NHE Certification Personal Fitness Management Specialists Job

[wiscoek]

NHE Certification Personal Fitness Management Specialists Job

Monster.com sent my resume to NHE for the PFMS position. I've done a lot of research on the company and have found them to be legit. The problem is the mastertrainer exam they use to test your expertise. Everyone says it's harder than ACSM. They say the exam is at no cost to me and I can retake at no cost too but do they really consider the second exam if you fail the first?

[Ronin4help]

NHE Certification Personal Fitness Management Specialists Job

Monster.com sent my resume to NHE for the PFMS position. I've done a lot of research on the company and have found them to be legit. The problem is the mastertrainer exam they use to test your expertise. Everyone says it's harder than ACSM. They say the exam is at no cost to me and I can retake at no cost too but do they really consider the second exam if you fail the first?

Their master trainer exam is hard but it's not impposible to pass. There are thosands of 24 hour fitness trainers out there who have no business attempting the NHE exam. So you have to take what you read with that in mind. I took their exam a few years ago and it was hard no doubt, I actually took it a coulple of times too. They don't charge you if you are applying for a job there so you have nothing to lose. Their trainers are far and few but they're all higher end people, like with masters degrees and doctorates. You have to have a college degree to get certified there, unlike with other certifications where you only need a GED.

[wiscoek]

That's the primary reason I want to work at NHE. I have a pretty successful personal training business and I rent space at a wellness center down the street from my house and so my set up is boss. I've read so many good things about this organization that it seems to coincide with my personal belief that the personal training industry is full of hacks and we need more real professionals representing.

[Ronin4help]

That's the primary reason I want to work at NHE. I have a pretty successful personal training business and I rent space at a wellness center down the street from my house and so my set up is boss. I've read so many good things about this organization that it seems to coincide with my personal belief that the personal training industry is full of hacks and we need more real professionals representing.

Found online:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/I-was...%2Egmp_4809526

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Nat...ws-E505885.htm

Hope this helps?

[wiscoek]

Thanks.. yeah i've seen them and tons more like them on google. They are rated an A- with the BBB which is higher than NASM and so i'm not concerned about the company itself, I'm just concerned about the master trainer exam.

[Ronin4help]

Thanks.. yeah i've seen them and tons more like them on google. They are rated an A- with the BBB which is higher than NASM and so i'm not concerned about the company itself, I'm just concerned about the master trainer exam.

NHE is harder than NASM. People fail it all the time. People say it's the bar exam for personal trainers. That's why there are hardly anyone certified by them. They try but it's too hard. Maybe it's different now...

[Briiiiliantmate]

I love the little caption on their homepage. They basically tell you up front that they don't certify the non-intelligent... in so many words. It's like a warning, 'If you're not academically proficient, don't bother.' Ballsy when you're trying to make money selling the program. I guess they are trying to manager who actually gets their certificate. I remember when being ACE certified was a good thing.

Anyways, you probably won't see an NHE cert around much because like you said it's like trying to pass the bar. Some say it's overkill to have trainers take a pre-med exam just to train soccer moms but maybe if it was always like that from the beginning, the industry would be much better off today. Then again, I might not be working either so viva easy exams! I owe my career to you.

[katweb5454]

NHE Certification Personal Fitness Management Specialists Job

Monster.com sent my resume to NHE for the PFMS position. I've done a lot of research on the company and have found them to be legit. The problem is the master trainer exam they use to test your expertise. Everyone says it's harder than ACSM. They say the exam is at no cost to me and I can retake at no cost too but do they really consider the second exam if you fail the first?

I applied for this position and the mentor position and was asked to go through their recruitment process. They are very good at informing you want the process involves so there are no surprises and you can also decide for yourself whether or not it's something you want to endure prior to submitting a resume to them. All of the requirements are free and they don't make you pay for their certification or study books. It's all legit. I took the exam last Saturday and learned a few hours later that I didn't pass. I thought this maybe was where they ask for a hefty retake fee or suggest I purchase a study guide but the retake was free and they didn't mention that I consider any purchases at all. Anyone that says that NHE 'highly suggest' you get a study guide is lying at his/her ass. It's simply not true at all. They couldn't care less about any of that, at least that was my take. They expect you to know the areas of expertise you proudly proclaim on your resume. If you tell them you have 10 years personal trainer experience then you should be willing to prove it.

