October 1, 2008: ACSM Exercise Specialist® (ES) will be ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist (CES)
The change in the name will not affect the exam content or the accreditation of the certification in any way.
ATTENTION Current ACSM professionals and those seeking certification, learn more by reading the FAQs!
The exam will be delivered in a computer-based testing format (English only) at Pearson VUE® Authorized Test Centers worldwide. There are 100–135 multiple-choice questions based on KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) distributed across eleven content areas. The table below lists the approximate percentage of questions from each content area:
| KSAs Competency Area |
% |
| Health Appraisal and Fitness Exercise Testing |
26% |
| Exercise Prescription (Training) and Programming |
19% |
| Electrocardiography and Diagnostic Techniques |
17% |
| Exercise Physiology and Related Exercise Science |
10% |
| Pathophysiology and Risk Factors |
10% |
| Human Behavior |
5% |
| Safety, Injury Prevention and Emergency Procedures |
5% |
| Nutrition and Weight Management |
2% |
| Patient Management and Medications |
2% |
| Program Administration, Quality Assurance, and Outcome Assessment |
2% |
| Medical and Surgical Management |
2% |
Click on a question below to view the answer.
The following texts are recommended to prepare for the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist exam:
- ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 7th edition
- ACSM’s Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 5th edition
- ACSM’s Certification Review, 2nd edition
LWW publications can be ordered directly from the publisher, Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins (LWW) by calling 800-486-5643, at any major bookstore, or any major online distributor or reseller.
ACSM has published updated textbooks. View more information on certification examination transition dates 
84 KB pdf
The cost for the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist exam is $299 for non-ACSM Members and $239 for ACSM Members. The cost of the re-test is $155.50.
Step 1: Pick a date that allows you plenty of time to prepare
We recommend 3–6 months, however, all candidates vary in their level of current education and study habits. Ultimately it doesn’t matter how many months you spend but rather the total hours you study.
Step 2: Purchase the recommended textbooks
Although not required, we strongly encourage all candidates to use our texbooks to prepare. Check the website to make sure you are studying the correct edition. New books come out in 2009.
Step 3: Review the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
These can be found in any ACSM recommended textbook. Each exam item is written about a KSA. Review the exam blueprint. Recognize the percent of exam questions for each section. Compare the KSAs for that section and determine which section(s) you know you will need to spend a lot of time on and the sections that you just need to review. Find the corresponding chapter in the textbooks that correspond with the KSAs you need to study.
Step 4: Chose to participate in interactive study methods
Step 5: Schedule or apply for your exam: PearsonVUE.com/ACSM
By the time you schedule your exam, you’ll have a general idea of how much time you still need to study. Don’t worry if you need to reschedule, you can do so up to 24 hours in advance at no charge. If you are an RCEP candidate, you will need to apply and be approved before scheduling your exam.
ACSM now has several options for exam preparation. The best way to prepare is live and in-person with a certification workshop; sign-up for at ACSM.org/register. The most convenient way to prepare is with a live webinar; sign-up at ACSM.org/register. Or go at your own pace on your own with an on-line course or practice test; sign-up on the ACSM Learning Portal at ACSMlearning.org
The passing score for all ACSM certification exams is set in advance and applied to all candidates’ exam results. Similar to exam scoring for a wide variety of other high stakes, national standardized exams (e.g., GRE, SAT, GMAT, etc.), ACSM certification exams are reported on a 200–800 score scale.
Specifically, all candidates are expected to meet the passing standard of a scaled score of 550 in order to receive a “Pass” on any respective ACSM certification exam. This passing standard is based upon the expectations of the subject matter experts/test developers across all topics of the competency areas, as related to each respective credential’s examination blueprint. Passing candidates are expected to answer a sufficient number of test questions correctly that demonstrates a summative amount of knowledge at a level of at least minimal competency or the lowest acceptable score to pass the exam.
Finally, each content area is weighted proportionally, based on the results of a periodic comprehensive job task analysis/role delineation study. In other words, some content areas are more important (thus, have more questions) and count more with respect to the overall score than other content areas. On the score report, candidates receive their overall score, their pass/fail status, as well as a breakdown by each specific content area (either by a percentage or a sub-section scale score, respectively).
Sign up through ACSM’s secure website and become an ACSM member in 1–2 days. For a list of benefits or to become a member, visit ACSM.org/join. Once you join as a member (online option), you will receive your ACSM membership ID by email within one business week. If you need a member exam voucher in less than one week, please email certification@ACSM.org after you’ve completed your online membership payment.
You will receive your results immediately upon completion of the exam. If you pass the exam, a certificate will be sent to you in 6–8 weeks.
If you do not pass the exam, a code to be used when scheduling your re-test will be printed on your score report. You may retake the exam 15 days following your initial exam and every 15 days following until successfully completed.
ACSM offer several certifications for fitness and clinical professionals and specialty certifications for those already certified by an NCCA-accredited organization. For a list of certifications, visit ACSM.org/certification.
Yes, the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist exam is available in English at any Pearson VUE® Authorized Test Center worldwide. Please visit PearsonVUE.com/ACSM/locate for international testing centers.
In the future, the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist exam will be made available in different languages as demand dictates. Currently, the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist exam is available in English.
