Update 8/25/20. The day has arrived, your package from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is in your hands and you can’t wait to see what’s inside and get started on your new and exciting career!
You open it up and start to look through it and almost immediately have that same feeling that a mountain climber has at the foot of Mt Everest…… a feeling of being completely intimidated and totally overwhelmed!
Ah yes, I remember it well when, at 47 years old, I first started preparing for the ACE exam. It had been a dream of mine for years to become a personal trainer and I finally decided to “take the plunge” and make that dream a reality. After doing much research, I decided that ACE was the best fit for me and it was a decision I’ve never regretted!
This article will be an overview of what I found helpful in my quest for certification.
Also see this other ACE test review for more insights.
However, no single article can adequately give you all the information you would need to help guide you through this process – you would need a small book in the least. In addition, everyone’s experience will surely yield different points of view as to what worked for them.
ACE Personal Trainer Textbook
I’ll do my best to share some insights that have not only worked for me personally but for many other people, I’ve given guidance to over the past couple of years as they went through their exam prep process for the ACE Personal Trainer Certification exam.
How long should you prepare for the ACE test?
There is no one correct answer to this question. ACE provides 12 and 20-week study coach programs that are sent via email with the purpose of guiding you through the material in a structured way. While you aren’t bound by those time frames, people often start to stress out as they feel themselves slipping behind schedule. This can cause them to quickly lose confidence in themselves from the very beginning of this process!
Tip. You can get several ACE materials on Amazon. That might save you some money if you are on a budget. The Resource Page on this site has more ACE materials.
When I was preparing for the exam in 2007 I was already pretty busy between my work and family. It had been over 25 years since I took a meaningful exam since graduating from College in 1981. I also had no formal education in exercise science.
I knew there was no WAY I would get this done even in 20 weeks, and certainly not to the level of quality, I expected from myself.
I decided to be generous and gave myself the window of roughly a year (give or take) as my goal to complete the certification
process.
I’m sure you’re thinking, “A YEAR, I don’t have that kind of time!!!!”
Don’t worry, just because I took the scenic route rather than the expressway definitely does not mean it would be the right route for you.
The time frame you’ll need really just depends on :
- your schedule
- previous educational background and
- how quickly you can learn and integrate new material
I’m just sharing what worked for my specific situation.
A year ended up being a good choice for me and it flew by surprisingly fast. I also felt completely prepared on exam day and scored almost 200 points more than I needed to pass so it definitely worth it!
Beyond just passing the exam, having that amount of time to study enabled me to really acquire a level of mastery of the material inside and out. This was as important a goal to me as passing the exam. I wanted to give myself the proper foundation to continue to build from!
Whatever time frame you decide, I feel you need to be compassionate with yourself throughout this process. If you try doing more than you can realistically handle, it will be a very frustrating and exhausting experience! There will also be times when the best thing you can do is back off for a day or two and begin again fresh.
What should I focus on for the ACE test?
Ah yes, the million-dollar question and one that is very tough to answer!
There is an exam content outline in the ACE manual, which covers the various domains you are expected to have skill in. That is a great place to start in terms of getting an overview of what will be contained in the exam.
However, I have noticed over the years that many folks are looking for “quick and easy” information on what they need to learn specifically “for the exam”. In other words, they want to know what material they “must” know and which stuff they can sort of gloss over or ignore completely.
My advice is always that one should first concentrate on studying and obtaining a level of mastery of the overall material first and foremost. If you do that, then the exam will usually take care of itself. There’s really no shortcut to take nor should there be!
Being a personal trainer is a HUGE responsibility and making a mistake based on ignorance or carelessness can result in serious consequences. Clients put their trust in Certified Personal Trainers as fitness PROFESSIONALS. They should expect to hire a trainer who has a passion for their profession, who always strives for excellence, and who has a ceaseless thirst for knowledge.
