The Best CSCS Practice Test and Study Guide
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam is one of the most sought-after credentials in the fitness industry. Pass this test, and it shows that you can apply the latest in scientific technology when assisting people with their training and nutrition.
The only problem—the CSCS exam has a 44% fail rate. The biggest hurdle to passing this test is the sheer amount of information you need to study (the NSCA CSCS textbook alone has over 650 pages worth of material).
To help out future CSCS test takers, we took the time to research different study guides and found that Trainer Academy’s was the most effective. It breaks everything down into digestible portions, and it even includes mock exams to test what you’ve learned.
A Look Into Trainer Academy’s Study Guide
What happens to muscle cells while resting, contracting, or fully contracted? Can you provide a breakdown of conventional sprinting mechanics? If you want to pass the CSCS exam, you need to familiarize yourself with several scientific foundations and their practical applications.
Trainer Academy constantly updates its material by interviewing students who have passed the latest exam. They account for frequently asked questions and topic coverage to make their study guide as effective as possible.
Below are some of the important topics and questions that their guide covers.
Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics is a branch of exercise science that studies everything related to the energy involved when making or breaking chemical bonds in living organisms. From the duration of each energy system to lactate production in muscles under aerobic recovery, the Trainer Academy study guide applies these topics in a health or fitness scenario.
For instance, you probably already know about rest intervals like slow glycolysis, fast glycolysis, oxidative, and phosphagen. But how do you factor each one to calculate the rest time for a 10K race or a 50m sprint? What are the limitations of each system, like how muscle glycogen limits oxidation or how low pH levels inhibit fast glycolysis?
Another example would be the different muscle fibers like I, II, IIa, and IIX. What kind of muscle will a marathon runner likely have?
Workout Standards
You need to familiarize yourself with the different workout standards for every athlete because the CSCS exam may ask questions involving basketballers, runners, footballers, and more. So it’s essential to study each one.
Trainer Academy highlights important information such as:
- What type of routine will a specific athlete benefit most from (muscular endurance, upper body strength, lower body strength, etc.)
- The muscle groups used for every basic workout routine
- How these muscle groups behave during each portion of the workout
Nutrition
Nutrition takes up 26% of the CSCS test (over 21 questions), and many find it one of the most challenging portions because it requires memorizing a lot of complicated values. Trainer Academy makes remembering easier by sorting out the information in a more cohesive manner.
Their guide covers the most relevant nutritional components of fitness, including:
- Ideal water intake before, during, and after a competition
- The symptoms of eating disorders and the right way to treat an athlete who has one
- Caloric requirements of male and female athletes
- Calories needed for marathon runners who want to carbo-load
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the science of movement of living bodies, including how tendons, ligaments, and bones work together to move. What we like about Trainer Academy is that they don’t just define the relevant scientific components. They also take the time to provide real-life examples so you can quickly grasp the more technical subtopics.
The CSCS might ask questions like “What happens to capillary density and muscle power during aerobic and anaerobic training?” or “What are the warning signs of aerobic overtraining?”
Endocrine System
The endocrine system plays a significant role in strength and conditioning by producing essential hormones. Academy Trainer’s guide tackles questions like:
- How can you stimulate testosterone and growth hormone production? (large muscle group exercises, at least 85% 1RM, etc.).
- What is the function of the growth hormone? (Improve protein and collagen synthesis and lower glucose utilization).
- What’s the best rest time between sets to raise testosterone levels? (30 seconds to a minute).
Facility Basics
Many neglect this topic despite being easy to absorb and retain. The study guide will help you remember the required spacing between Olympic lifting platforms, window heights, staff-to-athlete ratios, and the definition of different policies and procedures.
Trainer Academy’s Practice Tests
If you’re looking for a way to track your study progress, practice tests are the way to go. Trainer Academy’s mock exams do an excellent job of mimicking the real CSCS exam experience, which provides many advantages.
Cementing Your Knowledge
Are you afraid of forgetting everything you’ve learned on the day of the exam? Practice tests can help you avoid this outcome by encouraging a process called memory consolidation. As you revisit information over time, your memory becomes more stable and less easily disrupted—no more wasting precious minutes on answers that are on the tip of your tongue.
Identifying Knowledge Gaps
It’s hard to discover what you don’t know without testing yourself. You might think you’ll breeze through a particular portion of the CSCS, but if practice reveals a substandard score, you can still refocus your study efforts.
Honing Your Timing
When it comes to longer exams like the CSCS, it’s very easy to lose track of time. The last thing you want is to realize that the allotted time is almost over when you’re only halfway through.
Pacing is essential when you have a little over a minute to answer every question. With Trainer Academy’s timed practice tests, you get an idea of how many minutes you should devote to each portion.
Alleviating Anxiety
Certification exams are always stressful, especially notorious ones like the CSCS. A good way to minimize your anxiety is to practice. The more you take the time to apply what you’ve learned, the more it will come naturally to you.
Is It Worth It To Get the Bigger Study Packages?
Aside from Trainer Academy’s basic study guide package, they also have two other offerings that are a bit more comprehensive. These packages come with the CSCS practice tests and valuable study materials that can help you retain information faster and easier.
Audio Study Guide
Are you the type who best learns through hearing or verbal communication? Trainer Academy’s audio study guide is a useful supplementary material covering every question and answer in the written version.
It makes for a refreshing change of pace after reading for prolonged periods. By utilizing a completely different study medium, you can recharge your interest and retain information faster.
Flashcards
Trainer Academy’s flashcards are a very effective study material that prompts you to dig into your memory for the correct answer and lets you study unfamiliar topics with a method called spaced repetition. Newly introduced or more challenging subjects show up more frequently, while older or easier ones are given less precedence to increase your learning rate.
Study Blueprint
Don’t know how to utilize your limited study time? Trainer Academy’s bigger packages come with a comprehensive study plan. Whether you have four months or two weeks left, this blueprint will help you focus on the essentials and maximize your limited study time.
Mnemonics
Mnemonics are a memory-enhancing strategy that involves linking new information to information that you already know. With Trainer Academy, you get simplified concepts that will help you organize and remember facts that have no apparent connection of their own.
Cheat Sheet
Trainer Academy’s cheat sheet highlights important information that will make a significant impact on your exam score. Even if you’re not allowed to use it during the exam, it’s a great way to go over different topics in your last few nights of studying.
Trainer Academy’s Guarantee
Failing the CSCS exam isn’t just stressful; it’s also very expensive. Retaking one section can cost you up to $385, and both sections are $475.
Trainer Academy’s most complete package includes a “pass guarantee.” If you fail the CSCS exam, they refund your money back, no questions asked.
Final Thoughts
A CSCS credential is practically a requirement if you want a successful career in athlete training. With a Trainer Academy study guide, you can quickly learn a lot of material and retain it even after finishing your exam.
Which package is the right one for you? The Rookie package is best for people who prefer to create their own practice materials. The All-Star package comes with five practice tests and 1000 flashcards, and the MVP package includes everything listed above–including the money-back guarantee.
While these study materials will make your exam preparations infinitely more manageable, you still need to put in the time and effort to see results. If you want to test Trainer Academy’s materials and see if it’s compatible with your study preference, you can apply for a complimentary sample package on their website.