Subj: How I passed the NASM-CPT exam my first try with two weeks of studying.
Disclaimer: The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) policies and guidelines can change at anytime. Check out the official NASM website for the most up-to-date information regarding the NASM-CPT exam. Also, I’m a NASM affiliate so if you click link in this article and sign up for a course I get a small commission. Thank you!
So you want to become a personal trainer?
Excellent. It’s a rewarding career that allows you to share your passion for health and fitness with others.
What’s the outlook for personal trainers?
Good to very good. 70% of the U.S. population is overweight and under-muscled. You can help fix that.
Many fitness enthusiasts (like you and me) take for granted how ‘easy’ fitness comes to us. (Even though it wasn’t easy at all. It took years of effort and hard work that eventually became second nature. So now it just seems easy.)
Most people do not have a clue about health and fitness. Becoming a personal trainer is your opportunity to make a living by helping others live better lives.
Being a personal trainer is fun and rewarding. As a PSA, don’t be fooled by the fakes on instagram lounging by the pool “responding to clients” and claiming to rake in bundles of cash. They’re full of shit (Do you notice how these types always have something to sell you? That’s because they don’t have clients. Instead they sell the ‘easy’ lifestyle of an online trainer to gullible wannabes who want a free ride.)
Although you can work from anywhere at anytime. With the internet you can host virtual workouts on Zoom, and do fitness consultations over FaceTime.
In fact many high-paying clients (executives, athletes, etc.) enjoy the flexibility of a online personal trainer, especially when their schedules can change on a whim. My point here is that there’s a ton of opportunity to work in a way that is best for you and your clients. And now is the best time to become a personal trainer because you don’t need to be stuck to one physical location. The entire world is you marketplace because of the internet.
Being a personal trainer takes work. You need to keep learning new knowledge and applying new techniques so that you give the best service to your clients.
You need to constantly be on the hunt for new clients and ways to improve your clients’ experience and results.
If I haven’t scared you off yet, good! You might just have what it takes to be a successful personal trainer. And the rewards await those who are willing to work for it and be the best.
How Much Money can You Make as a Personal Trainer?
You can make a lot or you can make a little. It depends on a number of factors:
- Are you a contractor or are you a gym employee?
- Do you have a full book of business and lots of clients?
- Do you set your own rates?
- And many other factors…
We can unpack all of these things but basically if you pick the right clients, have the right business setup, and hustle, you can clear six figures a year.
It won’t happen overnight but the top earning trainers make $100,000 per year or more. (Way more if they know how to scale.)
Why become a NASM Certified Personal Trainer?
There are several personal training certifications, but the best (in my opinion) is the NASM CPT. NASM is a comprehensive course that requires you to have detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biology and kinesiology. NASM-CPT also teaches you how to do proper assessments of your clients. (Both overall fitness and body alignment assessments.)
A key differentiator with the NASM-CPT certification is that it puts a focus on corrective exercises. There is a SIGNIFICANT need for corrective exercises for many people. People sit all day long, staring at their phone and computer. This causes all kinds of alignment issues with the body. Issues that can cause serious health problems and greatly reduce quality of life if gone unchecked for too long. That’s where you come in.
NASM Exam Prerequisites
Now, before you can take your NASM exam you need to have a valid CPR card. Search google to find a training session near you. You need a valid CPR certificate from an accredited provider before you can schedule your NASM CPT exam.
Check the NASM website for requirements of the CPR card – it needs to be issued by a reputable company of NASM’s discretion.
FYI, CPR cards need to be renewed every 2 years, so keep that in mind and mark your calendar to renew your CPR certification so you stay compliant with NASM requirements. (And to stay sharp and ready for action in case disaster strikes.)
You also need to be at least 18 years old to take the NASM-CPT exam.
Is the NASM Test Hard?
So what if it is? Are you going to give up?
The NASM exam is challenging. That’s why it’s the one of the top personal training certifications.
Nothing worth having comes easy. There’s a reason the NASM CPT certification is the best in the business. It’s the gold standard because it proves the certificate holder is a knowledgable professional who is committed to their clients’ goals.
It’s hard to bullshit your way through this exam. You need to know the information. You need to know the anatomy, functions, and relationships of the human body systems.
How to Study for the NASM Exam
Okay, there are a variety of study strategies you could use to pass the NASM exam. I’ll walk you through what I did and would recommend.
Again, take what I say with a grain of salt. Like I said before, you need to be at least 18 years old to become a NASM certified personal trainer so by now you should have an idea of how you study and best retain information. Adjust accordingly based on your learning style and other responsibilities.
Read the NASM Textbook
This might seem like a no brainer but read the entire NASM-CPT text book. Read it cover to cover. If you have trouble retaining information when reading, then read it out loud to yourself (just like Abraham Lincoln did.) It helps you keep your place on the page and lets the information sink in because your ears hear you say it.
If you are focused and have the time to dedicate you can do it in 2-3 weeks. Many people take 3-6 months. Take as much time as you need but don’t wait too long. If you wait 6 months to take the exam you might forget what you studied the 1st month.
My advise is it takes as long as it takes, so don’t rush it. First thing you need to do is make the commitment, then make a plan and follow through until you pass the exam. (Then celebrate.)
