NCCPT is the stupidest certification in existance

[RodneyHamp]

I just started taking this course over the weekend, LOTS of info to learn. So far its going well. I am reading the files, watching the videos, then reading the pdfs again. I also have the sample questions and study guide handy to go through as I'm taking it. My wife was an Exercise Science major in college and works in Physical Therapy, so she also has materials which has helped me grasp some topics (I was a Math major in college and am currently a laid off HS math teacher). Some of the stuff is tough to grasp and memorize. I got through chapters 1 - 3, I plan on going back over those 3 again before I move on to the flexibility chapter.

[nodak22]

"To give you an example of how stupid it is, it was like being told you were going to take an exam over how to drive a car and then getting to the exam and having all the questions ask you about the chemical structure of gasoline. It was completely irrelevant both to the course and what you'd be doing in a gym as a personal trainer, and was very rage enducing.

Do NOT buy this certification. It is complete and total sh.it and a waste of time, effort, and money. You will not pass the exam without a PhD in Anatomy. Better yet, just go through med school. Maybe you'll be able to pass this PERSONAL TRAINER certification test "

I have taken the NCCPT test (90% on first try) and have seen the ISSA and ACE test requirements. The subject matter on all the tests seeems to be very similar in all three. Personally, I thought that the study material was in depth, but the test was pretty basic. I would want my fitness professional to know the subject matter on the test. If a person just watched the videos and ignored the manual, study guide and practice test, you probably won't be ready for the test. The certification is not that well known, but I definitely did not think it was a waste of time. The CEU opportunities are a decent quality also.

[trickstd]

Just took the exam today too and for anyone worried about it, study the study guide and answers and you will be fine, I did very decent and I am a complete moron when it comes to books...I didn't watch the videos either but did read thru the chapters and what really helped as well for anyone with a smartphone....download the quizlet app....search NCCPT just about everything but the business chapters is in there for u to study....and a lot of the stuff is worth knowing anyway, so good luck to all that are preparing for this exam

[RodneyHamp]

Just took the exam today too and for anyone worried about it, study the study guide and answers and you will be fine, I did very decent and I am a complete moron when it comes to books...I didn't watch the videos either but did read thru the chapters and what really helped as well for anyone with a smartphone....download the quizlet app....search NCCPT just about everything but the business chapters is in there for u to study....and a lot of the stuff is worth knowing anyway, so good luck to all that are preparing for this exam

thanks for the info dude, appreciate it!

[Ronin4help]

Is this exam proctored or do you take it from home?

[sketchyaf]

Is this exam proctored or do you take it from home?

Oh it's proctored via webcam, you take it at home, but your desk needs to be in view and cleared out at all times. And I got a 68 after studying for a week or so, but them again I'm a Biology major, so the material is mostly review.

[DefyIsHuge]

Lol so you are mad that you couldn't pass the test? Of course it's going to have a lot of anatomy/ physiology. What did you think the questions were gonna be like? What do biceps curls work? Sounds like you just expected to pass because of your past workout history instead of focusing on the material they provided for you. I was NCCPT certified and I honestly liked the course and how it gave depth on the human body. Just take the test again and pass it.

By the way, if you didn't pass, you should probably change your signature.

[DefyIsHuge]

Oh it's proctored via webcam, you take it at home, but your desk needs to be in view and cleared out at all times. And I got a 68 after studying for a week or so, but them again I'm a Biology major, so the material is mostly review.

And back when I took the test, it wasn't webcam. You had to go to a test center and take the test there. Having a webcam proctored test would be tremendously easy to pass.

[PhilMike]

I just took the test and passed fairly easily. Studied the materials, study guide, and practice test which were all very similar to the test. Multiple choice was fair and challenging. I was expecting more "trivia" type questions. Went through all the handouts, but not the videos-- they could use some work. Going in, I knew it had "medium" industry standing, but couldn't beat the price. Not really looking to do it full time, but it's an awesome deal for anyone who wants a starting point and is committed to studying to master the material.

[JoshyBredls]

where was the exam taking? from your computer?
thanks

[DefyIsHuge]

where was the exam taking? from your computer?
thanks

I believe they made the switch to testing centers. You'd be lucky to get to take it from the computer.

