Hey ladies and gentlemen; Coach Tyler here, and welcome to the ultimate study portal for the NSCA CPT exam. In this portal, you will find the full 25 chapter NSCA Study guide, an NSCA Practice test (+ answer key), and NSCA flashcards to learn Borten definitions. Or, we get started, bookmark/star this page so that you don’t lose it!

Get your copy of the NSCA CPT exam cheat sheet. It helps immensely in studying for the exam.

Make sure to check out Trainer Academy for premium NSCA CPT study materials. They will reduce study time by 50% and have an exam pass guarantee. Read my full review on them here. You can save $100 on their MVP study system with the code: PTPSUB

My Bitmoji counterpart will be walking you through the NSCA study guide to make sure that you are on track for passing the NSCA exam. Say hello to Tyler-Moji.

Intro to the NSCA Study Materials

Before we start, you will need the official textbook from the NSCA to study for their exam.

The current textbook is called NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training 3rd ed. Edition. It consists of 25 chapters and is written by Jared W. Coburn and Moh H. Malek.

Refer to the image on this page to pick up the correct textbook. I recommend either picking the book up from the NSCA website or Amazon.

Top 10 Tips To Passing The NSCA Exam (Video)

Top 10 Tips To Passing The NSCA Exam (Podcast)

NSCA 3rd Edition Changes

The NSCA 3rd edition textbook launched at the end of 2021 and brought new changes to the excellent text offered by NSCA.

We have highlighted these changes here, as not everything was changed on our free pages due to the similarities between the 2nd and 3rd.

Check out the changes before going through our free study guide for the NSCA CPT.

These changes include:

1. Updated research and references throughout the entire textbook.
2. New and revised study questions to better test knowledge of the chapters.
3. Activities of daily living examples and planes of movement changed throughout chapter 4.
4. Explanations of the role of personal trainers regarding nutrition, who can provide nutrition counseling and education, and dietary supplement regulation updated to current practices and guidelines. All throughout chapter 7.
5. Revisions of USDA MyPlate guidelines throughout chapter 7.
6. New PAR-Q, physical activity readiness questionnaire, to reflect the newest changes to forms throughout chapter 9.
7. Updates to the coronary artery disease risk factors, identification of medical conditions and diagnosed disease, result interpretation, the process of referral, and associated case studies updated to reflect the newest data. All throughout chapter 9.
8. Revisions for normative and descriptive data associated with testing protocols and more tests discussed for speed, agility, power, posture, and movement assessment. Chapter 11.
9. Brand new sections and guidelines for suspension training and manual resistance training, along with descriptions and photos for additional static flexibility, dynamic flexibility, body weight, suspension, manual resistance, and stability ball exercises. Chapter 12.
10. New section and guidelines for common types of resistance equipment and descriptions and photos for additional core, back, arms, chest, hip, thigh, shoulders, and whole-body exercises.
11. Updates to numerical guidelines for the program design variables and sample programs better reflect current research while fitting the general population over athletes. Chapter 15.
12. Descriptions and photos for lower and upper body plyometrics are enhanced. Chapter 17.
13. New guidelines for training pregnant women. Chapter 18.
14. Updates to the stats and references for obesity and overweight populations. Chapter 19.
15. Updates to numerical guidelines for program design variables and all samples. Also made it more relevant for athletes, specifically. Chapter 23.
16. New section for emergency response plans. Chapter 24.
17. Updated guidelines to benchmarks in other NSCA books. Chapter 25.
18. Changes throughout the text to numbers, like blood pressure readings and similar categorical standards, have recently changed.
19. A brand new section of Business was added as an Appendix chapter.

These changes are not as significant as some other organizations recently. Thus, we have not changed our free study guide materials, except for adding the Appendix section that deals with business.

FREE NSCA Study Guide: 2nd and 3rd Edition Textbook 2023

• Chapter 1: Structure And Function Of The Muscular, Nervous, And Skeletal Systems
• Chapter 2: Cardiorespiratory System And Gas Exchange
• Chapter 3: Bioenergetics
• Chapter 4: Biomechanics
• Chapter 5: Resistance Training Adaptations
• Chapter 6: Physiological Responses And Adaptations To Aerobic Endurance Training
• Chapter 7: Nutrition In The Personal Training Setting
• Chapter 8: Exercise Psychology For The Personal Trainer
• Chapter 9: Client Consultation And Health Appraisal
• Chapter 10: Fitness Assessment Selection And Administration
• Chapter 11: Fitness Testing Protocols and Norms
• Chapter 12: Flexibility, Body Weight, and Stability Ball Exercises
• Chapter 13: Resistance Training Exercise Techniques
• Chapter 14: Cardiovascular Training Methods
• Chapter 15: Resistance Training Program Design
• Chapter 16: Aerobic Endurance Training Program Design
• Chapter 17: Plyometric And Speed Training
• Chapter 18: Clients Who Are Preadolescent, Older, Or Pregnant
• Chapter 19: Clients With Nutritional And Metabolic Concerns
• Chapter 20: Clients With Cardiovascular And Respiratory Conditions
• Chapter 21: Clients With Orthopedic Injury And Rehabilitation Concerns
• Chapter 22: Clients With Spinal Cord Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Cerebral Palsy
• Chapter 23: Resistance Training For Clients Who Are Athletes
• Chapter 24: Facility And Equipment Layout And Maintenance
• Chapter 25: Legal Aspects Of Personal Training
• NSCA CPT Appendix – The Business Of Personal Training

FREE NSCA Practice Test: 2nd and 3rd Edition Textbook 2023

This NSCA practice exam is formatted the exact same way that the real exam will be. NSCA Breaks up its study material into four separate domains. Here are the relative percentages of exam questions for the 4 main categories of study.