[zalesguy]

NHE Certification Personal Fitness Management Specialists Job

Monster.com sent my resume to NHE for the PFMS position. I've done a lot of research on the company and have found them to be legit. The problem is the mastertrainer exam they use to test your expertise. Everyone says it's harder than ACSM. They say the exam is at no cost to me and I can retake at no cost too but do they really consider the second exam if you fail the first?

Took the NHE fitness nutritionist program in Phoenix. Trainers confess to the difficulty of the NHE master trainer exam but that exam is not as challenging as their fitness nutrition exit exam. It's a six hour nightmare. The materials NHE provided along with my previous training was enough to pass on the first administration.

The NHE program covers everything from metabolic disorders to anthropometric assessments which is why the credential has more credibility amongst those of us who actually specialize in this field of study and application. I've been studying nutrition for over 20 years and was happy with the program as a whole. The study guide is unparalleled in terms of the technology and the format they use. It's simply a very comprehensive nutrition program. I would recommend it to anyone who could afford it and who lives in a state that allows nutritional consultation without a state licenses (many states do not). I believe NHE has other nutritional programs that are on a collegiate level for states like California and New York which are more strict when it comes to practicing nutrition.

Many times I've considered going for the NHE master trainer certification too but I have a CSCS which opens any door I need opened for my other field of practice which is wellness management/consultation. I was hoping to see a much more significant turn around in the personal training and wellness management fields this year but outside of a few extra clients from New Years resolutions and Holiday certificates, not much improvement to boast about.

[katweb5454]

Took the NHE fitness nutritionist program in Phoenix. Trainers confess to the difficulty of the NHE master trainer exam but that exam is not as challenging as their fitness nutrition exit exam. It's a six hour nightmare. The materials NHE provided along with my previous training was enough to pass on the first administration.

The NHE program covers everything from metabolic disorders to anthropometric assessments which is why the credential has more credibility amongst those of us who actually specialize in this field of study and application. I've been studying nutrition for over 20 years and was happy with the program as a whole. The study guide is unparalleled in terms of the technology and the format they use. It's simply a very comprehensive nutrition program. I would recommend it to anyone who could afford it and who lives in a state that allows nutritional consultation without a state licenses (many states do not). I believe NHE has other nutritional programs that are on a collegiate level for states like California and New York which are more strict when it comes to practicing nutrition.

Many times I've considered going for the NHE master trainer certification too but I have a CSCS which opens any door I need opened for my other field of practice which is wellness management/consultation. I was hoping to see a much more significant turn around in the personal training and wellness management fields this year but outside of a few extra clients from New Years resolutions and Holiday certificates, not much improvement to boast about.

Just found out today that I passed my retake and now I have to schedule my training. Their exam is really challenging but it's got a lot of smart questions that you can't bull**** your way past and it really does test your knowledge. The people who fail probably didn't prepare enough. I know that was my problem the first time I took it. I looked over a few things but I didn't expect it to be that hard because of my background and education. I was wrong about it and I've learned that I wasn't the only one. A lot of people fail it. The ones with the bruised egos are the ones who go online and cry about how ridiculous the exam is and how it's impossible to pass just because they couldn't pass it. I'm just glad I didn't give up.

[Customfit27]

I'm getting ready to Set up my NHE MTC exam for a potential job as a Personal Fitness Management Specialist. I was hoping from what i've read above I could receive some help, tips, advice on prep time for the exam. I'm getting the study guide, and I've been a Personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach for 8 years. From what I've read it's a very challenging exam and even with my knowledge base I like to be "over prepared". Any helpful advice on amount of time needed to prepare, test taking advice, etc that you are able/willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

[Ronin4help]

I'm getting ready to Set up my NHE MTC exam for a potential job as a Personal Fitness Management Specialist. I was hoping from what i've read above I could receive some help, tips, advice on prep time for the exam. I'm getting the study guide, and I've been a Personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach for 8 years. From what I've read it's a very challenging exam and even with my knowledge base I like to be "over prepared". Any helpful advice on amount of time needed to prepare, test taking advice, etc that you are able/willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

You will probably fail your first attempt. Don't come back here crying and telling us it's impossible to pass and all that f**king bullsh** if you do. We all know it's hard but I know people who have passed it too so save your breath. As far as tips... none really. Like any exam just be prepared and do your best. They have ten different exams for each program so mine will most likely be different than yours.

