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ACE Study Guide - ACE CPT textbook laid on table for preparing for the ACE exam.

Welcome to the PT Pioneer ACE study guide. This is your ultimate resource for ACE exam preparation and implementation of the various activities used to help you pass your ACE exam.

Before we kick this off, check out my top secrets to passing the ACE exam below.

Secrets to Passing the ACE Exam

Secret #1:

Get your copy of the ACE CPT exam cheat sheet. It helps immensely in your ability to study for the ACE test. This PDF printable one-page sheet gives you a breakdown of the skills and knowledge candidates need to pass the exam.

Secret #2:

My PTP students report cutting their ACE study time and effort in half with Trainer Academy. 

Benefit from the Exam Pass Guarantee and Retake Fee Guarantee. Plus, take advantage of my current discount code PTPNOVEMBER for 35% off the MVP Program (Ends November 4th, 2024). 

Try it out for free here to see if it’s right for you, or read my detailed review for further insights.

Secret #3:

The PT Pioneer study guide will take numerous sessions to complete. I donโ€™t expect you to knock it out in one shot. With that said be sure to bookmark this page to ensure you can find it for your next ACE Study Session.

Alright, let’s dive into the best ACE exam prep, the ACE CPT exam study guide!

ACE CPT Study Series

My Bitmoji counterpart will be walking you through the ACE CPT study guide to make sure that you are on track for passing the ACE exam. Say hello to Tyler-Moji.
Your Guide for NASM
Tyler Read holding up the board with ACE study guide listed

Top 10 Secrets For Passing the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam!

This video serves as ACE audio study guide tips.

10 Secrets to pass the ACE exam in 2023 - ACE practice tests + Study guides ๐Ÿ’ฏ

Download the ACE tips in PDF form here.

FREE ACE Personal Training Study Guide for 2024

Do I need to study for the ACE exam?

I’d highly recommend it. The response of your mind to studying and its effects on your chances of passing are undeniable.

The PTPioneer ACE exam study guide makes studying for your online personal trainer certification course hassle-free and increases your chances of passing your A.C.E. exam the first time.

This ACE exam prep free study guide mimics the ACE personal trainer manual and the practice exam.

When you combine this study guide with the PTPioneer ACE personal training exam cheat sheet and ACE practice exams, there’s no doubt you’ll pass your personal training certification exam.

Check out my lists below of the complete ACE study guide chapters.

ACE study guide

FREE ACE Study Guide: 6th Edition

FREE ACE Study Guide: 5th Edition

As you can see, studying for the ACE exam is made much easier with this study guide.

Implement this into your study routine with the ACE practice test and you’ll be golden.

Now how do I study for ACE?

Next, I’ll share some tips and tricks on navigating and dissecting the ACE practice and multiple-choice questions.

ACE CPT Study Tips

In preparation for the ACE personal trainer exam, Some of the major areas of focus include personal trainer scope of practice and professional conduct, client interviews, exercise science, cardiovascular and strength training fundamentals, program design, and risk management.

ACE CPT Study Tips

The ACE study guide and practice test questions on my website are designed to accompany the fifth edition ACE textbook.

It is not a one-stop shop.

In fact, I reference many different tables and charts in the book, which is extremely important to memorize and learn.

Since the ACE personal trainer manual is massive, this study guide is meant to steer you in the right direction regarding what to study. Just like working out with weights to achieve your fitness goals or studying math, English, and history, the more reps you get on your ACE studying, the better.

But if you are still unsure whether ACE is the right certification for you, then I recommend taking the quiz to find which certification best fits your training style.

Free ACE CPT Study Guide (all 18 chapters) 5
Free ACE CPT Study Guide (all 18 chapters) 6

A few great ones are NASM, NSCA, ACSM, and even the ISSA certification. All of these certifications teach you the best way to workout your clients, the anatomy and physiology of the human body including muscles, bones, the nervous system, and injury prevention.

The National Commission accredits ACE for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and NCCA accreditation is the gold standard in the fitness and healthcare industries.

