NSCA Certification Exams | A Year In Review

The purpose of this article is to provide information about the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) certification exams that were administered during 2019. Providing this annual summary is one of the requirements stipulated by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the organization that accredits three of the NSCA certification exam programs—the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®), the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer® (NSCA-CPT®), and the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator® (TSAC-F®). The Certified Special Population Specialist® (CSPS®) certification program will undergo application for NCCA accreditation in 2020.

CSCS Exam

In 2019, the CSCS exam was administered to 6,630 candidates. The average number of first-time exam candidates who passed both sections of the CSCS exam and thus became certified was 63%. The average number of first-time candidates passing the Scientific Foundations section and the Practical/Applied section were (respectively) 63% and 62%. The mean reliability values for the Scientific Foundations section and the Practical/Applied section were (respectively) 0.84 and 0.85. On December 31, 2019, 40,456 professionals currently held the CSCS credential.

NSCA-CPT Exam

In 2019, the NSCA-CPT exam was administered to 1,344 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 72%. The mean reliability value was 0.88. On December 31, 2019, there were 13,980 professionals who currently held the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer credential. 

TSAC-F Exam

In 2019, the TSAC-F exam was administered to 439 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 85%. The mean reliability value was 0.84.  On December 31, 2019, there were 1,214 professionals who currently held the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator credential.  

CSPS Exam

In 2019, the CSPS exam was administered to 44 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 59%. The mean reliability value was 0.70. On December 31, 2019, there were 144 professionals who currently held the Certified Special Population Specialist credential.