Accreditation
1. Who accredits certifying companies?
The NCCA, National Commission for Certifying Agencies, which operates under the auspices of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). NFPT is accredited by the NCCA and therefore adheres to standards which pertain to certification business and test development practices.
2. Why is getting certified by an accredited company important for a trainer?
Being certified by an accredited organization means that you have proven industry accepted minimum competencies set by the NCCA. Most gyms and insurance companies insist that trainers be certified by an accredited company such as NFPT.
3. What is the significance of NFPT being accredited?
NFPT accreditation makes certain the adherence to industry wide standards for competency assurance. Adherence to these standards ensures the NFPT Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) that he/she has obtained a reliable and recognized credential.
Enrollment Prerequisites
1. Do I have to be CPR certified for NFPT?
No, though this is highly recommended before, or shortly after, obtaining your certification. Generally, CPR certification will be required for employment and liability insurance, therefore finding a local American Red Cross/American Heart Association will be necessary if you wish to take full advantage of the resources available to further your PT career.
2. What constitutes two years fitness experience?
Total experience can be a combination of experiences ranging from involvement in playing sports, personally working out, prior experience as a trainer, etc.
3. How old do I have to be?
18. This is a mandated standard and a typical age requirement for certification enrollment.
Cost and Enrollment
1. How much does personal trainer certification cost?
The standard fee for PT certification for independent study is $450. However, prices vary depending on the option that you choose. For example, the cost for the PT course with a workshop included will cost $159 additional, and/or the Distance Learning option will cost an additional $100. Visit Study Methods page for more information.
2. Do you have a payment plan?
Yes. We have a set down payment and the remaining balance must be paid sometime before you take the exam. There are no charges or interest fees for this benefit. Simply pay off the balance when you’re comfortable doing so as long as the exam is taken and the balance is paid in full before one year from your original application date.
3. How can I enroll?
You can enroll online from Study Methods page or over the phone with a customer service representative at 800-729-6378.
4. Is there a discount for a gym staff member?
Yes, the fee is $295 but will not include hard copy education material (a CD is provided.) Please visit Health Club Staff page for additional details.
5. What is your refund policy?
NFPT has adopted a scheduled refund policy that allows you a full refund minus a $50 processing fee
within the first two weeks of your original application. This refund amount decreases by 25% with every two week period with no refund provided at the end of 8 weeks. More information is available by viewing our Refund Policy.
Exam
1. How long do I have before taking the test?
We provide you with a 60 day due date which is an approximate average for exam preparation time, however, an extension can be provided upon request at no cost (the extension request must be made prior to the exam due date to avoid a $50 late test fee.) You can extend your test due date for up to one year from your enrollment date at no cost or penalty.
2. How long will I have to take the test?
2 Hours
3. What is the format of the test?
There are 120 multiple choice questions. 20 of these questions are not graded and are written strictly for statistical purposes, therefore some of these questions may not look familiar to you as they are not required to come from NFPT education material and are taken from a pool of potential future exam questions. These questions/answers will not effect your score.
4. Do I need material other than the NFPT manual to prepare?
We recommend that you read and fully understand the NFPT Study and Reference manual as it is the primary source for exam preparation. However, there are many different education sources for learning fundamental exercise science concepts that will most certainly benefit your learning process. Understanding Personal Trainer Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) does not require that you have read the NFPT material specifically as you may already possess these KSAs through other educational means.
5. How is the exam created?
The exam has been created using a group of qualified and diverse Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who use industry collected data to determine appropriate Personal Trainer KSAs which are then used to formulate exam questions. The NFPT exam is developed and maintained according to strict accreditation standards, adherence to these standards is a requirement of all accredited certifying organizations.
6. Can I re-take the exam?
Yes. You are allowed 3 total opportunities to take the NFPT exam. Each exam re-take costs $60 in addition to the test fee ($20 for Paper/Pencil and $44 for Computer Testing.) If you are unable to pass the exam on the third attempt, you will be required to wait one year from your last test date before you are eligible to re-apply to the program.
Exam Administration
1. Are all of your exams proctored?
Yes. All NFPT exams are proctored by individuals who will ensure exam security and integrity.
2. Can I take any NFPT exam from home?
No
3. How do I get a proctor/find a test site?
We will provide you with a list of the closest NFPT test sites. We have two kinds of sites, Paper/Pencil and Computer Based Testing (CBT) sites, visit our test site locator to find the site closest to you. These sites are available by appointment; you will be given contact information for each of your closest sites upon your enrollment.