[kyngkobra]

I was going through all these complaints and I also saw that the common denominator was that everyone was complaining about how hard it was. But no one was seeing it they way you and I did. Thanks for speaking up.

[Ronin4help]

Oh it's proctored via webcam, you take it at home, but your desk needs to be in view and cleared out at all times. And I got a 68 after studying for a week or so, but them again I'm a Biology major, so the material is mostly review.

So are you saying its stupid or worth the time?

[hvcol323]

So I bought the NCCPT online course. 38 videos which were all 20-30 minutes long. 15 chapters in PDF form, blah blah blah. Watched all the videos, read the chapters. Informative stuff, but since I've been working out for 3 1/2 years I knew most of it already.

I go take the exam. 140 multiple choice questions. Literally the first 90 were about anatomy/biology/diseases, etc. NOTHING to do with personal training. It was asking me questions about stuff I've never even heard of before using words I'd never seen and none of it was relevant to training someone in a gym.

There had to have been 10 questions total about actual exercises.

Words cannot describe how stupid the exam was. Needless to say, I failed. I wish I could have copied the exam so I could show it here but I was screen sharing with a proctor so I couldn't.

To give you an example of how stupid it is, it was like being told you were going to take an exam over how to drive a car and then getting to the exam and having all the questions ask you about the chemical structure of gasoline. It was completely irrelevant both to the course and what you'd be doing in a gym as a personal trainer, and was very rage enducing.

Do NOT buy this certification. It is complete and total sh.it and a waste of time, effort, and money. You will not pass the exam without a PhD in Anatomy. Better yet, just go through med school. Maybe you'll be able to pass this PERSONAL TRAINER certification test then.

Also, I took multiple practice tests through other certifications and they actually were extremely relevant to personal training and I passed all of them. This has nothing to do with personal training despite the fact that it's a personal training exam. I just invested pretty much all the money I have left into this so I could get a job and now I'm certificationless, jobless, and moneyless, and I can guarantee I'd be a great personal trainer. I should have went with a different certification.

Although the NCCPT manual is a bit disorganized with some spelling errors (editor, anyone?), I feel the content itself is good. It has a nice balance between science and application. There will be nothing on the exam that you are not provided with (as someone mentioned in another comment, they are NCAA accredited which couldn't be if the info needed for the exam wasn't fully provided). They even tell you how much of each category is on the exam (link in one of the emails you get after registration).

As for physiology, anatomy, and a tiny bit of biochemistry involved, I think it's necessary to know that stuff. Personal training is more than just knowing how to do an exercise. If it were, everyone could just look up exercises on line and be personal trainers! I'm thankful for organizations like ACE, NCCPT, NETA, ACSM (intense program!), and NASA (just kidding but plenty of other certifying bodies out there), who have standards because there are too many "trainers" out there who have no clue what they are doing. They may know how to get themselves into shape but not know how to deal with special populations and how to safely prescribe a program that will most effectively get the client from point A to point B.

If you're having trouble getting through the material: I highly recommend buying the study guide and sample test because some of the questions are right off of those. The bulk of the material is from the manual (you get a PDF but have an option to buy a physical textbook) but you will miss stuff if you don't pay attention to the videos. Also - depending on what package you bought, you may get a retake or two (instead of paying the $199 retesting fee).

Study hard. Give it a whirl. Rock it. You can do it!

For others reading this, I hope this sheds a little light on the NCCPT material and that is encourages anyone studying for the exam (or considering it). Good luck!

[macavaca]

Yeah, I am NCCPT certified and I passed it with an 85% the first try. Yes there were a lot of anatomy and physiology questions, but there's more to training than exercises. You must have an understanding of how muscles work. There was a study guide they provided, and I didn't watch any of the videos. Maybe you should try taking the test again and actually do the study guide this time and read the material. There's more to training than exercises. Now you've made all the people on this forum believe that they didn't provide you with what you needed, and that's just not true at all.

Hi! I'm getting ready to take this test, I have been studying for a while now, but I'm getting pretty nervous. Would you be kind enough to sort of give me some idea of how in detail I should study the anatomy part of the material? Or any other tips you can think of? I would really appreciate! Thank you!!