And moving onward, based on my experience as a personal trainer, here are my greatest ACE CPT study tips.

Take the ACE Personal Trainer Practice Test

Doing so will assess your knowledge and skills learned from the ACE CPT material. All great ACE study courses include practice exams, and these truly should be among your top requirements when prepping for your ACE certificate exam.

For example, let’s say you want to create an exercise program for a client.

Or, you want to know which level of cardio training a client is in.

See what you know, how confident you are in what you already know, and which areas you might want to refresh. I recommend everyone do this, especially learners studying with the ACE exam training courses for maximal performance.

Utilize This Free ACE Personal Trainer Study Guide

Whether you are studying to become a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, or health coach, you can never be too prepared. At all stages of your exam prep, continued development of your knowledge requires maximal commitment to your development.

And after you finish the ACE personal trainer exam study guide, go back and retake that ACE personal training practice test to see how much better you do.

Implement the ACE Flashcards

PTPioneer’s ACE flashcards are a great additional resource to help retain the material from your ACE personal trainer manual and other ACE study materials in your head.

For an ACE exam pass guarantee for the personal trainer test online, visit Trainer Academy, which offers a comprehensive ACE study guide, five full practice tests, spaced repetition ACE flashcards, study mnemonics, muscle coloring books, study blueprints, and even study cheat sheets.

Suppose you consider obtaining other certifications and specialties, such as NASM CPT, ACSM CPT, NSCA CPT, NSCA CSCS, or ISSA CPT. In that case, Trainer Academy has study material for those as well.

ACE CPT Cheat Sheet

If you would like to see my cheat sheet, which is all the most important information needed for the ACE CPT on one page, then click on the button right below.

FREE ACE CPT 6th Edition Study Guide 2024

Give my free study guide a look to get started on your ACE-certified personal trainer journey.

We have a free chapter-by-chapter study guide to aid you in your studies and help you focus.

Just click this link below for the 6th (current) edition textbook study guide here at PTPioneer.

Free ACE CPT Study Guide (all 18 chapters) 7

FREE ACE CPT 5th Edition Study Guide

If you would like to check out the slightly older version of the ACE materials, take a look at my free ACE CPT 5th edition study guide.

Just click this button below for the old ACE study guide.

Free ACE CPT Study Guide (all 18 chapters) 8

FAQ’s About ACE Exam

What is the ACE exam?

The ACE (American Council on Exercise) exam is a certification test for fitness professionals, including personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and health coaches. It assesses knowledge in areas such as exercise science, program design, nutrition, and client assessment to ensure candidates are well-prepared to help clients achieve their fitness and health goals.

Is the ACE exam difficult?

The ACE exam is considered moderately difficult, requiring a solid understanding of exercise science, program design, nutrition, and client assessment. Thorough preparation using study guides, practice exams, and relevant coursework is essential for success.

How much does the ACE exam cost?

The cost of the ACE exam varies depending on the certification package you choose. As of now, the basic exam-only option typically costs around $399. However, ACE offers various study bundles and packages that can range from $499 to $999, which include additional study materials, practice tests, and other resources.

Is ACE certification worth it?

Yes, getting an ACE certification is definitely worth it if you’re looking to build a career in fitness and personal training. It’s well-respected and recognized in the industry, giving you a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Plus, it can boost your credibility, open up more job opportunities, and help you make a real difference in your clients’ fitness journeys.

Tyler Read - Certified Personal Trainer with PTPioneer

Tyler Read


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PTPioneer Editorial Integrity


All content published on PTPioneer is checked and reviewed extensively by our staff of experienced personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and other Fitness Experts. This is to make sure that the content you are reading is fact-checked for accuracy, contains up-to-date information, and is relevant. We only add trustworthy citations that you can find at the bottom of each article. You can read more about our editorial integrity here.

Ask me a question and I will reply ASAP

82 thoughts on “Free ACE CPT Study Guide (all 18 chapters)”

  1. Hello, your information is just incredible! I am taking the ACE exam Oct 6 for the Group Fitness Instructor. Do you offer any testing preparation for Group Fitness Instructor?
    Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Hey Kim, I do not have any group fitness instructor test prep materials yet. But, I would like to add that to the site in the future. It is great to hear that there is interest in these types of certifications. How do you feel about the content for your ACE Group Fitness cert?