Good luck brother (or sister).

[wiscoek]

I ended up passing and went through the other recruitment stages that followed. They mailed me a formal job offer on Monday, needless to say I accepted. It's been a rough ride with stressing about the exam and all but in the end I'd say it was worth it and it's good to know that the screening process is so thorough. It tells me they are careful with who they hire and that they are not desperately filling positions with any heartbeat with a paper certificate in hand. The FTI video thing was interesting, never had done anything like that before. I guess they do a lot of those types of video meetings because many of their sales people are international and cant fly in easily. It worked out great for me because I have Skype and an iPad.

The only thing I can say about providing exam tips would be to say that you have to just follow the instructions and don't spent a lot of time obsessing over any one answer. You have to have confidence in your knowledge and move quickly through it. Like Ronin says, it's the same with any exit exam you just have to do your best with the talents and knowledge you have. If you know your materials and are a good test taker you should fare well. Good luck!!

[Ronin4help]

I ended up passing and went through the other recruitment stages that followed. They mailed me a formal job offer on Monday, needless to say I accepted. It's been a rough ride with stressing about the exam and all but in the end I'd say it was worth it and it's good to know that the screening process is so thorough. It tells me they are careful with who they hire and that they are not desperately filling positions with any heartbeat with a paper certificate in hand. The FTI video thing was interesting, never had done anything like that before. I guess they do a lot of those types of video meetings because many of their sales people are international and cant fly in easily. It worked out great for me because I have Skype and an iPad.

The only thing I can say about providing exam tips would be to say that you have to just follow the instructions and don't spent a lot of time obsessing over any one answer. You have to have confidence in your knowledge and move quickly through it. Like Ronin says, it's the same with any exit exam you just have to do your best with the talents and knowledge you have. If you know your materials and are a good test taker you should fare well. Good luck!!

NHE is one of the best companies today because they do everything to make sure they pass only qualified trainers, whether its the first level or their highest. People who are certified through them usually have multiple degrees in exercise science, medicine or nutrition.

[Customfit27]

Thanks for the Tips Guys, really appreciate it. I don't complain about an organization that expects the best out of it's trainers or it's employee's. I hold my self to a very high standard for myself and the trainers I over see. I would be very surprised that a company didn't require the best out of it's employee's. I've been offered a Personal Fitness Management Specialist job contingent on me passing the MTC exam. I expect to my knowledge base and analytical skills to be tested to their utmost potential. Thank you for the advice! And it is brother. But again thanks for the advice.

[Customfit27]

Also, Did anyone purchase the study guide and what is the turn around time for receiving the study guide? I'm purchasing the study guide for preparation purpose and as i've read from the website I will receive two business days after they receive my test fee exempt form for registering for my exam date? Would it be wise to register for my exam first then purchase the study guide, or purchase the study guide and pick a suitable test day once i've gotten a chance to look over the study guide?

[Ronin4help]

If I'm not mistaken you are not required to get or use a study guide. They only want to test you to make sure you're not a fake. My advice, just take the exam and see how you do. Don't assume you are not smart enough to pass the exam on your own merit or without studying. They never pushed a study guide on me, in fact they never even mentioned one. I had to find out about it online somewhere. Either way, it doesn't matter. Just schedule the test. They assign an exam to your file automatically and if you get a guide it will register the same exam. Honestly though, you should be working closely with your hiring rep for questions like these. Trying to get tips online from people you don't know for something as important as this probably isn't the wisest thing you could be doing. Just contact them directly with your questions. There are some f**king weirdos online, especially the losers who fail the test and then go online just to 'warn' people about it just because they got in over their heads. Why the f**k would someone waste his/her time to join a forum for that purpose. No one takes those posts seriously anyway because it's so obvious why they're bad mouthing the company. Prior to taking the exam they were no where online, couldn't spare a moment. But since failing they are now public servants. Those posts make me laugh... its like taking college advice from a high school drop out. F**king posers!

[wiscoek]

Also, Did anyone purchase the study guide and what is the turn around time for receiving the study guide? I'm purchasing the study guide for preparation purpose and as i've read from the website I will receive two business days after they receive my test fee exempt form for registering for my exam date? Would it be wise to register for my exam first then purchase the study guide, or purchase the study guide and pick a suitable test day once i've gotten a chance to look over the study guide?