What most people surely don’t want is to end up with a trainer who did the bare minimum required for the sole purpose of scraping by a certification exam.
Gyms are full of trainers who just want to “get by.” For example, don’t make the basic mistake this trainer made.
Let’s put it this way “What type of trainer would you want to send your most cherished loved ones to?” Well, I believe THAT’S the trainer one should strive to be!
Okay, I’ll step off my soapbox now…
Not Getting Bogged Down
There is no doubt that the material dealing with exercise science is often a particularly HUGE roadblock for most people (especially those without a previous academic background in this area).
There is a real danger in getting bogged down in this material to the point where you may feel like you can’t move beyond it. However, you don’t need to have a complete mastery of exercise science to progress onward through the materials. That being said, you should still make some time to continue to review on a regular basis until it starts to sink in.
101 personal trainer marketing secrets
With the new 5th edition of the ACE materials, you don’t need to master the separate “Essentials of Exercise Science” book as a prerequisite to start studying the “Personal Trainer Manual.”
Also, it’s important to be aware that the Exercise Science book is very thorough and covers many things of which you don’t need to memorize verbatim.
For example, you don’t need to memorize every nerve, artery or vein in the body. You also don’t need to know every obscure muscle in the hand or foot that is covered in the “Musculoskeletal Anatomy Book”.
Additionally, there are some long and complex formulas you will run into during the course of your studies that will most likely make your head spin when you first see them! You should work through these formulas so you have experience with them but you don’t have to memorize them. If you need them later on in your work as a trainer you can always refer back to the texts as needed.
As a side note, I highly recommend not selling your ACE materials once you pass the exam, they are invaluable sources of ongoing reference and not just “exam prep” materials.
Some Things You Should Know About The ACE Test
- You should have a general idea of the overall function of the nervous system (and neurological principles such as the myotatic stretch reflex (via muscle spindle activation), reciprocal, and autogenic inhibition.
- You should know the basics regarding the cardiorespiratory system as well as how training can enhance cardiac output and VO2 Max as well as resting heart rate.
- You absolutely should learn about the primary muscles in the body that contribute to movement and stabilization. You should understand agonists, antagonists, and synergists and the various types of muscle contractions (concentric, isometric, and eccentric).
- You don’t “need” to know the origin and insertion of every muscle but you should know the basic “functions” of the primary muscles (for ex. the Glutes primarily extends the hip and also contributes to external rotation, it also can assist in hip adduction though that is not a primary function).
I do want to add that although you probably won’t end up seeing any origin and insertion questions on the exam, I do recommend trying to continue to become more and more familiar with them because it really does help to understand how the muscles function. For example, knowing this can help you understand why the teres minor contributes to external rotation and the teres major to internal rotation (among its other functions).
Other things you’ll need to know are:
- the basic nutritional material
- how the kinetic chain works
- various assessments
- body fat percentages and body mass index (BMI)
- program design
- flexibility
- considerations for special populations
- behavioral concepts
- basic legal information regarding the scope of practice and…
- ACE Code of ethics among others
Certainly, you'll want to really understand the IFT materials and their application if you're studying the 4th edition materials and the specifics related to Functional Movement and Resistance Training and the Cardiorespiratory training (including the ventilatory thresholds).
As I mentioned in the beginning, an article like this can barely scratch the surface and there is bound to be much important information left out. I do want to stress that a sure recipe for disaster is to try to selectively “guess” what may be on the test and what won’t be, you really should try to learn the overall course material to the best of your ability.
Learning Styles
Different people definitely have preferential ways of learning. For example, some learn better visually and some aurally or various combinations. Some people need a lot of repetition and those rare few are blessed with photographic memories and can remember everything they read.
But even if one has a photographic memory, it’s more important to really integrate the material in a way that is meaningful in terms of how it would be applied in actual practice. This is important both for actual real-world training as well as for the exam. You have to understand how to implement the information in a given context.