      Reply
  2. Hi Tyler

    I recently watched your video on 10 Secrets to pass the ACE exam. I found most of it very helpful except for secret #5. In my book, which I bought last year October the Table 6-1 does not match yours at all. Mine is all about Daily Nutrition goals where as yours is about risks of CVD. Funny enough, I tried finding that Table anywhere else in my book, but couldn’t. Any idea if it is still relevant and something that is as important as stated in your video?

    Thank you for all the great resources!

    Reply
    • Hey Mirna, make sure to check and see when the video came out. It may be one of the older videos and while the content has been slightly altered, it has stayed relevant enough. At some point all of them will get updated.

      Reply
  3. Hey, Tyler. First of all, thank you very much for your help! You are a star. Secondly, I currently am enrolled in ACE PT certification program with ACE material of the 5th edition. Do I have to upgrade to the 6th edition? Thanks.

    Reply
  4. I see that there are study guides according to the PT 5th edition manual, but are there questions on the exam that come from the textbook, “Essentials of Exercise Science?”

    Reply
    • Hello Susannah,
      A lot of Thick questions that come from the essentials of exercise science textbook from the American Council on exercise are repeated information from the primary textbook the 5th edition. If I were you, I would simply focus on the 5th edition textbook as the primary source for your study. But it is a good idea to glance over the essentials of exercise science booklet as well.

      Reply
  5. Iโ€™m looking for study info on the ACE GFI exam and donโ€™t see any on here. Iโ€™m guessing Iโ€™m just not looking in the right place. Can Iโ€™ll help me? Thank you

    Reply
    • Hey Cari,
      I currently do not have study materials for the ACE GFI. Right now I only have study materials for the general personal training certification from the American Council on exercise. Good luck with your search and becoming a group fitness instructor.

      Reply
  6. Hello, Love the info on here! Have a question, I am printing out your free study guide, I read the chapter then go through your study guide. Is this best approach or should I read study guide before the reading the chapter? Or should I use the study guide as I go through the chapter? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hey Brian,
      yes you can definitely print out the study guide and use as you’re going through the chapters. My study guide does not cover every single thing from the textbook, but it follows along with a lot of the most important things that you will need to know before taking the test. I also highly recommend checking out Trainer Academy as they have the best overall study guide as well as other study materials for the American Council on exercise.

      Reply
    • Hey Jalen,
      There are definitely a good amount of questions on nutrition. In terms of food logs, it depends on which version of the exam you get. I would definitely study up on it.

      Reply
  7. Afternoon Tyler, I took the ACE exam once already but didn’t pass. My score was 72%, now I have a retake test as of December 14 and I noticed in your youtube video you mentioned a way to actually cram study for the test. Can you please elaborate on this for me. Currently studying chapter 9 & 10 which seems to be giving problems on my practice test. I also noticed that you mentioned I should study just certain key chapters, which I will definitely try… But any other advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you in advance,
    Edward Clark

    Reply
    • Hey Edward,
      yes I do have a way to cram for the ACE personal training certification. In addition to my free study guide on this website I do highly recommend the study materials from Trainer Academy as they have a fantastic pass rate from the students I send their way. I don’t think anyone of them has failed so far that I have sent to them. They offer a cheat sheet as well as they cram study plan for American Council on exercise that should definitely push you over the edge and get you certified. Check them out here. https://traineracademy.org/ace/

      Reply
  8. Tyler, I can’t believe how fantastic your website it! I’m an ACE GFI, ACE Certificated Senior Fitness Specialist and Silversneakers FLEX Instructor. I’m going to my ACE CPT certification, taking the test after the New Year. I’ll be going through your links when I need to purchase anything.

    Reply
    • Hello Thomas,
      That’s pretty cool to hear that you’re already a certified senior fitness specialist. The general personal training certification from the American Council on exercise is definitely a very good certification to choose. Let me know if you have any questions on the certification and I hope that my study guide and practice tests help you out.