You are not required to get a study guide. They make you sign a legal document that states all of the recruitment requirements are free whether or not you are offered a job. Everyone is required to sign it so if you ever read somewhere that they encourage purchases or recommend purchases of any kind, that person either has no idea what they're talking about or they're lying. I just recently went through the entire process so I know first hand.

[webber09]

I ended up passing and went through the other recruitment stages that followed. They mailed me a formal job offer on Monday, needless to say I accepted. It's been a rough ride with stressing about the exam and all but in the end I'd say it was worth it and it's good to know that the screening process is so thorough. It tells me they are careful with who they hire and that they are not desperately filling positions with any heartbeat with a paper certificate in hand. The FTI video thing was interesting, never had done anything like that before. I guess they do a lot of those types of video meetings because many of their sales people are international and cant fly in easily. It worked out great for me because I have Skype and an iPad.

The only thing I can say about providing exam tips would be to say that you have to just follow the instructions and don't spent a lot of time obsessing over any one answer. You have to have confidence in your knowledge and move quickly through it. Like Ronin says, it's the same with any exit exam you just have to do your best with the talents and knowledge you have. If you know your materials and are a good test taker you should fare well. Good luck!!

I received an email from Monster.com about NHE's personal fitness management specialist position. When I called their hr department I couldn't get through and so I left a message for someone to call me back. The next day a lady named Melissa called me from one of their offices. She was a really nice lady and answered all of the questions I had surrounding the position and the company itself because I had never heard of NHE before. I actually spoke to her twice before deciding to continue the process. She then put me in touch with this guy Jason who runs the national division for NHE. Nice guy too. I spoke to him on the phone for about twenty minutes, basically filling me in on their recruitment process and he wanted to get some idea about my credentials and qualifications, it was all pretty standard stuff.

He asked to see some of my work, in terms of exercise program development, but that was not a big deal (so I thought at the time). Long story short, they sent me a 'rejection' letter the very next day after receiving my program! Needless to say I was pissed because they said my work wasn't want they were looking for although I did precisely what they instructed me to do! I have 18 years of personal training experience so I know how to put together a basic exercise program. In retrospect though, maybe I could've done better but I really didn't have time to design a detailed exercise program between clients. I guess maybe if I had, I'd be working for them right now.

I'm not here to bad mouth them so ease up Ronin4Help, just saw the post online and thought I'd share my recent experience with this company. It's true what people say about them being very serious about who they hire. I never got to take the free exam but I know its really hard too. From everything I've read and was able to research about them, it's a great company so good luck to those of you who are working on getting a job there or certified there. If they ask you to send them a program, don't half-ass it. CYa..

[Ronin4help]

I received an email from Monster.com about NHE's personal fitness management specialist position. When I called their hr department I couldn't get through and so I left a message for someone to call me back. The next day a lady named Melissa called me from one of their offices. She was a really nice lady and answered all of the questions I had surrounding the position and the company itself because I had never heard of NHE before. I actually spoke to her twice before deciding to continue the process. She then put me in touch with this guy Jason who runs the national division for NHE. Nice guy too. I spoke to him on the phone for about twenty minutes, basically filling me in on their recruitment process and he wanted to get some idea about my credentials and qualifications, it was all pretty standard stuff.

He asked to see some of my work, in terms of exercise program development, but that was not a big deal (so I thought at the time). Long story short, they sent me a 'rejection' letter the very next day after receiving my program! Needless to say I was pissed because they said my work wasn't want they were looking for although I did precisely what they instructed me to do! I have 18 years of personal training experience so I know how to put together a basic exercise program. In retrospect though, maybe I could've done better but I really didn't have time to design a detailed exercise program between clients. I guess maybe if I had, I'd be working for them right now.

I'm not here to bad mouth them so ease up Ronin4Help, just saw the post online and thought I'd share my recent experience with this company. It's true what people say about them being very serious about who they hire. I never got to take the free exam but I know its really hard too. From everything I've read and was able to research about them, it's a great company so good luck to those of you who are working on getting a job there or certified there. If they ask you to send them a program, don't half-ass it. CYa..

no worries brother LOL! good info though.

[webber09]

Yeah, I would've like'd to had worked there but I screwed up.