Take the Practice Quizzes
Take all the practice quizzes in the NASM-CPT study guide. When you buy the NASM study package you get access to their web portal to take the quizzes.
Take the quiz after each reading section and keep taking the quiz until you score 100% on it. Note which questions you miss and understand why. This will help you actually learn the information.
If you want to be safe, take the quiz after each section, and then take them all again after you finish the book. Take them all until you get 100%. Each time you take the exam you get new questions which could help you on the exam. So there’s no shame in re-taking the quizzes again and again. You only learn more. You paid good money for the NASM exam after all so learn everything you can! This knowledge will set you apart from your competition.
Take the Practice Exam
After you read the book and take all the quizzes, take the practice exam. The practice exam is meant to simulate the actual exam. I recommend taking it in the same place you take the actual exam so it feels familiar during the actual exam and will help you relax.
NASM Exam Questions
The NASM-CPT exam questions are close to what you see in the quizzes. There’s lots of twists and turns with the questions so you really have to know your stuff.
Some of the terms are very similar you need to know the difference between them in order to get the right answer. Read and re-read the question for comprehension if needed. Some questions are worded in a tricky way and are meant to confuse you so, take your time and read every word of the questions and answers.
Don’t stress out if you don’t know the answer, move on and come back to it later. You might find hints in the other questions that help you answer the questions that confused you before.
How Many Questions are on the NASM CPT Exam?
120 questions. 100 questions on the actual test. 20 questions are research questions and are not counted. You need to get 70 of the actual test questions right in order to pass the NASM CPT exam. You are given 2 hours to complete the exam.
What is it like Taking the NASM CPT Exam?
I took my NASM-CPT exam virtually, so I can tell you about my experience with that. The exam itself requires you to schedule a time with a Proctor who watches you take the exam. I took my exam during COVID so the Proctor watched me remotely.
This required me to setup software on my computer so the proctor could watch me and watch my screen. You also have to show the proctor your room to make sure you don’t cheat. Basically I just picked up my computer and did a 360 with the camera to show my testing environment.
Make sure you setup your computer with any software a day or two BEFORE your actual exam. Technical issues happen and you don’t want to scramble around before your exam, or worse, miss the exam because you ran into a technical issue.
If you do miss the exam or have to reschedule, contact customer support and they will help you out. I recommend not missing it unless something serious happens otherwise you might forfeit your exam voucher.
NASM-CPT Exam Tips
Go to the bathroom before you start the exam. Once you begin your NASM exam you cannot leave the proctor’s sight.
If you need to eat before the exam, eat something that helps you stay alert and mentally sharp. You don’t want to be hungry or have low energy because that is distracting.
Schedule the exam during a time of day you are your sharpest.
Turn off your phone before starting the exam.
Make sure you are complete privacy while taking the exam. If someone walks into the room while you are taking your exam the proctor could automatically fail you.
How to Pass the NASM CPT Exam in two weeks
Here’s the approach I took to pass the NASM-CPT exam in 2 weeks:
- Read the entire book. I’ve been training for a long time and still learned a lot from the NASM exam prep book. It’s 700 pages so it is a time commitment but it’s worth it. You need to know the information in the book to feel confident during exam time. Just bite the bullet and read it cover to cover.
- Know all the key terms. You don’t have to memorize the entire book but you should learn the key terms. The key terms are bolded and usually have a section of the page dedicated to them.
- Take EVERY quiz. Take the quiz at the end of every chapter after you complete each chapter.
- Study the questions you missed. and make sure you know why you got the right answers correct. (so you don’t miss an easy one on exam day)
- After you finish the book, take every quiz AGAIN until you get 100% on each of them. Study the questions you missed and understand why you missed them.
- Take the practice exam. Study the questions you missed and any questions you were unsure about.
- Take the actual NASM-CPT exam and CRUSH it.
If you make an honest effort to read the book and study the odds are very good that you will pass the exam your first try.
In a future post I might talk about how to get clients and how to Market Yourself as a Personal Trainer. There’s no shortage of people who need personal training services. If you’re clever you can create a funnel of clients by making the right connections and partnerships. More about that on a later post.
For now focus on passing you NASM CPT exam. I know you will and good luck!
hi, do you make a good or even excellent income from personal training?
If i were to become a personal trainer how would i market myself and also get clients?
obviously working out is a passion of mine that i’d like to help people with.
Any thoughts or advice would really help as i’m completely lost! thank you so much
Hi Blaine,
You can make good money but it’s a grind. Long days and hours. It also depends were you work. Many gyms do not pay well. You will have to go out and get clients and market yourself well. Honestly, it really depends on what you want to get out of it. You can try it an see how you like it. It’s a good way to meet people and share your knowledge and experience with them to help them improve. Let me know if you have any more questions about it.
Hey Jordan, I’m really thinking about becoming a personal trainer
You’ve really inspired me to take my passion further and help other people,
Now I do need to lose a few more lbs to really look the part but I know what I’m doing.
Working out is my only real passion in life, without it i’d be lost and I feel like if I don’t try to become a personal trainer I’l regret it forever
Do you have any tips or advice? I’d really appreciate it
Thank you!