      Reply
    • Hey patel,
      This is a good place to start for studying for the final exam for ACE. That being said, these are not the best study materials or practice guide available. I highly suggest checking out Trainer Academy if you want to learn more about an exam pass guarantee for the American Council on exercise test. Check them out here https://traineracademy.org/ace/

      Reply
  9. Tyler,
    thank you for all of the materials and study guide. I’ve been a trainer for 6 years but my work wanted me to get a new CPT and I used your materials and took it within a month of studying. I got a 720/800 90% on the exam!

    Reply
  10. Hello Tyler, I am a first-timer. I need to pass the exam by the end of 12/19. I will bypass the excuses for why I am ready. I want the best and most effective study cards that will help me pass the exam (I am overwhelmed with the magnitude of info to memorize). I want to learn and I want to pass. I just haven’t much time. What sequence should I study? Are there particular flashcards? Is there a set for different topics? Should I just practice answering questions first? I am nervous.

    Reply
    • Hey CJ,
      I totally understand the anxious feeling that you are feeling. For one of my personal training exams I myself had to cram a good amount as well. What I recommend is picking up a good study guide, flashcards and practice test. Going through his many practice test questions will be very helpful for sure. Is not just memorizing definitions from the textbook. I highly recommend checking out the program from Trainer Academy as they have a very high success rate even for people that are Studying in a very short time. Such as yourself. https://traineracademy.org/ace/

      Reply
    • Hey Josh,
      Thus not on normal as the practice questions provided by the American Council on exercise can change from time to time as well. I will try to keep these questions as of today as I possibly can. Either way, these practice questions will help you understand the material and you will most likely see very similar questions on the real exam.

      Reply
  11. Hi Tyler!
    Super thankful I stumbled onto your page. I am going to be studying for the ACE exam and I am going to use your tools.
    Do I need to purchase a text or throughout your chapters included on your website is sufficient enough?

    Reply
    • Hey Jenna,
      You will need to purchase the primary textbook for the American Council on exercise. Currently they are in version number five and you can either purchase it from their website, it comes in a digital form when you purchased the exam as well. There is also the option of getting the textbook off of Amazon. I hope this helps and good luck with all the studying.

      Reply
  12. Hey Tyler,
    Very grateful to find your study guide. I am an older student, actually already a health professional, who is attempting to get certified as a personal trainer. I am finding the huge manual overwhelming because of the volumes of material and knowledge. Some of it seems excessive and I am bogged down by note-taking and reading all of the chapters. Does your study guide flush out the materials that are not focused on in the exam? I feel like some of this info is overkill. Thoughts? Really what I’m asking is can I just read the chapters and use your study guide to hone in on the most important info. Thanks, Gabe

    Reply
    • Hey Gabe,
      My study guide for the American Council on exercise CPT is a decent place to start. It will really help you focus on some of the more important parts. If you really want to hone in on what information you really need to know in order to pass the exam, I suggest checking out the Trainer Academy study materials for ACE. They will narrow down even further what you need in order to pass the exam. https://www.ptpioneer.com/recommends/trainer-academy-ace/

      Reply
    • Hey Karah,
      I am glad that you are enjoying the free study materials for the American Council on exercise. Good luck with all the studying and don’t hesitate to drop me off another comment if you have any other questions!

      Reply
  13. Thank you so very much for all that you do for countless people beginning their path as a personal trainer. My question is just how similar is your practice test consistent with the actual ACE exam?

    Reply
    • Hey Charles,
      Obviously the sample test questions are not exactly the same as what is on the exam as those are constantly changing. They are however taken from many testtakers that have frequently seen similar questions. You will most likely see very similar questions on the real exam yourself.

      Reply
  14. Outstanding materials, tools, and information. Thank you for the hard work and beautifully designed study guides. This is what we need in schools teachers who creative articulate and masters of their profession through the learning process. Much appreciation and a well earned like/ subscribe.