[Ronin4help]

Yeah, I would've like'd to had worked there but I screwed up.

sorry to hear

[JNauta09]

I ended up passing and went through the other recruitment stages that followed. They mailed me a formal job offer on Monday, needless to say I accepted. It's been a rough ride with stressing about the exam and all but in the end I'd say it was worth it and it's good to know that the screening process is so thorough. It tells me they are careful with who they hire and that they are not desperately filling positions with any heartbeat with a paper certificate in hand. The FTI video thing was interesting, never had done anything like that before. I guess they do a lot of those types of video meetings because many of their sales people are international and cant fly in easily. It worked out great for me because I have Skype and an iPad.

The only thing I can say about providing exam tips would be to say that you have to just follow the instructions and don't spent a lot of time obsessing over any one answer. You have to have confidence in your knowledge and move quickly through it. Like Ronin says, it's the same with any exit exam you just have to do your best with the talents and knowledge you have. If you know your materials and are a good test taker you should fare well. Good luck!!

This is encouraging, I saw so many posts online about the job being a scam I have been hesitant to go through the recruitment process. Thanks for all the info I trust this site way more than a lot of the other forums.

[JNauta09]

I received an email from Monster.com about NHE's personal fitness management specialist position. When I called their hr department I couldn't get through and so I left a message for someone to call me back. The next day a lady named Melissa called me from one of their offices. She was a really nice lady and answered all of the questions I had surrounding the position and the company itself because I had never heard of NHE before. I actually spoke to her twice before deciding to continue the process. She then put me in touch with this guy Jason who runs the national division for NHE. Nice guy too. I spoke to him on the phone for about twenty minutes, basically filling me in on their recruitment process and he wanted to get some idea about my credentials and qualifications, it was all pretty standard stuff.

He asked to see some of my work, in terms of exercise program development, but that was not a big deal (so I thought at the time). Long story short, they sent me a 'rejection' letter the very next day after receiving my program! Needless to say I was pissed because they said my work wasn't want they were looking for although I did precisely what they instructed me to do! I have 18 years of personal training experience so I know how to put together a basic exercise program. In retrospect though, maybe I could've done better but I really didn't have time to design a detailed exercise program between clients. I guess maybe if I had, I'd be working for them right now.

I'm not here to bad mouth them so ease up Ronin4Help, just saw the post online and thought I'd share my recent experience with this company. It's true what people say about them being very serious about who they hire. I never got to take the free exam but I know its really hard too. From everything I've read and was able to research about them, it's a great company so good luck to those of you who are working on getting a job there or certified there. If they ask you to send them a program, don't half-ass it. CYa..

just curious, did they ask you for just one day or a longer program? I was asked to provide a one day based on a profile but am a little nervous now with this post. I have 5 years of personal training under my belt but I'm hesitant to make the program too basic.

[Ronin4help]

You have to click the links online to be sure you know what they refer to. NHE is a common acronym for other companies I've learned and I probably made the same mistake you did by assuming they were national health educator links but they were not.
Before I chimed in on this thread I researched this PFMS position so that I could provide sound advice as I was already familiar with NHE. The posts I saw had absolutely nothing to do with national health educators and I could not find one negative post relating to the PFMS position so you may want to be careful with stating things that may not be accurate, especially on this site because there are serious professionals who belong here and they don't take kindly to misinformation, especially from newbies

[wiscoek]

This is encouraging, I saw so many posts online about the job being a scam I have been hesitant to go through the recruitment process. Thanks for all the info I trust this site way more than a lot of the other forums.

If you decide to go through the process, notice the difference between what some idiot with a blog is telling you and reality. Then you can determine for yourself. Right away I experienced the legitimacy because they didn’t make promises or guarantees to me to try and make me believe I had nothing to lose (scam 101), They don't ask for any type of payments or require you to pay for a certification or anything else. With the few phone conversations I had with management, including several emails, no one used money as a talking point, they only discussed my expertise. The one big thing that discredits this ridiculous scam theory is the indisputable number of rejected applicants online. Scams don’t turn people away and they are not selective. Scams don’t care who you are or what you know they just want you to buy something from them. Anyone who says it's a scam is a moron. It probable helps them feel better about themselves. It's like calling your ex-boyfriend an a-hole. He's only an a-hole because he didn't love you. Had he asked you to marry him and bought you a big house, he’d be your knight in shining armor.

