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 2021.
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 the future.
CSCS Exam
In 2021, the CSCS exam was administered to 7,555 candidates (international and domestic). The average number of first-time exam candidates who passed both sections of the CSCS exam and thus became certified was 57%. The average number of first-time candidates passing the Scientific Foundations section and the Practical/Applied section were (respectively) 67% and 47%. The mean reliability values for the Scientific Foundations section and the Practical/Applied section were (respectively) 0.84 and 0.84. As of December 31, 2020, there were 40,116 professionals who held the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential.
NSCA-CPT Exam
In 2021, the NSCA-CPT exam was administered to 4,971 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 72%. The mean reliability value was 0.86. As of December 31, 2020, there were 11,175 professionals who held the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer credential.
TSAC-F Exam
In 2021, the TSAC-F exam was administered to 371 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 91%. The mean reliability value was 0.86. As of December 31, 2020, there were 1,392 professionals who held the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator credential.
CSPS Exam
In 2021, the CSPS exam was administered to 67 candidates. The average number of candidates who became certified was 69%. The mean reliability value was 0.64. As of December 31, 2020, there were 195 professionals who held the Certified Special Population Specialist credential.
