 and up per month depending on the tier chosen across 12 months and the current promotion
• Location: Online with Live Support
• Exam Pass Rate: 90%
• Length of Exam: 200 questions, Unlimited Time
• Retake Fees: Free Retest (1) for 30 days – each additional after is $99
• Length of Certification: 2 years

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2. National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)

NCSF, as the name implies, is a certification program for personal trainers with an emphasis on strength. Still, NCSF offers personal trainer certifications in addition to their strength coaching and sports nutrition specializations.

These certifications are backed by accreditation by the NCAA and have certified trainers around the world. Like many online personal trainer certifications, the NCSF has multiple tiers of training. The base tier of home study courses includes a digital textbook and videos to provide all the information you need to start your career off right as a CPT.

In addition, it includes the cost of membership for the first year and the cost of the initial certification exam. The next tier higher offers a hard copy of the textbook to keep with you. From there, additional certification tiers include advanced specialization in select areas.

Highlights:

• Price: $799-1399 (discounts readily available)
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 75%
• Length of Exam: 150 questions, 180 minutes
• Retake Fees: $99
• Length of Certification: 2 years

Save 50% off all Certifications here.

3. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

NASM is another long-standing personal trainer certification organization. The NASM CPT certification is known for being a difficult certification to obtain. NASM has been accredited by the National Commission for certifying agencies, or NCCA.

This additional accreditation has helped the NASM to stand out as a reputable and trustworthy certification agency. The NASM personal trainer certification program is designed to be covered over the course of 12 weeks, but typically it is expected to take longer.

Those with an anatomy and physiology background may find it easier to complete this course within the allotted time.

Upon purchase of the course materials, you have 180 days before you must sit for the exam. NASM offers a number of package deals that will bundle other similar certification and specialization programs that they offer. Traditionally, this certification program costs around $1,000, but discounts can be found readily.

Highlights:

• Price: $999 (with discounts offered regularly)
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 64%
• Length of Exam: 120 questions, 120 minutes
• Retake Fees: $199
• Length of Certification: 2 years

Visit the NASM website.

4. Action Personal Trainer

Action personal trainer certification is a newer personal trainer certification agency that has changed how they structure its program. By sticking to a strictly online program for accreditation, they can offer a lower rate than the competitors.

That said, it has been noted that this certification program may be more difficult for those that do not study well on their own. Because of the deeply discounted rate, more responsibility is placed on the student to take the lead in their own education. Still, an action personal trainer certification proves that you were able to pass the exam required. Action offers two different certifications.

One is the online certificate in personal training. This is an online-only certificate that is not nationally accredited. Check with your state guidelines to ensure that this certification will be sufficient in your area. The other certification offered is an NCAA-accredited certified personal trainer exam.

This exam is nationally accredited and more reputable on a resume. There is another option for an exam-only path that does not offer study material. This option is best for those already working in a similar occupation but wanting to branch out.

Visit the Action website. 

Highlights:

• Price: $9.95 per month or $99
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: Unknown
• Length of Exam: 150 questions, 150 minutes
• Retake Fees: $35-99 depending on the exam
• Length of Certification: 2 years

5. American Council on Exercise (ACE)

ACE is another well-established personal trainer certification agency that can provide the tools needed to address the needs of a variety of clients. ACE offers 3 tiers of certification and training. The Basic tier gives access to their proprietary ACE University, where you receive all the training and information you need to pass the exam.

In addition, they provide a proctored certification exam to take at home. The Basic plan comes with 1 practice test, a digital textbook covering the personal trainer materials, and a study guide. Moving up to the Plus tier, you gain all the benefits of the Basic tier in addition to an extra practice test, a hard copy version of the textbook, a hard copy of the study guide, and access to live Q&A webinar sessions.

The Plus course also introduces an additional course, “exercise science 101”. The top tier, Advantage, gives all the benefits of the plus tier with an additional 2 practice tests, an audiobook copy of the textbook, and dedicated support from staff.

Highlights:

• Price: $979-1279 (with discounts readily available)
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 65%
• Length of Exam: 150 questions, 180 minutes
• Retake Fees: $199-250 after 60 days
• Length of Certification: 2 years

Visit the ACE website to learn more. 

6. Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)

AFAA is the first on this list to offer something other than a Certified Personal Trainer certification. Instead, they offer a Personal Fitness Trainer Certification.