• Client Consultation/Assessment: 25%
• Program Planning: 31%
• Techniques of Exercise: 31%
• Safety, Emergency Procedures, and Legal Issues: 13%

NSCA Practice Tests Answer Key Below ⬇️ (Don’t Peek Until After!) 🙄

Q1: What is the lowest BMI for someone with a positive risk factor CAD?
A1:  30 kg/m2

Q2:  The YMCA cycle ergometer test and the Astrand-Rhyming cycle ergometer test both have a cadence for pedaling equal to what?
A2:  50 revolutions per minute

Q3:  What accounts for initial blood volume increases in the first days of an aerobic training program?
A3:  Increased plasma volume

Q4:  What is not normal for outcome goals?
A4:  Have a high amount of personal control

Q5:  What load and rep scheme is most appropriate for someone wanting to improve their strength?
A5:  4 repetitions at 90% of 1rm

Q6: Which isn’t a common barbell bicep curl error?
A6: Locking the elbows to the sides

Q7:  Which joint movement isn’t happening in the upward movement of the bent-over row?
A7:  Elbow extension

Q8:  Which isn’t a common technical error in the machine preacher curl exercise?
A8:  Flex the handles to within 4 to 6 inches of the shoulders

Q9:  Which area of the law will someone file a suit under if the client injures herself by slipping on a wet floor in the weight room?
A9: Tort law

Q10:  What client has the highest risk stratification for CAD
A10:  A 70-year-old female with diabetes

Q11:  A male client has lost 2 pounds while working out. What is the minimum amount the personal trainer needs to recommend for the post-exercise fluid intake to restore hydration levels?
A11:  At least 40 ounces

Q12:  What is a specific goal example
A12:  Complete a 10 km race

Q13:  What is the primary directive for assigning loads to a client
A13:  Training goal

Q14:  What kind of goal is bench pressing 300 pounds?
A14:  Performance goal

Q15:  Which grip is usually in the flat dumbbell fly?
A15:  Neutral

Q16:  Where should the spotter focus during the incline dumbbell chest press?
A16:  The wrists of the client

Q17:  Which one describes a good landing form for plyometrics?
A17:  Shoulders over the knees

Q18:  If you are designing a new gym, how much square footage should we allow for one 6 feet long and 3 feet wide treadmill?
A18:  108 ft.²

Q19:  Of these, what makes the greatest contribution to the body’s daily energy expenditure?
A19:  Resting metabolic rate

Q20:  Of these, what is the most valid measurement of Mack’s lower body strength for clients?
A20:  One rep maximum leg press

Q21:  How many ground contacts per session should a 22-year-old athlete that is experienced with resistance training and Olympic lifts perform in plyometrics
A21:  100-120

Q22:  Due to chronic aerobic training, all of these increased in skeletal muscle, except
A22:  Type II muscle fiber cross-sectional area

Q23:  Which variation is used when a trainer assigns a client to hypertrophy training to optimize their muscle size before strength training?
A23:  Sequenced variation

Q24:  Which instructions should be given to someone to let the bar pass their face without contact with the barbell shoulder press
A24:  Extend the neck slightly

Q25:  Which is the correct position of the ankle pad in the leg curl
A25:  Back of the heel just above the top of the shoe

Q26:  Which plyometric exercise doesn’t involve a countermovement for correct execution?
A26:  Ankle flip

Q27:  What strategy can minimize or avoid risk for a fitness facility?
A27:  Develop an emergency action plan

Q28:  Which one of these isn’t a warning sign for anorexia?
A28:  Diarrhea

Q29:  Which one is not a measurement of mass distribution or fat mass?
A29:  Body mass index

Q30:  What is not responsible for strength gains for children?
A30:  Hypertrophy

Q31:  Which aerobic endurance training duration is best for someone who is severely deconditioned and a beginner?
A31:  Three bouts of 10 minutes with rest between each bout

Q32:  What doesn’t increase as an acute response to resistance training?
A32:  Glycogen concentration

Q33:  Which is a description of reaching the start position in the flat dumbbell fly?
A33:  Move the dumbbells from the chest to an extended elbow position at the sides of the chest

Q34:  Which static stretch involves pulling an elbow toward the opposing shoulder to stretch the posterior upper arm and back?
A34:  Behind-neck stretch