[Ronin4help]

if you decide to go through the process, notice the difference between what some idiot with a blog is telling you and reality. Then you can determine for yourself. Right away i experienced the legitimacy because they didn’t make promises or guarantees to me to try and make me believe i had nothing to lose (scam 101), they don't ask for any type of payments or require you to pay for a certification or anything else. With the few phone conversations i had with management, including several emails, no one used money as a talking point, they only discussed my expertise. The one big thing that discredits this ridiculous scam theory is the indisputable number of rejected applicants online. Scams don’t turn people away and they are not selective. Scams don’t care who you are or what you know they just want you to buy something from them. Anyone who says it's a scam is a moron. It probable helps them feel better about themselves. It's like calling your ex-boyfriend an a-hole. He's only an a-hole because he didn't love you. Had he asked you to marry him and bought you a big house, he’d be your knight in shining armor.

lol!

[Ronin4help]

Look at what NHE is doing compared to everyone else. The creativity of their innovation is staggering. No one is doing the things they are doing. I don’t think they could care less about selling you a book. There’s no real money in study guides because not everyone needs or wants one. The money’s in the certification and reseller fees but I guess every industry has its share of idiots. Technology has theirs… Some people claim that Apple embedded a code in the iPhone that can read users heartbeats and other biological data through their fingers to be used for medical experiments for drug patents that only they could market to the world. Others say Apple takes sneaky pictures without the user’s knowledge to determine his/her location in the event the iPhone was stolen. Sports has theirs…Those of us who remember the Jordan retirement can only laugh at the one about how David Stern secretly suspended Michael Jordan for two years in an effort to curb the bad media attention his gambling problem was bringing down on the league. People say sponsors where pulling out in droves so to fix it and calm the waters he secretly suspended Jordan for two years and both agreed that he would just say he was ‘retiring’ to try baseball while all along lining up commercial deals for his big ‘I’m back!’ announcement scheduled two years later. Who can forget the idiots who think Obama’s parents planned his fake Hawaiian birth in anticipation of him being elected President one day because he was born in Kenya.

So keep reading blogs written by madmen and soak it all in and maybe you too can write a conspiracy blog one day and be a hero… or the laughing stock of your industry.

[TammySeb]

I received an email from Monster.com about NHE's personal fitness management specialist position. When I called their hr department I couldn't get through and so I left a message for someone to call me back. The next day a lady named Melissa called me from one of their offices. She was a really nice lady and answered all of the questions I had surrounding the position and the company itself because I had never heard of NHE before. I actually spoke to her twice before deciding to continue the process. She then put me in touch with this guy Jason who runs the national division for NHE. Nice guy too. I spoke to him on the phone for about twenty minutes, basically filling me in on their recruitment process and he wanted to get some idea about my credentials and qualifications, it was all pretty standard stuff.

He asked to see some of my work, in terms of exercise program development, but that was not a big deal (so I thought at the time). Long story short, they sent me a 'rejection' letter the very next day after receiving my program! Needless to say I was pissed because they said my work wasn't want they were looking for although I did precisely what they instructed me to do! I have 18 years of personal training experience so I know how to put together a basic exercise program. In retrospect though, maybe I could've done better but I really didn't have time to design a detailed exercise program between clients. I guess maybe if I had, I'd be working for them right now.

I'm not here to bad mouth them so ease up Ronin4Help, just saw the post online and thought I'd share my recent experience with this company. It's true what people say about them being very serious about who they hire. I never got to take the free exam but I know its really hard too. From everything I've read and was able to research about them, it's a great company so good luck to those of you who are working on getting a job there or certified there. If they ask you to send them a program, don't half-ass it. CYa..

I went through the NHE hiring process and recently was hired as a PFMS. I found the whole process relatively simple and they don't make you buy anything. I was referred by a friend who didn't pass the MTC exam but he gets to retake it for free. I passed without a study guide, I just used the topics list they give you and correlated it with my essentials of personal training manual by NSCA.

[Ronin4help]

I went through the NHE hiring process and recently was hired as a PFMS. I found the whole process relatively simple and they don't make you buy anything. I was referred by a friend who didn't pass the MTC exam but he gets to retake it for free. I passed without a study guide, I just used the topics list they give you and correlated it with my essentials of personal training manual by NSCA.

Tell your friend not to feel bad, a lot of smart people fail the NHE exam.