As you learn the information, always try to see if you can put it in a “real world” training context.
I found using a combination of techniques helped me. My approach was to learn in layers. For example,
- I’d read a certain amount of material.
- Then I’d read it again and underline the key points.
- Then I’d highlight the text the third time through I read through the material.
- After that, I would make flashcards which I then recorded to audio so I could listen to them in my car or when I was too tired to read but still wanted to study.
I eventually also did extensive summaries for most of the chapters as well. The process of doing this helped me continue to refine the material and made it easier to review.
Now, you may find only one or two of those tips necessary, but I wanted to share my process in order to give you some tools that might help.
Organization Is Key
I found it was helpful to rotate among the various materials that came with my package. A way to organize this systematically was to make up an index card with a list of all the things I wanted to study. I would then move a little “post-it” sticker down through the list each day when I completed each item on the list. This way I was able to accomplish little mini-goals throughout the day. This gave me a structured approach to my daily studying. Otherwise, it would have seemed impossible to try and figure out how to fit it all in.
If I didn’t get through the whole list on a given day, I would just pick up where I left off the following day and just continue cycling through the materials.
Calling The American Council On Exercise Customer Service
I called ACE pretty regularly when I was studying. I first tried to make sure I gave a really strong effort on my own but if I “hit a wall” and really needed help, they were very accessible and extremely helpful! In fact, ACE gives excellent support after you are certified as well! You are really treated as part of the ACE family from the very beginning. The ACE phone number is 888-825-3636.
Tip. ACE also has a very active Facebook Page too.
How To Learn The Names Of The Muscles
This is a common topic of difficulty for most exam candidates so I wanted to share some thoughts on this.
Fitness-Professionals-Guide-To-Musculoskeletal-Anatomy-And-Human-Movement
What helped me the most in this particular area of study was working with the Fitness professional's Guide To Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Human Movement, both the book and also doing the Quizzes on the CD ROM to help reinforce the material. Here is a somewhat detailed explanation that I found really useful.
First memorize the bony attachments (Chapter 2, take a page, study it and then immediately do the CD Rom Quiz on it to reinforce it). If you learn these that will help you remember the muscles in a more meaningful way.
For example, “Coracobrachialis” is a muscle that originates on the Coracoid process (Coraco) and inserts on the Humerus (Brachialis refers to “Arm”).
Another example would be Anterior Tibialis, a muscle located in the front (anterior) of the Tibia (tibialis).
- Some muscles have other descriptions that help to learn them as well such as “Biceps” which of course refers to a two-headed muscle.
- The Biceps Femoris is a two-headed muscle (Bi) that acts on the femur (Femoris) as opposed to the Biceps Brachii which is a two-headed muscle (Bi) that acts on the arm (Brachii).
- Some use the shape of the muscle such as Quadratus Lumborum or Rhomboids.
- Some describe the function and have words such as extensor, pronator etc. in the name.
So rather than just “memorizing” the muscles, you will actually understand them better and it will make kinesiology come alive.
Knowing this material won't just help you “pass” the exam but will deepen your knowledge in a way that is more meaningful and often functional.
ACE Practice Exams
To me, there are really two distinct phases of ACE exam prep. The first, and longest is actually learning the curriculum contained in the various materials. But after that, serious emphasis needs to be placed on ACE practice tests.
You can get the ACE practice tests from ACE directly and they are on Amazon too.
There is definitely a degree of “test-taking skill” that can be a difference-maker on the exam.
Getting used to the way the questions are formatted can really help with one’s comfort level on exam day. The ACE practice tests are also important as they can help to expose any areas of weakness you may have.
To illustrate my point:
I really started to get serious with the ACE practice exams once I felt that I had a pretty high level of mastery of the course materials. However, when I first started doing practice tests I made a LOT of dumb mistakes. My mistakes were rarely because of a lack of understanding of the material but just lack of test-taking technique.