[macavaca]

I just started taking this course over the weekend, LOTS of info to learn. So far its going well. I am reading the files, watching the videos, then reading the pdfs again. I also have the sample questions and study guide handy to go through as I'm taking it. My wife was an Exercise Science major in college and works in Physical Therapy, so she also has materials which has helped me grasp some topics (I was a Math major in college and am currently a laid off HS math teacher). Some of the stuff is tough to grasp and memorize. I got through chapters 1 - 3, I plan on going back over those 3 again before I move on to the flexibility chapter.

Hi! Have u taken it yet? How did you do?! I'm about to take it in a few weeks and I'm freaking out, any tips?
Thank you!

[skinny2buff6]

I signed up for NCCPT cert, the Groupon online course. I think the videos are a bit hard to follow unless you do the reading first. I actually have been taking notes on every chapter and have about 12 pages so far. Currently on the Anatomical section.



Most of us have been weight lifting for years now (or exercising at the least), so I find it much more important to actually understand the anatomical and physiological aspects of training as opposed to knowing this lift grows this muscle. So all that jazz in the start of this thread about how its 'unimportant' I disagree with. After receiving my bachelor's degree in business law, I understood "How to study" by my 4th year of college (a great skill to acquire). I am assuming most people jump into personal training certification courses without taking it seriously, skim chapters, and don't take notes. Your not going to pass a college course that way, so why should you be able to receive a personal training certification (not to mention people can get injured if you don't understand what your doing) with the same method?

I agree with most of the comments on this thread.
-Take your time
-Take notes
-Make Flashcards for each chapter!

Personally, I have enjoyed this course so far (about 1/4 of the way done with it). It is in depth, and am happy that they make it hard enough that it is not a walk in the park to receive your certification. I took the class to expand my knowledge, not just receive a certificate.

[openyour__eyes]

I signed up for NCCPT cert, the Groupon online course. I think the videos are a bit hard to follow unless you do the reading first. I actually have been taking notes on every chapter and have about 12 pages so far. Currently on the Anatomical section.



Most of us have been weight lifting for years now (or exercising at the least), so I find it much more important to actually understand the anatomical and physiological aspects of training as opposed to knowing this lift grows this muscle. So all that jazz in the start of this thread about how its 'unimportant' I disagree with. After receiving my bachelor's degree in business law, I understood "How to study" by my 4th year of college (a great skill to acquire). I am assuming most people jump into personal training certification courses without taking it seriously, skim chapters, and don't take notes. Your not going to pass a college course that way, so why should you be able to receive a personal training certification (not to mention people can get injured if you don't understand what your doing) with the same method?

I agree with most of the comments on this thread.
-Take your time
-Take notes
-Make Flashcards for each chapter!

Personally, I have enjoyed this course so far (about 1/4 of the way done with it). It is in depth, and am happy that they make it hard enough that it is not a walk in the park to receive your certification. I took the class to expand my knowledge, not just receive a certificate.

I have a Bachelor's in Kinesiology from the University of Rhode Island. I don't currently work in the fitness field anymore but I do stay on top of things for my own personal reasons and I also got the groupon. The text refreshed my memory of a lot of stuff I already knew from college. If you study it, you have the opportunity to learn a lot through the text. I didn't watch the videos cause that dude looks really creepy and I didn't have time. I passed the first try.

People complaining about too much anatomy, too much science on the test etc, I wouldn't want you training me if I were a client anyway so I'm glad they didn't pass. B)

[Looton]

Anyway. My question to you is that if I know all of these terms like eccentric,isometric, concentric contractions, and extrafusal and introfusal muscle fibers, and flexors, extendors, stabilisers, rotators, tonic muscles phasic muscles, synergists, sheringtons law, to name a few, there are like a million more about the different muscle fibers and what is where I am still learning about.

I'm just a noob - but most of this is familiar to me as basic information that even I know. I would expect that anyone holding themselves out as a PT would have this mastered as a start.

I understand where you are coming from I agree there should be a lot less anatomy on here but I already paid so I don't really have a choice and I just want to pass so I can start working.

Well fk me, I will never hire a trainer if I know there are people like this getting certified. Sorry, but really, do something else before you hurt someone.

...but I'm not too impressed by it as I have found some errors such as spelling mistakes. It makes me wonder how "professional" this course is. But as long as I pass the exam...anyways,...

Agree. This is utterly FAIL. There is no excuse for omitting basic editting in an exam for a certification that is intended to be recognized. Doesn't sound like a Groupon online course could possibly be rigorous enough to be valid and trusted.