    Reply
    • Hey Logan,
      Thanks for letting me know that you are enjoying the American Council on exercise study materials. Stay tuned as there will be a lot more to come for all of the other certifications as well as new quizzes I’m working on for ACE!

      Reply
    • Hello Luis,
      I do not have the ability to download flashcards from my website. There are however plenty of applications that you can use in order to study flashcards for the ACE test. I recommend checking out Trainer Academy as they have intelligence based repetition flashcards that can be used with an application. This is helped tons of my students. Good luck with all the studying. https://traineracademy.org/ace/

      Reply
  15. hello sir i’m from india and present time i’m doing ace cpt course from fitness academy , lucknow (india) but i think i’m not satisfy to their mathod and sir i want to join your class is free of coas

    Reply
    • Hello, you can use our free ACE study materials on our website. These are free of charge. Let me know if there are any other ACE CPT study materials that you would like me to create!

      Reply
  16. Hi Tyler,

    Thank you so much for your content! My ACE exam is this Friday and your site has really helped me be more prepared ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hello Jeunesse,
      I am glad to hear that my material has helped to prepare! I am sure that you will do great on the ACE CPT exam and stop by to let me know how it went for you!

      Reply
  17. Thank you so much for this completely free information! It is extremely rare to find so much helpful material without having to pay for something, I hope all of this good karma pays off for you in your career as a trainer!

    Reply
    • Hey Alec,
      Thank you for the shout out. I hope these free ACE study materials help you study for the ACE exam and pass it! Let me know if you have any other questions and don’t feel shy to drop off more comments ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  18. Hi Tyler, in regards to the study guide should we be looking at these specific things in each chapter and making notes on them? Or just reading the study guide as it is.

    Reply
    • Hey Aniya,
      I definitely would not hurt to take notes on the ACE study guide. That being said, my study guides are pretty broad and information and do not really narrow down the specific stuff you study in order to pass the exam. I basically cover everything but that can be overwhelming for some people. If you want study materials that show you exactly what you need to know to pass the test I suggest checking out trainer Academy, The team over there is great. https://traineracademy.org/ace/ I hope this helps and good luck with all the studying!

      Reply
    • Hello Michael,
      At this point I do not have a cram guide for the ACE cpt. I am no longer selling my premium study guide and practice tests. I hope my free study materials helps you pass the test and good luck with all the studying!

      Reply
      • Alright no problem, any chance will they Be on sale anytime soon? And also mostly everything for imbalances posture will Be found in chapter 7 correct?

        Reply
  19. Hey Tyler! how are you?

    I cant thank you enough for providing this helpful website. I am trying to fully pass the ACE exam and I was just wondering. I do have fully all the ACE study material’s and I was just wondering what chapter can I find the postural imbalances in so I can study that appropriately.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Thank you for the kind words. Usually ACE has this deal going on on their website but it is not guaranteed all the time. It all depends on them whether they have it up or not.

      Reply
    • Hello Hannah,
      For the free exams on my website I do not have the correct answers available on my website. Thanks for that suggestion though and I will try to work on building the answer keys somewhere on my website for!

      Reply
  20. Hello coach Tyler, my name is Jeremy Berberena writing to you from Grand Prairie TX. I have been around fitness for most of my life but unfortunately not lately. Due to circumstances larger than me, plus injuries and emotional issues I have been putting this off for a long time but I am finally doing this, although I am pretty sure you heard that a lot lol. Ok, my first issue is that since my finances are not great at the moment by any stretch of the imagination, it would be incredibly beneficial to me if you had study materials that I could use with the fifth edition textbook instead of the 6th. The 5th edition is the textbook I do have. I wonder how much difference there is between them.
    Coach Tyler congratulations on taking on what you are doing here. I think it is a great thing for us trying to get in the industry and for yourself as a thriving business and the rewarding feeling it must bring you. I love to assist and help where I could be of benefit and I believe I can make a difference in this field. I have done it for free in past for youth and for my parents during various surgery rehabilitation and for friends, but life is getting tougher and seems counter productive for someone my age (47) to get into stuff that is not familiar to me or that I have to learn from scratch so I wish to become a paid professional in the field although I will still find a way to donate my services as well. Well I am sorry for the essay but I am really trying to wrap my head around this study plan that I must develop. It has been a very long time since I had to get into a study regimen of any kind so it is not a comfort zone for me at all but I must do it. Thanks for reading.