I would miss the subtle things in the questions that would ultimately change which answer was correct. There are usually two answers that could be right and so you really need to know the material intimately as well as analyze the questions very carefully so that you don’t miss anything.
Also, many of the exam questions contain words like BEST, MOST, LEAST, etc. that can make things confusing if you are not extremely careful. I found that by practicing daily with the tests and really dissecting the questions that my test-taking skills improved exponentially and it was an absolute KEY to my success on exam day!
Tips For The ACE Test On Exam Day
So you have done all the studying and practice exams and there’s nothing more you can do to prepare for the exam. Congratulations, that in and of itself is a huge accomplishment!
The following are tips for the exam day that I’ve shared with many people. Overall, those who have implemented these simple suggestions said they really helped them so I wanted to share them in this article.
- Get a good night's sleep rather than burning yourself out studying too much the night before the exam. At this point, you either know the material or you don’t. It is a VERY long and difficult exam so you want to go in as fresh as possible.
- Bring some food to eat right before you walk in to take the exam, it's a long haul and you'll want to make sure you won't get hungry and have an energy “crash” in the middle of it. Also, bring a bottle of water. Some places let you bring it in, some don't but you may as well have it and ask if it’s okay to have it with you.
Nutrition Essentials: Nutrition Book For Personal Trainers.
- Try closing your eyes and taking a deep breath between each question to refocus and re-energize. This sounds “corny” but it made a huge difference for me and helped the questions not get all “jumbled together” in my brain.
- “Mark” the questions that you're not sure of (you'll have that option) and always choose an answer before you hit “submit”, never leave it blank (or it's considered incorrect).
- Remember in the simulation part of the ACE test, once you choose something you can't “un-choose” it. During the first part of the exam, you CAN change your answer before you move on to part two (simulation). Also, once you move to the simulation you can't go back to part 1.
- If you find yourself confused in the beginning of the exam don't let this throw you, as you settle in and it gets more familiar it should get easier (the first 5 questions REALLY threw me but soon after that things started to look more familiar and I started to get used to the exam itself).
Be confident in yourself, If you've really given yourself the proper amount of time to prepare, you should do really well!
A Final Statement
I want to wish you the best success in your studies to become an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. I also want to remind you that passing the test is only the beginning of the process. You will learn a lot more after you get certified. Being a Certified Personal trainer requires an ongoing commitment to constant education and the dedication and desire to give your clients the highest quality experience possible every time they work with you!
Scott Fishkind is an ACE-certified personal trainer in Franklin, TN. Scott has also been a private teacher since 1981.
great post, thank you. I took about 3 months to study for my exam but I have a degree in kinesiology.
Reading through the comments I noticed a lot of folks are stating that they only have 6 months to study the material. Digging through the ACE FAQ it states that you have 6 months to redeem your exam voucher before it expires, but you can schedule the exam for as far out as your testing center will allow.
So, if your center will allow you to schedule the exam 6 months in advance, you can wait 6 months to redeem your voucher and schedule it for another 6 months out, giving yourself 1 year to study and know the material. Hopefully that’s helpful to some people who might be panicking a little bit.
Allen, thanks for bringing this up. I also hope it helps ease the panic some are having.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! for this post!!!! I’ve only just begun Chapter 1 of the Anatomy book and felt so overwhelmed that I may not make it in the 3-4 month suggested time frame. I don’t want to use just rote memorization, but rather to really understand and process everything.
Knowing that you took a year to do this is extremely helpful to me (especially after getting messages from ACE like “you haven’t logged in to your account recently”). Of course not, I’m studying from the book!
I will gladly take your advice of taking longer to be able to fully grasp the information and go into the exam feeling as though I really know, and can apply, the information.
Hi Stephanie, so glad Scott’s review helped you and put you at ease. Keep us posted on how you are doing 🙂
Joe, thank you for your article! has eased my mind a little! My worry is I went to school for Human Service Management I have had a passion for helping people all my life. It wasn’t until recently I fell i love with working out, eating healthy and motivating others to do the best they can! I decided to purchase the premium bundle and took a risk without much background.
