ACE certification : faqs
Why ACE certification?
The American Council on Exercise's Personal Trainer Certification is designed for fitness trainers providing one-on-one or small-group fitness instruction.
The decision to pursue fitness professional certification is an important
step in being recognized as a competent practitioner in one's discipline.
By becoming ACE® certified, you will be better equipped to empower,
motivate, challenge and retain your clients for the long term. In
addition, ACE-certified personal trainers are in high demand, which is
just one more reason for you to have a positive outlook regarding your
future and the continued growth of your health and fitness career.
The ACE Personal Trainer Certification is continually evaluated and updated to ensure that it includes the most current research in exercise science and keeps today's fitness professionals ahead of the competition. Upon successful completion of the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam, you will have demonstrated your knowledge of risk factor screening, fitness assessment, nutrition, exercise science, exercise programming and appropriate progressions, instructional and spotting techniques, lifestyle modification and professional scope of practice.
Am I eligible for Personal Trainer certification?
The following eligibility requirements have been adopted for our Personal Trainer certification exams.
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You must hold current adult CPR and AED certificate at the time of the exam.*
*You may sit for the Paper and Pencil exam without proof of CPR and AED; however, you will not receive your exam results until you provide a CURRENT CPR and AED Certificate. Candidates registering for computer-based testing must have a CURRENT CPR and AED certificate at the time of registration that does not expire prior to the exam date.
Note: Effective January 1, 2009 all new and renewing ACE-certified
professionals in the U.S. and Canada must hold both a current CPR and AED
card to sit for or renew an ACE certification. ACE exam candidates and
renewing ACE-certified professionals outside the U.S. and Canada are
required to hold only current CPR due to differing international laws
regarding AED usage.
ACE FAQ Exam Registrations
How much does it cost to take the exam?
| Paper and Pencil Format (U.S. and Canada) | PT | AHFS | GFI | LWMC |
| First Time | $219 | $219 | $220 | $219 |
| Retake | $135 | $135 | $135 | $135 |
| 2nd ACE Certification | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Computer Based Format (Only available in the U.S.) | ||||
| First Time | $249 | $249 | $249 | $249 |
| Retake | $184 | $184 | $184 | $184 |
| 2nd ACE Certification | $199 | $199 | $199 | $199 |
Computer-based Testing (CBT)
CBT is an alternative way to take an ACE fitness certification exam and is
available at more than 200 testing centers throughout the U.S., offering
flexible scheduling options, dates and locations.
All CBT exams are proctored and cannot be taken on personal computers. You may register for a CBT exam 15 to 90 days prior to an exam date. Registration will close and become unavailable once an exam is within 15 days.
Due to limited seating capacity at Computer-Based Testing sites, exam dates and times are subject to sellout.