4. Is there an additional fee for testing?
Pencil/Paper exams: the fee, which is paid directly to the proctor, is $20. You’ll receive test results about 3-4 weeks after testing.
Computer Based Testing (CBT): The CBT fee is $44 and is paid at the time that you schedule your appointment. CBT allows for instant test result processing, so you’ll know how you did the same day (if passing, your certificate and membership card will be mailed to you within 1-2 weeks.)
5. What if I am too far from a test site?
We allow you to use a local school teacher (any grade level/subject) to proctor your exam if our test sites are too far from you. If you prefer this option, you must have your “interim proctor” fill out a security document (which will be provided to you or your proctor by email) and then fax this in with a copy of his/her teaching license. The exam will be sent to your interim proctor.
6. Do I pay my interim proctor?
Though this is not required, we do recommend compensating your proctor for the 2 hour time period that they will be administering your exam.
Renewal and Continuing Education Credits (CECs)
1. What are CECs?
CECs are units of credit that provide proof of your adherence to continuing education standards. It is necessary for any trainer who is certified by an accredited organization (or any other allied health professional where a license is required) to maintain CECs.
2. How many CECs do I need each year?
2 credits are required each year and are obtained through NFPT self-tests which are online quizzes that are posted every June and December. These are not pass/fail quizzes and are only based upon participation, quiz questions/answers come from the last 6 months of NFPT e-magazine articles. Visit the Introduction to CECs for more information.
3. How much does it cost to renew each year?
The fee for renewing your certification and membership is $85 per year, CEC quizzes are free.
4. Can I renew if I have been expired and inactive over an extended period of time?
No. NFPT accreditation requires that we maintain certain standards for renewal and CEC policies. Our certified affiliates have to maintain CECs (Continuing Education Credits) and renew on a yearly basis in order to maintain certification. If your certification has been expired for two or more years, it will be necessary to re-apply and re-test for certification.
5. How do I renew?
You can renew online in the NFPT Trainer Services section or by calling 800-729-6378.
6. Are CEC’s required my first year?
No. You do not have to complete CEC’s until after your first year with us, we will send you a reminder by mail when it is time for you to complete your first quiz.
7. Can I submit other forms of education for credit?
Yes. If you have taken any other health/fitness related course that meets basic CEC provider qualifications, you will be awarded 1 credit and be exempt from taking the next available self-test.
College Info
1. Can I get college credit for successfully passing the NFPT CPT exam?
Yes. Colleges that accept the American Council on Education recommendations will accept our certification as three transfer credits. To find out if your college accepts the recommendation, and to get additional details, visit our college credit page.
2. Is the NFPT course taught at a college near me?
In many colleges across the country, the NFPT course is offered generally as an 8-week program (though this varies from school to school.) The NFPT college course is a newly implemented program and therefore is currently more location prohibitive than we expect for the near future. Visit our College page to find out if there’s a college near you offering this course.
Military Info
1. Is NFPT approved for GI Bill and Tuition Assistance?
Yes
2. How do I start the process?
You’ll need to first fill out VA Form 22-1990 which gets you into the military system; you will be informed through the VA of your eligibility.
3. Is there a specific VA form to fill out for the NFPT CPT Certification exam?
Yes. After you have been approved from the VA, the appropriate form to fill out is the VA Form 22-0803 for licensing and certifications.
4. Is NFPT a school?
No. We have many programs in two and four year colleges, but we are not a walk-in school/university.
5. How do I explain NFPT to my educational counselor?
The NFPT EXAM is approved by the VA. If your counselor attempts to look NFPT up in their system as a school or college, you will be denied. You must make sure that your counselor understands that it is the NFPT EXAM that is approved, this way your counselor is searching the correct database for the appropriate approval information.
6. Is NFPT on the WEAMS listing?
Yes. Visit our Military page for the link to the NFPT WEAMS listing.
7. What if I am deployed?
Your counselor or appropriate education personnel can administer the NFPT exam to you; this allows you the flexibility to take the exam wherever you may be deployed. Your NFPT education material can be shipped to you and when you feel prepared to test, your proctor will be provided the necessary test security document to fill out and fax back in to our office. Upon receipt of this document, your exam will be mailed to your proctor.