    Reply
    • Hello Jeremy,
      Congratulations with stepping back into the world of fitness. It seems like it is something that you are passionate about. In regards to the study materials for ACE, these free study materials are all that I currently have for it. I do not have paid study materials anymore for ACE. So the study materials are only going over the fifth edition of the textbook. On the other hand, I do believe that you will be able to use the fifth edition as these certifying agencies usually allow a bit of leeway in regards to the additions of the textbooks that are able to be used for studying for the exams. I suggest not having any addition older than two versions old.

      Reply
  21. I want to do a certification course for a personal trainer profile from NCSF and I live in India, u. p, Allahabad…I really need ur guidance on this as here in India, there is a huge difference in fees if I will persue it from local academies and the fees that NCSF is charging for this online certification course.Help me out…

    Reply
    • Hello, I do not know the specific details for different countries. I basically only have a good understanding of how these certifications work in the United States, Canada and some parts of Europe. You will have to do your own investigation to see what types of certifications are accepted there in India. Sorry I could not be of more help.

      Reply
  22. When u take the multiple choice test here do u have to do all of them to find out the answers or will it tell me what I got wrong and right when Iโ€™m done w all of them ????

    Reply
    • Hello Elizabeth, The free exam on this page will not show you which ones you got right or which ones you got wrong. It will only tell you your overall score after you finish it.

      If you would like a complete breakdown of questions you got wrong, a breakdown of why it’s wrong and which one is correct, as well as giving you the correct direction of which domains of study you are good at and which ones you are bad at.

      I suggest taking a look at the premium study guides which includes 4 full ACE practice exams, the ability to randomize it as well as take individual domain related quizzes as well. You could check that out here https://www.ptpioneer.com/ace-prime/

      Reply
      • We usually just focus on the primary text book from the American Council on exercise. It will cover everything that you will see on the exam. I do suggest going over the essentials of exercise science as well as it is still good information.

        Reply
  23. Hey Tyler! I’m very interested in purchasing the study materials package that you have for sale. Will that be all I need to get started on taking the certification test or do I need to buy additional materials from ACE’s main website as well?

    Reply
    • Hello Michael,
      The information on my website as well as the study materials I sell are only for studying. I have no affiliation with ACE and you will need to purchase, at the minimum, the exam from their website. I hope this helps

      Reply
      • Hey, mate! Firs of all thank you very much for your investment into creating of this guides. I have a question though Ace Science of Exercise book. What is the most important to learn from the book? I am stuck with hormones and pages 227-232. What should I really press on in Tis book?

        Reply
        • Try to focus the majority of your time on the concepts that I talked about in this Study guide. This will give you a decent chance of passing the exam from the American Council on exercise. If you want more study materials, I suggest checking out trainer Academy.

          Reply
    • Yes I will be working on those in the coming year. I have a lot of requests to do study materials for a ton of different personal training certifications but the ACSM certification is definitely on the top of my list!

      Reply
    • Are 5th edition and 6th edition so different?..I started preparing with 5th edition study guide and all but the text I got was 6th edition which is different.Are there new chapters in 6th or just the names are different?..when I messaged ace they told me both 5th and 6th can be used to prepare for the exam….can you make a study guide for 6th edition in PDF format

      Reply
      • Hey Akshay, I uploaded the 6th edition study materials a little while after they launched. I definitely only see minor differences between the two, but it is a huge reorganization of the materials. The exercise science foundations portion of content is a bit more lacking in the 6th edition, but they include an optional section to cover this in their purchased packages.

        Reply

ACE CPT exam cheat sheet

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Get the top 5 Tips for Passing the ACE CPT

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Get the top 5 Tips for Passing the NASM CPT

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