ACE Certification Review for 2023
This ACE certification review will offer in-depth information on everything you want to know about ACE CPT certification before enrolling in it.
Our ACE certification review will cover details on the following:
- Pros and Cons of ACE certification
- Eligibility criteria for ACE certification
- ACE certification programs
- ACE certification exam
- ACE recertification
- ACE Exercise science
ACE certification review: General introduction
This ACE certification review intends to give you a clear idea about ACE CPT certification to help you decide if it is worth your effort and money. To find that out, let’s take a quick look at the benefits and downsides of ACE certification.
Benefits of ACE certification:
- Well-recognized in the industry
- Advanced study materials
- ACE training model
- Best choice for beginners in the personal training business
- Accredited by NCCA
Downsides of ACE certification:
- More expensive than many other certifications
- Passing rate of the exam
ACE certification is widely accepted by employers in the fitness industry, especially at training facilities. It is considered similar in rank to NASM and NSCA.
So far, ACE has certified more than 50,000 fitness trainers. Apart from personal trainer certification, ACE also offers certification in other areas of specialization like:
- Health Coaching
- Group Fitness Instructor
- Medical Exercise
Eligibility criteria for ACE certification
Here are the prerequisites for enrolling in ACE certification:
- The minimum age limit for registration is 18 years
- The candidate must have a high school degree or equivalent qualification
- A certification on CPR/AED
- A valid proof of identity
ACE certification programs
ACE offers a range of certification programs with a separate package of study materials in different price ranges. Check them out below.
ACE plus-study program
- This premium package costs $299 which can be paid in 4 interest-free installments
- Online ACE Academy Elite guide
- E-book
- Hard Copy textbook
- Study companion
- Live seminars
- Exercise workbook
- The exam can be postponed for a cost of $100
ACE Basic Study Program
- The cost of certification is $199 which can be paid in 3 interest-free installments
- E-book
- Study companion
- Practice exams
- Live webinars
ACE Fitness training model
ACE follows the IFT (Integrated Fitness Training) model in addition to its personal training model.
The model is apt for developing progressive and dynamic training programs for clients while prioritizing safety and preventing workout injuries.
This program follows a systematic way to design an exercise routine considering the client's strengths, needs, and goals.
The IFT model program is a mandatory part of the ACE certification course.
ACE Certification Exam
The ACE test has a qualification rate of 65% which is slightly higher than NASM certification at 64%. This makes the ACE CPT exam a bit easier compared to its contemporaries.
The ACE test consists of 150 multiple-choice questions that include 125 scored questions and the remaining 25 are experimental questions.
The exam is 3 hours long and a passing score is 500 points, which is the equivalent of answering 90 out of 150 questions correctly.
In case the candidate fails to pass the exam on their first attempt, the retesting fee for the second attempt is $199. The cost of rescheduling the exam is $149.
ACE Recertification
In order to maintain your certification as an ACE trainer, you have to get recertified every two years.
ACE recertification requirement is 2.0 CEU credits which are equivalent to 20 hours of continuous education credits or to be precise 10 hours of CEU credit every year for 2 years. ACE trainers can use CEU credits from the ACE website.
The cost of the ACE recertification is $129. You will receive an email alert from ACE 90 days before the expiration of your ACE CPT certificate.
If the renewal application is delayed for 30 days, the penalty fee will be charged at $169. If the late period is beyond 30 days but not more than 90 days then the penalty fine will rise to $199. Failing the grace period of 90-days means the ACE certification will expire and the trainer can no more claim to be ACE certified.
ACE Exercise Science
ACE study materials are based on in-depth research to ensure ACE trainers can apply scientific methods to design training programs and the lifestyle of the clients.
The ACE advisory board supervises primary research activities and publishes reports on them. This is done to help all ACE-certified personal trainers to make the most out of their training.
This scientific approach educates trainers to help clients suffering from issues like overweight and society-induced abnormalities.
This is a great way to keep trainers up to date with the new technique and innovations in the health and fitness industry.
Is a degree mandatory for registration?
Now, this is a common question that many people have. The answer is maybe or may not be. It entirely depends on certain situations that we will discuss below.
A candidate can become a certified ACE personal trainer without a bachelor’s degree. Generally, ACE prefers candidates with an academic degree in subjects related to health and nutrition like human anatomy, exercise science, Kinesiology, etc.
Prior education on these subjects will help you qualify for the exam easily as you will be well-acquainted with many of the questions of the ACE CPT exam.
With a fundamental knowledge of basic health and fitness, it will be easier to understand other domains of the ACE curriculum as well.
This is the reason why ACE made the CPR/AED certification mandatory. Prior knowledge of CPR/ AED will help a personal trainer handle emergency situations efficiently. This will also ensure the candidate has a good baseline of information about how the human body works.
Final thoughts:
ACE CPT certification is one of the top-ranked personal trainer certifications in the industry. It has been consistently ranked in our top 3 for the best personal trainer certification programs. This ACE certification review aims to give you a brief insight into the overall ACE CPT course and its curriculum to help you decide if it fits your style of training and career goal as you get started in the fitness industry. We hope, by now you have a clear idea about ACE CPT certification and where it fits in the personal training world.