Become a NESTA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

Provided below are all the details required to get started on your journey in becoming a NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer.

1 – Introduction to Personal Training

2 – Exercise Physiology

3 – Kinesiology and Functional Anatomy

4 – Applied Biomechanics

5 – Flexibility

6 – Nutrition

7 – Special Populations

8 – Assessments

9 – Program Design

10 – Exercise Application

11 – Safety, Injury Prevention, and Treatment

12 – Exercise Psychology

13-14 – Business Strategies and Applications for the Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

All exam candidates must meet the following requirements:

 – Program is paid in full prior to scheduling exam date

– Exam candidate is at least 18 years of age

– Hold a valid government issued Driver’s License or Passport

– Minimum high school level or equivalent education

– Current Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) Certification card/certificate or BLS (Basic Life Support) card/certificate in place of CPR card or equivalent to a CPR certification

– Maintain the confidentiality of the exam content and abide by exam policies as stated in the candidate handbook

– Agree to adher to the NESTA Code of Ethics

– Exam candidate may be subject to an audit to verify proof of documentation requirements (show proof of valid CPR card/certification, Driver’s License or Passport, High School Diploma or equivalent)

– Complete the 120 question, multiple choice, facilitated proctored exam within 90 days of receiving exam eligibility ID (note, only 100 questions are graded, 20 are ungraded “pretest” questions that are analyzed for future exams)

– Exam candidates must take the NESTA proctored exam at a PSI testing center

• 120 question, timed 2-hour proctored multiple choice computer web-based exam. Passing score is 71 or above.
• The exam candidate must take the Personal Fitness Trainer proctored exam within 90 days upon requesting their exam eligibility ID.
• One exam attempt per purchase (unless otherwise specified under purchase options).
• A $45 proctor fee is applicable to all PFT Exam Candidates living outside of North America. Payment is due upon requesting exam eligibility ID.
• Exam results are shown immediately upon completing the exam. All passing exams receive a temporary certificate at the time of completion.
• For more information about NESTA’s PFT exam locations, requirements, scheduling, and procedures, please visit PFT Exam Requirements page.

Ready to take your NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer exam? Here’s what you need to know:

• You’ll take the test at a nearby PSI testing center. Think of PSI as a company that watches over exams to make sure everything is fair.
• There are hundreds of PSI locations all over the world, so finding one close by shouldn’t be a problem! You can search for a PSI center near you by clicking https://test-takers.psiexams.com/nesta/available/test/WZ98249J/schedule.
• To learn more about the exam location, what you need to bring, scheduling, and other important details, visit the NESTA PFT Exam Requirements page https://pft.nestacertified.com/nesta-personal-fitness-trainer-certification-exam-psi/.
• Just a heads up, if you live outside of North America, there’s an extra $45 fee to cover the cost of having someone watch over your exam. You’ll need to pay this fee when you sign up to take the test.

Due to your extenuating circumstances, you’ll be taking your exam through our Private Proctoring Option. This allows you to test from a secure location of your choice with a qualified online proctor.

For complete details and instructions on using the Private Proctoring Option, please visit our dedicated page: https://pft.nestacertified.com/alternative-proctoring/

Important Note: NESTA approval is required before you can schedule your exam.

Benefits of Private Proctoring:

• Flexibility: Test from a comfortable and familiar environment.
• Convenience: Schedule your exam at a time that works for you.
• Accessibility: Ideal for those who cannot reach a testing center.

We understand that navigating a hardship situation can be stressful. We’re here to support you and ensure a smooth testing experience. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Individuals having a disability requiring special accommodations must fill out the “Request for Special Accommodations” form. Requests are decided upon an individual basis. Accommodations usually include an allowance for increased examination time. Accommodation requests will be acknowledged through email and/or phone notification within 7-10 business days of the initial request.

For individuals who require a reader, separate accommodations, or other requirements please state your needs and requirements in detail on the Request for Special Accommodations Form. Requests will be considered, and a response will be delivered within 10 business days. Not all PSI facilities are equipped to provide special accommodations requests.

Additional policy and procedural information regarding individuals with disabilities or in need of special accommodations for exams can be found by following this link.

$199 Retest Fee: Students who did not meet the exam passing requirements can purchase a $199 retest 30 days from the date of the exam by visiting Exam Retest, Extensions and Administrative Fee page , or by calling our offices at 1-877-348-6692.

$95 Extension Fee: 90-day extension can requested by the exam candidate at any time. Please refer to the NESTA Policies page and click on the “Fees” tab at the top of the page. Extension requests to due medical issues must be provided in writing and a signed physician’s note must be provided. The request will then be reviewed by the NESTA Executive Board. Candidate will be notified by email of the decision. Please refer to the Personal Fitness Trainer Exam Candidate Handbook for details.

 $45 Proctor Fee: An additional $45 proctoring fee is applicable to all PFT exam candidates living outside of North America. Payment is due upon requesting exam eligibility ID.

 $45 Private Proctor Fee: An additional $45 proctoring fee is applicable to PFT exam candidates requiring to apply for private proctoring. Details and application is listed here: Private Proctoring Exam Option

Exam Candidate Handbook

Policies and Procedures

Exam Reports

The NESTA ECB requires its certified personal fitness trainer (PFT) to complete 4.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over a four year period. Each 0.1 CEU is worth one hour of study time or one contact hour in a live training format.

For more details on recertification, please click here.