BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

CERTIFICATION
AN OBJECTIVE ANALYIS OF 10 #1
MAJOR CERTIFICATION BODIES
Aspiring personal trainers have a lot of options
when it comes to the selection of a major
certifying body. When it comes to getting a job
as a trainer, some say the actual certification
body matters little; however, it is important to
go with a certification that is NCCA-approved
so that you are likely to be able to work at any
of the major gyms accross the USA.

The following 10 personal training certifications are evaluated

by a number of factors that are of prime importance to
potential trainers. We break the factors down one-by-one so
you can compare them in each category.

NCCA ACCREDITATION

Option for NCCA Accredidation?

CERTIFICATION
BODY Yes No

NASM

ACE

FITNESS MENTORS

NSCA

ACSM

NESTA

NCCPT

NCSF

AFAA

ISSA

PRICE

$800 $799

$700 $712.80

$600 $599

$520.97
$500 $499 $499 $499
$478

$400 $399

$300

$200

$100

$0
FM NCCPT AFAA ISSA NCSF ASCM ACE NSCA NASM

Cost of Test & Study Materials

EXAM PASS
RATE

ASCM 54.00

NCSF 57.40

NSCA 58.00

NASM 64.30

ACE 65.00

NESTA 65.40

NCCPT 65.90

FM 78.20

ISSA 89.90

0 20 40 60 80 100

# OF TEST
QUESTIONS
200

160
150 150 150
155

140

125
120 120 120

100 100

50

0 FM NASM ASCM AFAA NESTA NCCPT NCSF ACE NSCA ISSA

CEU HOURS

60 60

50

45
40 40

30

20 20 20 20 20 20

15
10 10

0 NCSF AFAA NASM ACE FM ISSA NCCPT NESTA ASCM NSCA

AVERAGE
INCOME

$50,000

$41,598 $41,546

$40,000 $38,739
$38,116
$37,599

$35,061

$30,000
NASM ACE ASCM NSCA AFAA NCSF

RETAKE FEE

500
$435

400

300

$199 $200
200
$149 $149 $155
$119
$99 $99
100 $75
$50

0
FM AFAA NCCPT NCSF NFPT NESTA ISSA ACSM ACE NASM NSCA