However, studying comes kind of hard for me, i’m more of a visual learner. I’m a little nervous about this exam without having much background knowledge, any tips for me? How long would you suggest me to wait for the test, i’m from new york and it gives us 6 months. Lastly, how long did it take you to finish the exam?
Hi Marie, so glad this helped you! This article was written not by me by by Scott Fishkind who is an ACE personal trainer. While I have not taken the ACE exam, I can tell you that I studied for 3-6 months to prep for the NSCA CSCS exam (that was a 400 question test). I studied that long even though I had a BS in chemistry/biology at the time. That was me trying to get as much crammed into my head as I could (I even made flash cards too). So, that said, Id say if you have 6 months to prepare, take it as close to the 6 month mark as you can and in that time study as much as you can. The ACE book -like most fitness trainer books – is pretty big. There is a lot of science in there too. Take your time and cover as much of it as you can in that time. If you can take a practice test before that, I’d do that too (I used practice tests to help me prep for CSCS too).
Also, on the day of the test, dont stress yourself out too much. If you pass great. If you don’t pass, no biggie, you still learned a lot and so its not a failure in my book. Also, you will have a better idea what to expect if you take it again. Im pretty sure you will pass the first time though. I can tell by your words that you are a very studious person who will make the most of this preparation time.
Let me know how it goes when you take the ACE exam and if you have any questions along the way, just ask 🙂
Joe,
I graduated this past May from Concordia University Chicago with an undergrad in Exercise Science. I got an A in Exercise Physiology and I feel I have a fairly solid foundation to go off of. In your experience, if I make this investment do you think 3-4 months dedication 8-10 hours a week will be suffice in preparing myself for the exam?
This was a great read and very thorough in my opinion
Hi Quentin, With your background I definitely think that should work. With your background you likely aready know a lot of what is in the ACE book and ACSM guidelines too. Let me know how it goes. I like your website too. Very nice 🙂
Howdy Joe..
You’re right! I received my box a month ago and have started chapter 1 several times; jumping between my index cards for a break. I’m only making the studying worse. Today I committed to 1 uninterrupted hour… It went pretty good.
Next, I surfed the web and found this site… THANK GOD ????????! I’m more encourage and motivated.
I’ll be checking in on this page frequently…. Thanks
Be of Good Cheer,
Fred
Howdy Fred, glad you found my site helpful. Yes, dont feel overwhelmed with all the different materials. I recommend people just start with the textbook and study that first. Much success with your studying. keep me posted!
Hi there joe..after 2 yrs here in the US, I decided to study ACE. Im from philippines, I just moved here in the US, NY city. I compete bodybuilding since 2005-2010. I’ve read everything about your tips of taking the program, I guess I wanted to take course now. Lastly, may I know your website?
Thank you…
Hi Louie, that’s great and I wish you much success with the ACE cert. let me know it goes
My websites, I have two of them – this site, Joe-Cannon.com and SupplementClarity.com
After 15 yrs in the Oil & Gas industry, I’ve decided to follow my dream and I’m buying a gym franchise. I’m also going through the steps to get ACE Certified. I got my ACE study material in the mail last month and I’ve been kicking butt in reading and learning it all. I’m taking my time, so that I’m proficient. I’m still very anxious to get certified. I’ll post back once I take it. Thank you for the write-up. Very helpful info..
Charlie
Charlie, good luck with ACE and the gym franchise. Keep me posted!
How long did it take you to complete the exam start to finish?
although i am currently a yoga teacher and bodybuilding competitor, my previous ‘academic background’ is in art/design/programming….needless to say, this material has been a challenge to study!
thank you for reaffirming that I’m not the only one feeling a little overwhelmed, needing a year to study before testing. I’m looking forward to being a highly educated, sought-after trainer, and i know having the ACE background will give me the knowledge i need, and my future clients the utmost confidence in my abilities to train them safely & effectively.
alittleyogabird, happy this ACE review helped you. Much success in your personal training career!