While this may seem like a simple issue of semantics, a graduate of the AFAA Personal Fitness Trainer Certification course could not technically use the title “CPT”.

However, this certification covers the same type of information that most personal trainer certifications would cover. The AFAA focuses, not just on helping clients perform exercises safely, but on helping mold behaviors and improve habits. In order to keep the content fresh in mind, the courses must be completed within 1 year of enrollment.

Highlights:

• Price: 4 payments of $118.50, $25 down
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 61%
• Length of Exam: 120 questions, 120 minutes
• Retake Fees: $199
• Length of Certification: 2 years

Visit the AFAA website. 

7. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

The ACSM is another certification program with a wealth of knowledge backing it. The American College of Sports Medicine offers a number of certification programs, including programs specifically for those with an educational background in anatomy and kinesiology to take their skills to the next level.

What that means for the personal trainer certification program is that you receive training and have access to upper-level materials that other programs would not. An ACSM CPT certification is designed to help place you into a job you love, whether that is in a gym, health club, or even other community and public settings.

ACSM also has measures in place to help you reach out to other students to form support and study groups, helping you reach your educational and networking goals at the same time. On top of all of that, ACSM also offers something called prepU.

This is a study guide program that adapts to your personal needs as you study. It will automatically focus on things you need to improve upon while checking off the things you’ve mastered.

Highlights:

• Price: $299, $399 for non-members
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 54%
• Length of Exam: 135 questions, 150 minutes
• Retake Fees: $199
• Length of Certification: 3 years

Visit the ACSM website. 

8. National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)

An NFPT certification is more than just a certification. While an NFPT certification will give you the opportunity to work in gyms and health clubs, the NFPT has set out to do more than simply provide education. The NFPT was created by a family and continues to believe that all of its trainers are choosing to become a part of that family.

As such, there are a number of additional supports in place to help NFPT-certified trainers succeed in their careers. Additionally, the NFPT has worked hard to make sure that all education and training are relayed in simple, easy-to-understand terms.

Highlights:

• Price: $379-1299, with discounts readily available
• Location: Online, with optional workshops in person
• Exam Pass Rate: Unknown
• Length of Exam: 120 questions, 120 minutes
• Retake Fees: $119
• Length of Certification: 2 years

Visit the NFPT website.

9. National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

The NSCA is not simply an organization designed to certify personal trainers at an entry-level but offers a wide variety of additional certifications. This includes performance and sports science, special population specialization, and tactical strength and conditional facilitator certifications.

These certifications all work in tandem with their dynamic personal trainer certification programs, making for more specialized trainers. This is a good organization to choose if you plan on furthering your career through one specific agency as you build your specializations based on your clientele.

Since the NSCA gets students from a variety of backgrounds, they offer a number of different study plans based on how familiar you are. For example, someone with an exercise science-related degree and hands-on experience estimates that it would take about 3-6 weeks to prepare for the exam.

For those without either, it can take 6-9 months. If you have a degree but no experience or experience but no degree, you can expect it to take about 3-6 months.

Highlights:

• Price: $300 for members, $435 for non-members
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 58%
• Length of Exam: 155 questions, 180 minutes
• Retake Fees: $340 for members, $475 for nonmembers
• Length of Certification: 3 years

Visit the NSCA website.

10. National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)

NESTA, like the AFAA, offers a personal fitness trainer certification instead of a personal trainer certification. Still, this certification program has been accredited by the NCAA, making it a well-respected program in the fitness world.

In addition to the base trainer certification, they also offer master personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and sport yoga instructor certifications for an additional cost. NESTA is the only personal training certification that lasts for 4 years, not the traditional 2 or 3.

They also offer lifetime support and access to online training information to help you establish yourself and succeed in your career.

Highlights:

• Price: $477
• Location: Online
• Exam Pass Rate: 71.1%
• Length of Exam: 125 questions, 120 minutes
• Retake Fees: $199
• Length of Certification: 4 years

Visit the NESTA website.

Wrap-Up

Even beyond these 10, there are plenty more personal trainer certifications available that can help you reach your goals. After comparing these programs, it is easier to know what you are looking for in a certification course.

They can all give you the support you need as you reach for your fitness, finance, and career goals all at once. Choose wisely 😀