Master Trainer
1. What is the Master Trainer credential?
This credential is a compliment to your Personal Trainer certification and will not only expand on your scope of practice but also make you a more marketable trainer. This credential requires that you take the 3 NFPT specialty exams – Nutrition, Weight/Resistance Training, and Endurance Training. Upon successful completion of all 3, you are awarded the Master Trainer credential.
2. Is there a discount for taking all 3 specialty courses for your Master Trainer credential?
Yes. When all three of the Master Trainer Specialty courses are purchased together, the price is $425, a $142 savings when compared to purchasing all 3 courses separately.
3. How long do I have to take the Master Trainer specialty exams?
You will have one year from the time of application to take all 3 of these exams.
4. Do I become a Personal Trainer by taking the Master Trainer program?
No. This is a separate course and acts as an independent credential – it is highly recommended that you have an accredited CPT credential prior to pursuing this course.
Distance Learning
1. How long is the distance learning (DL) program?
The DL curriculum is based on an eight week time frame. The material comes in eight modules, with two sections in each module. Most modules only open after you have completed the quiz for each section.
2. Describe the course curriculum.
The course curriculum includes: reading assignments from NFPT Study & Reference Manual, chapter outlines, animated PowerPoint presentations, worksheets and educational document downloads, practice questions, client fitness assessment and consultation instruction, and fitness prescription scenarios.
3. Can I complete the DL program in less or more time than the structured eight weeks?
Yes. The amount of time is up to you. You have up to one year to take the exam.
4. What are the benefits of the distance learning option?
The Distance Learning option allows for a systematic approach to NFPT material. The distance learning option allows you to receive the information via your computer. Many people prefer this more structured learning process.
Liability Insurance
1. Where am I covered?
This policy is designed to protect you anywhere you teach within the U.S.
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2. Will this policy cover a substitute instructor if I am sick?
No, this policy covers only you, it will not cover anybody else.
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3. Do I have to pay in full or do you have payment plan?
You must pay in full.
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4. Does this policy cover a certain style?
This policy covers various type of training, it is not exclusive to one style of training. A few exceptions such as Chiropractic and Supplements Advisement are excluded.
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5. Does this policy cover me if I get injured?
This policy does not cover you if you get injured on the job. This policy covers your student or your client if they are injured. However, an Individual Occupational Accident policy would.
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6. If I open up a studio, will this policy cover my studio?
No, if you open up a studio you would need to upgrade to a business policy, your individual policy excludes leasing or renting studios.
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7. Will this policy cover me if I teach/train children?
Yes, our policy does not discriminate age or gender of your students.
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8. What if I am a trainer and an aerobics instructor, do I need 2 policies?
Our policy is designed to cover a variety of fitness activities and not limited to one specific type of activity per policy. The policy also insures independent contractors in all 50 states when they train/teach in various clubs, studios and peoples homes.
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9. The facility where I train requires an Additional Insured certificate. Is there an additional fee for this?
Each policyholder is allowed up to 10 entities listed as Additional Insured. Each Additional Insured issued in excess of 10 are subject to a $25 fee per certificate.
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10. Do you need a list of the facilities where I train?
Since the policy is designed to cover the policyholder in all 50 states, it is not necessary to provide a list of locations.
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11. Do you offer higher limits?
Aggregate limits are available up to $5,000,000. Occurrence limits may also be increased if required by lease agreement / landlord.
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12. What about my equipment?
We can cover you at no additional charge if you have less than 6 pieces of equipment.
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13. Will I be covered if I work in my home?
We can cover you in your home, the space/area that you teach. You must have less than 6 pieces of equipment. If you have more than 6 pieces of equipment you must have a studio policy.
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14. Can I remove the "damage to premises" since I have no location?
No, This is part of the policy. If it does not apply to you, then you disregard that portion. There is no way to remove any of the coverage to reduce the cost.
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15. Do you offer health coverage?
No, not at this time. You can check with Blue Shield for a personal policy.
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16. Am covered if I teach in Canada, Mexico or other International locations?
No. The coverage territory is limited to the 50 US States.
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17. I just received my policy and the dates are different than what is on my insurance certificate. Why?
The Master Policies for both the General/Professional Liability are written for the members of our risk purchasing group. Each of our policyholders receives a Certificate of Insurance that details not only your individual coverage and limits but also your effective dates. The Master Policy is not alterable and does not show individual names or dates. The Certificate and Evidence supersede the anniversary date of the policy; therefore, should the master policy not renew your coverage would still remain in full force according to your individual Certificate and/or Evidence.
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