I have an appointment with a trainer. I should probably test the poor soul. This field sounds like the Real Estate field - full of bored housewives getting paid far too much for for far too little, in a field with a very low bar of entry.

How on earth would someone find a truly talented biomechanic? Is there any certifying organization that truly sorts the wheat from the chaffe? I would imagine a degree from an accreditted university would be requisite in light of the information in this thread.

[openyour__eyes]

I'm just a noob - but most of this is familiar to me as basic information that even I know. I would expect that anyone holding themselves out as a PT would have this mastered as a start.


Well fk me, I will never hire a trainer if I know there are people like this getting certified. Sorry, but really, do something else before you hurt someone.


Agree. This is utterly FAIL. There is no excuse for omitting basic editting in an exam for a certification that is intended to be recognized. Doesn't sound like a Groupon online course could possibly be rigorous enough to be valid and trusted.

I have an appointment with a trainer. I should probably test the poor soul. This field sounds like the Real Estate field - full of bored housewives getting paid far too much for for far too little, in a field with a very low bar of entry.

How on earth would someone find a truly talented biomechanic? Is there any certifying organization that truly sorts the wheat from the chaffe? I would imagine a degree from an accreditted university would be requisite in light of the information in this thread.

This is why the field is so flawed. Because there are losers that just want to say they are trainers, or work in some crap gym and get paid 8 bucks an hour, never make a difference to anyone or improve the health of any client.

There are higher level certs, such as ACSM CPT or CSCS, which most people take at some point during university level education. Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and exercise physiology should be standard for any trainer but unfortunately that's not the case. That's why more clients need to know to question their potential trainers, ask what KIND of certifications they have, and make an educated decision before hiring some cookie cutter fake trainer.

[loree22]

So I'm studying for the test got my course from groupon as well, so has anyone passed this test? if so any advice in what to study for? Thanks

[loree22]

Just took the exam today too and for anyone worried about it, study the study guide and answers and you will be fine, I did very decent and I am a complete moron when it comes to books...I didn't watch the videos either but did read thru the chapters and what really helped as well for anyone with a smartphone....download the quizlet app....search NCCPT just about everything but the business chapters is in there for u to study....and a lot of the stuff is worth knowing anyway, so good luck to all that are preparing for this exam

So you passed?

[goldstargay]

I took this course and passed (first attempt!) several months ago and subsequently found a job as a trainer. I will agree that there are some editing/spelling errors that could be easily remedied but overall I found the information to be quite solid. Things like exercise physiology and anatomy aren't exactly proprietary information so I can't imagine that type of information varies too much across the cert programs. Science is not my forte so I had to do a lot of supplemental research & studying on my own, I also found the flashcards on the Quizlet app to be extremely helpful (just search NCCPT). I watched a few videos but quite frankly was able to find more substantive & better produced information on my own. The exam itself is quite challenging but if you study all the practice tests you should do pretty well. As with any program you get what you put in, so if you put in the bare minimum and think just because you are a gym rat that you will pass you will probably be in for a disappointing surprise. But if you are interested in training people, study the materials, do some research on your own and really prepare, I think this is a great, and inexpensive way to enter the training profession.

[johnplatero]

So I bought the NCCPT online course. 38 videos which were all 20-30 minutes long. 15 chapters in PDF form, blah blah blah. Watched all the videos, read the chapters. Informative stuff, but since I've been working out for 3 1/2 years I knew most of it already.

I go take the exam. 140 multiple choice questions. Literally the first 90 were about anatomy/biology/diseases, etc. NOTHING to do with personal training. It was asking me questions about stuff I've never even heard of before using words I'd never seen and none of it was relevant to training someone in a gym.

There had to have been 10 questions total about actual exercises.

Words cannot describe how stupid the exam was. Needless to say, I failed. I wish I could have copied the exam so I could show it here but I was screen sharing with a proctor so I couldn't.

To give you an example of how stupid it is, it was like being told you were going to take an exam over how to drive a car and then getting to the exam and having all the questions ask you about the chemical structure of gasoline. It was completely irrelevant both to the course and what you'd be doing in a gym as a personal trainer, and was very rage enducing.