Thank you for this very encouraging article on ACE Certification. Your story about finally making the decision at 47 really hits home for me, convincing/reinforcing me that I am not too old to learn new tricks! New Life here I come 😀
Humingbird, fantastic! Keep us posted on how things go for you 🙂
I am taking this exam tomorrow! Your article really helped! “either you know it or not”! so bombs away!
thanx
Maria, great Im glad Scott’s review helped you. Keep us posted on how you do on the ACE test!
Hey! I am leaving in 15 minutes to take my exam! This blog really helped me relax. I’ve done well on all the practice quizzes and tests. I feel as ready as I can be! I’m nervous for sure! But I’m going to relax and have faith in myself! Thanks for the last minute confidence booster!!!
Rachel, that’s great I’m glad the review helped you. Let me know how you did on it. That’s a cute gravatar you have too 🙂
hello I just received my study material from ace yesterday im very excited to start ..but do feel a bit overwhelmed I was wondering did you study each book til you were finished or rotate between the 3 I also have the flash cards .I guess my question is where do I start exactly .
I’ve read your article about 4 times already ..
fatimah, scott, who wrote the ACE review might be able to answer better than me, but if you are just starting out fresh with little background, Id say start with the textbook and study it cover to cover. take notes, hightlight the book and take the little quizzes at the end of each chapter. If you have practice tests, take a test after you finish the book and see how you do. if you have a background, then take a test now and see how you do and then study the book and take another test.
how about the the essentials of exercise science book?
Thats a good book. its the NSCA textbook and its one of the books I list on my resource page
http://joe-cannon.com/resources/
I’m going to buy the ACE bundle and study for the exam and would love to be a personal trainer. I am only 19 years old and started to like working out in the middle of my high school years…. Currently only doing side jobs so I’m sure I would only be able to save up for the $599 bundle.
Just a question is it worth it? The bundle I mean. Because the book is fairly cheap and the exam voucher that comes with the ACE bundle is a few $$ itself…
Thanks, Mike
Mike, Im going to recommend that right now you just get the textbook. I dont want you to go into debt to become a personal trainer because that doesn’t serve anybody. Get the book and study the daylights out of it, highlight it, take notes, memorize it etc. Then, as you get the money get some ACE practice tests and take them to see how you do. Then if you want to get the other stuff, go ahead, as you get the money. I think that will be the most inexpensive way to do it.
let me know what happens 🙂
Great tips Joe! I am going to start prepping for the exam this summer. I found a great deal on the ACE Personal Training Manual, 3rd edition. I was curious if you know of the major changes between the 3rd and 4th editions? In my experience with text books very minor changes can constitute an edition update and I’m assuming that is the case here. Any feedback you may have would be much appreciated!
Jason, thanks although Scott takes all the credit for that post. He’s the guy who did it. Im not sure if there is a major difference between the 3rd and 4th editions of the ACE book. For what its worth here is the 4th edition on Amazon to compare prices.
Scott may have more insights. what do you think Scott?
Thanks Joe! This guide was really excellent. I was uncertain exactly what I needed to know but I took A and P for fun and we covered a lot of what you said. I feel better because the test will be sort of review and a lot of the knowledge will be building on what I know. I feel a lot more secure after reading your article, thanks again!
Greg, Im happy the review helped you but it was Scott Fishkind who wrote it. he deserves all the credit 🙂
Hey Joe I recently ordered my package and paid the extra money to get the other helpful stuff. Im seeing its $700 well spent. Im 27yrs old a worker, husband and a student I wished ACE gave 1yr but here in NY it gives you 6 months to get ready once you purchase it. I have to wake up 5x a week at 5am so that i can get about an hour and a half of study time for the certification. On my days off I have to study but for my major/schoolwork. I found your page very helpful and Im just hoping could pass it but way above the average grade.