Q35:  Which is most important when a client steps onto the treadmill?
A35:  Hold the handrails

Q36:  What is the first step when you are planning and designing a new facility?
A36:  Forming a committee of professionals who represent various areas of expertise

Q37:  What reference perspective compares the results when someone’s aerobic capacity is said to be in the top 20th percentile?
A37:  Norm-referenced standard

Q38: Which type of fat should be consumed the least or not be consumed?
A38:  Trans fats

Q39:  During Submax exercise, which variables will stay the same or even regress for aerobic exercise performance but improve during max exercise from chronic aerobic training?
A39:  Oxygen consumption

Q40:  What is determined by exercise intensity when you are making aerobic endurance programs? I. Exercise mode, II. Training duration, III. Training frequency, IV. Number of repetitions
A40:  II and III only

Q41:  Which training modes may be used for improved stride length while sprinting?
A41:  Resisted sprinting

Q42:  Which exercise can be done with the common error “stutter-stepping during the backward movement phase”?
A42:  Forward lunge

Q43:  What max slope should be done with a sprint?
A43:  Seven degrees

Q44:  Which action should the trainer take if a client sits on a pec deck with their hips higher than their knees?
A44:  Lower the seat

Q45:  What method could reduce noise in a new facility?
A45:  Use urethane-coated free weights

Q46:  Which of these is a good assessment of the aerobic capacity of a 22-year-old elite athlete?
A46:  1.5-mile run

Q47:  Which falls outside a personal trainer’s scope of practice?
A47:  Diagnose and treat training injuries

Q48:  Which body system Is responsible for male and female strength differences?
A48:   Endocrine

Q49:  At what height should an AED be put?
A49:  Accessible to an individual in a wheelchair

Q50:  Which is not an effective way to minimize risk?
A50:  Selling supplements

NSCA Flashcards for 2nd and 3rd Edition Textbook

NSCA Study Tips

The NSCA Study guide that is found on this page was never meant to replace the full 2nd edition of the textbook. It was meant to be a supplemental study tool while you go through the full textbook, as I recommend.

Here are some additional study tools/tips that I highly recommend you use alongside the free materials on this page.

A premium NSCA study guide

Although the NSCA free study guide on this page is a great place to start, it is far and away the best study guide.

And trust me; I have basically gone through every single study guide available.

Overall, my study guide contains a bunch of information but it doesn’t really guide you in the most surefire way for what to study to pass the exam.

If you want a study guide that tells you exactly what you need to study to pass the exam, I highly recommend checking out the Trainer Academy study guide here. This study guide avoids all the fluff from the massive textbook and pinpoints the most important topics to learn to pass the exam in the shortest time. This can also be used as a form of cram guide if you have a deadline coming up.

Much more NSCA practice exams

The NSCA practice exam that I have on this page is only 50 questions long. The full NSCA CPT test consists of 155 questions from all four domains of study.

To have a good sense of whether or not you will pass the real NSCA test, I recommend taking at least 3 to 4 full practice exams.

The students of mine that have returned from the exam told me that they failed it with the ones that never even attempted a full practice test. If they had, they would have realized that they were definitely not prepared for the real thing.

The best NSCA CPT practice exams Were created by the team over at Trainor Academy. Just like their study guide, these practice tests are spot on to what you will see on the real exam once you take it.

If you can pass all four of their practice exams, the real test will be a walk in the park.

Spaced repetition NSCA flashcards

The NSCA Flashcards on this page are a good place to start when it comes to learning definitions from the NSCA textbook.

But overall, my flashcards only consist of 100 in the deck. There are more than 500 flashcards and definitions that you will need to know.

On top of that, my flashcards are old-style flashcards. I highly recommend trying out intelligent spaced repetition flashcards. They will significantly reduce your study time and will help you keep all of these definitions in your long-term memory for much longer.

Spaced repetition flashcards work like this: every time you are shown a flashcard and answer it, you get to rate how easy or difficult it was to recall the answer. Over time, your easy cards show up less and less, while you are more difficult-to-remember cards keep on showing up until you master them.

This way, you skip the information you already know and focus only on your weak areas. This significantly reduces your study time and will concrete this information in your head with forced repetition.

Once again, Trainer Academy has a fantastic deck of 700 spaced repetition flashcards for the NSCA exam.

NSCA Mnemonics for better memorization

I highly suggest you create your own mnemonics while studying for the NSCA CPT test. These will help turn difficult-to-learn topics into more fun and digestible stories for you to digest.

I suggest using funny characters like talking animals, superheroes, dinosaurs, etc., to make your story and Mnemonic more memorable.

Basically, the weirder you can make your story, the more likely you will remember it during the test and beyond.

NSCA Cheat Sheet

A cheat sheet summarizes some of the most important topics, such as distortions or formulas.

You can create one of your own or use the one we have here by clicking on the button below.

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, my study portal for the NSCA CPT has ended. I suggest going over all of the chapters as often as possible until you have all of the information locked down before taking the exam. Good luck with all the studying!