Do NOT buy this certification. It is complete and total sh.it and a waste of time, effort, and money. You will not pass the exam without a PhD in Anatomy. Better yet, just go through med school. Maybe you'll be able to pass this PERSONAL TRAINER certification test then.

Also, I took multiple practice tests through other certifications and they actually were extremely relevant to personal training and I passed all of them. This has nothing to do with personal training despite the fact that it's a personal training exam. I just invested pretty much all the money I have left into this so I could get a job and now I'm certificationless, jobless, and moneyless, and I can guarantee I'd be a great personal trainer. I should have went with a different certification.

If the exam was so stupid, then what does that say about you if you failed it. Anatomy/ diseases/ --what does that have to do with personal training? Wow... I guess you might never train someone with diabetes, cancer, obesity or anyone that might have a hip, knee, elbow or spine. Please tell me where you train so I can send everyone I don't like to train with you.

[port12345]

We understand that quite difficult to think.

[skinny2buff6]

Getting certified for CPR in a week

And I started the course in January.. which means its getting closer to crunch time when I want to take the test! I have read all the material. I have watched about 90% of the videos. And taken notes on much of the reading as well. Now I need to studystudystudy.

Really nervous about the exam, but I'm excited at the same time. I have learned a tremendous amount from this course.

[Covaughnd]

I took this course and passed (first attempt!) several months ago and subsequently found a job as a trainer. I will agree that there are some editing/spelling errors that could be easily remedied but overall I found the information to be quite solid. Things like exercise physiology and anatomy aren't exactly proprietary information so I can't imagine that type of information varies too much across the cert programs. Science is not my forte so I had to do a lot of supplemental research & studying on my own, I also found the flashcards on the Quizlet app to be extremely helpful (just search NCCPT). I watched a few videos but quite frankly was able to find more substantive & better produced information on my own. The exam itself is quite challenging but if you study all the practice tests you should do pretty well. As with any program you get what you put in, so if you put in the bare minimum and think just because you are a gym rat that you will pass you will probably be in for a disappointing surprise. But if you are interested in training people, study the materials, do some research on your own and really prepare, I think this is a great, and inexpensive way to enter the training profession.

Do you still have the quizlet sets that you can send??? It won't let me see them

[johnplatero]

If the test was stupid and you didn't pass the test, what does that make you?

So I bought the NCCPT online course. 38 videos which were all 20-30 minutes long. 15 chapters in PDF form, blah blah blah. Watched all the videos, read the chapters. Informative stuff, but since I've been working out for 3 1/2 years I knew most of it already.

I go take the exam. 140 multiple choice questions. Literally the first 90 were about anatomy/biology/diseases, etc. NOTHING to do with personal training. It was asking me questions about stuff I've never even heard of before using words I'd never seen and none of it was relevant to training someone in a gym.

There had to have been 10 questions total about actual exercises.

Words cannot describe how stupid the exam was. Needless to say, I failed. I wish I could have copied the exam so I could show it here but I was screen sharing with a proctor so I couldn't.

To give you an example of how stupid it is, it was like being told you were going to take an exam over how to drive a car and then getting to the exam and having all the questions ask you about the chemical structure of gasoline. It was completely irrelevant both to the course and what you'd be doing in a gym as a personal trainer, and was very rage enducing.

Do NOT buy this certification. It is complete and total sh.it and a waste of time, effort, and money. You will not pass the exam without a PhD in Anatomy. Better yet, just go through med school. Maybe you'll be able to pass this PERSONAL TRAINER certification test then.

Also, I took multiple practice tests through other certifications and they actually were extremely relevant to personal training and I passed all of them. This has nothing to do with personal training despite the fact that it's a personal training exam. I just invested pretty much all the money I have left into this so I could get a job and now I'm certificationless, jobless, and moneyless, and I can guarantee I'd be a great personal trainer. I should have went with a different certification.

[matt0503]

Study the sample test, and the bone names and muscle names diagrams and you'll pass the exam. The second time I took it I studied the sample test 2x through and passed the exam in 30 minutes.

I also watched all the videos back in January though.

I am in the process of studying the workbook I bought for NCCPT.. Was wondering on test day. Do they watch you through your computer or can you have an open book test?

[soren_xavier]

Does anyone know if the NCCPT's regular certification and their SmartFitness certfication are the same thing?