Roy, it sounds to me like you are doing exactly what you need to do to pass. Let me know how things go 🙂
can someone please contact me at Email removed i have my test booked for next month i do not feel quite ready…will compensate for an online tutor$$$
Harrison, if anyone wants to email you Ill pass your email on to them. This is better than posting your email address as it will save you getting lots of spam. Have you looked at the ACE facebook page? I found them to be quite good at helping people.
Hi Jae, the manuals are VERY different! Definitely get the 4th edition, totally different animal!
Great information. Is there a difference from the 3rd edition manual and the 4th edition?
Hi, I am not familiar w/ the current Premium Plus bundle, but when I was studying for my certification I got the best bundle available and used every single thing it came with. So I would always recommend purchasing the best bundle you can afford.
To me, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what you get back from it when you think of it as opening a new career path!
As a person with a degree in English, I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to pass the ACE certification exam in 6 months. Is the Premium Plus Study Bundle worth the price ($699)?
I’ll ask scott what he feels about the Premium Plus Study Bundle. ACE has a very active facebook page so do ask questions there. Maybe getting a study partner might help also.
Hello, I just completed a 12 week class covering all the ACE material. I’ve never known so much about one subject, so that gave me some great confidence. I scored a 70 on the “final exam” in the class. However, today I took my ACE practice test and scored a 55. It was very disheartening. Should I be worried that I did so bad on the ACE practice test? What did you get on it for the first time? And lastly, do you have any tips on where to go from here (more practice tests, back to the books, etc.)?
Thanks!
Rcandacel, wow that’s interesting. I’ve linked to a lot of practice tests on my resources page here is the link http://joe-cannon.com/resources/
I also have created my own practice test which is here http://joe-cannon.com/personal-training-practice-test/
Ill ask Scott if he has any other advice for you.
Thanks for the suggestion Joe! Turns out just to sit for the exam it now costs $400. Thats almost double the cost from a few yrs ago! Anyway, it will only cost me a bit more to get the “bundle” which includes the exam voucher (expires in 6 months), so I’m just going to have to suck it up. With the new “improved comprehensive” study material they also now have online interactive study, apparently increasing the pass rate so that is a plus. Thanks again for taking the time to reply!
Lyn, thanks for the update. keep me posted on how you do on the ACE test!
I’m in complete shock.
I purchased my ACE materials in 2008 after I first started my second hand at a college education. I realized the material was just too much for me in addition to school and the demands of a family life so I decided to wait until I had some good science knowledge under my belt as well as more study time.
I’m graduating next month and I’m ready to study for ACE and just found out my $600 study materials and exam voucher are all EXPIRED. I knew many changes have taken place in the field but thought I would just have to supplement my materials. No go 🙁
Hopefully no one else out there thinks purchasing and waiting is a good plan. Btw, their new edition is expected to come out in 2015
Lyn, sorry that happened to you! I know ACE has a very active facebook page. Maybe if you go there and plead your case in public they will give you a pass?
Thank You Scott! Huge help! 🙂
Hi Danielle, I’m really thrilled that folks have found my article so helpful! I have to thank Joe Cannon for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts about the exam preparation process on such an excellent and professional venue! Best wishes with your certification exam and career! Take care, Scott
Hi Joe,
This site was a HUGE help! I will be taking the ACE exam this month. I have been taking an ACE prep course to help me since I am not the type of person to just read a book and take a test. I have been looking for sites for help. I was worried i would be focusing on the wrong information to study but when i came to your site that changed. This site has given me a little more confidence to pass this exam.
