Taking the Accredited Exam

Students wanting an accredited personal training certification may take the National Commission for Certifying Agencies accredited exam as offered by the ISSA subsidiary the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT). The accredited certification exam can be purchased as a stand-alone item but it is most often included for free with your personal training course. Please note that a separate fee is charged by the testing vendor. 

Prerequisites

Candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a government-issued photo ID, and a valid CPR card or certificate of completion. The participation, completion or purchase of exam preparatory study packages, courses or materials is not required to sit for an NCCPT exam, nor do any such items guarantee the earning of a passing score on the exam. 

ISSA Exam and NCCPT Accredited Exam: What’s the difference?

The ISSA certification exam is open note, can be completed online without time constraints, is not proctored, does not have to be scheduled, and is found at the end of the course. The accredited NCCPT exam is proctored, has a two-hour time limit, can be taken either online or at a testing center, must be scheduled, and is not open note.