Thank You
Danielle, thanks for saying that! I really appreciate it and I know Scott, who wrote this review of the ACE test also appreciates helping you also. Let me know how you do on the test and let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Great article Joe. I am trying not to get bogged down with the exercise science material. It is a little overwhelming. We have a ridiculous number of body parts, don’t we? 😉 Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Gaye
Gaye Thanks but that was Scott who did that review. Hes ACE certified. yes we have a LOT of body parts and even more inside of our cells too! No matter what cert you test for, do know the exercise science part. That will make up a good amount of the test – all certification tests actually. They often make the science a lot harder than it has to be. Ive written my book different – more understandable and definitely more “this is what you need to know for the real world” too.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for this great article. It is helping me gain a better sense of what I am actually studying and that it is the right approach. I would love your opinion on my process if possible.
I am currently reading the 4th edition of the ACE training manual and finish each chapter by answering the questions/multiple choice questions in the study guide that comes with the manual. I am finding this helpful.
To make sure I absorb the material I am highlighting the key points in each chapter and putting those into notes. Is too extensive of an approach and is there anything you would add to this or maybe change?
Also another question I have is how much of the human anatomy do I have to know for the exam? I am gathering that his is an exam focused on practical, hypothetical scenarios that trainers will run into on a daily basis.
The outline you gave us in terms of what to study somewhat confirms that thought for me. Please feel free to comment on any of this and look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely
Todd Hildebrand
Todd, that sounds like a good way to study for me but Ill pass your questions to Scott who wrote the ACE review and see if he can offer any additional insights.
I signed on with ACE about 5 years ago, then had some personal issues that developed and I am now just getting back into the program. I had the 3rd edition material but would like to get the updated material, i.e., the new 4th edition of the ACE materials, and “Essentials of Exercise Science”.
You also mentioned “master the Manual.” I spoke with someone from ACE and they did suggest that although the 3rd edition book had most of the same material, that the 4th edition had more in the way of quizzes and information that I might find helpful.
Well, I’d love to get the updates, but I am on a limited income, so I’m wondering is there somewhere that I might find these materials at a price I can afford.
Your site is great and I’m glad I found it. I think a lot of the info you have here will help guide me.
Thanks.
Deenie
deenie, thanks Im glad you found me 🙂 Did you check out my resources page I do link to a few ACE materials that may be cheaper than what you have seen.
let me know if I can help further 🙂
Hi Dar,
I don’t know about how one manual will effect passing the exam, but the 4th edition materials have the ACE IFT (Integrated Fitness Training) model which is a new thing. It also has a separate exercise science book which is really worthwhile.
Again, it depends on if your main goal is strictly to pass the exam or if you want the most up to date info from ACE.
I passed using the 3rd edition when it was the current manual but I still went ahead and purchased the 4th edition materials (which included the exercise science book and two dvds, the exercise coaching dvd is really well done as is the other one which is on applied anatomy and kinesiology.
However, I can completely understand not wanting to have to purchase everything all over again.
Take care,
Scott
I have found your information useful. Several years ago I purchased the 3rd Edition and then had to put the personal training dream on hold. I am back now and would like to know how I can get the information needed without purchasing another manual ( 4the ed)?
Thanks
Dar, Id say look at when the 3rd and 4th editions were published. If they are only a few years apart there may not be much difference. As a rule, exercise science doesn’t change very much. Id also go on the ACE facebook page and ask this question and see if anybody else passed using the 3rd edition. Even ask ACE this too. Ive found them very receptive to answering questions on their FB page.
Hi Lyss,
I found that the Master the Manual was very helpful. Beyond that though I found one of the most helpful things was to do as many practice tests as possible after you have already gone through the entire manual as well as Master the Manual.
The practice tests will help you really have to think through the information in a different way, plus it will help you get used to the format of questions you’ll get on the exam.
But of course as I mentioned in my article, mastery of the material so that you can properly apply it should be the first priority when studying.
Best of luck with everything!
Scott
How efficient is the ACE Personal Trainer Master the Manual Study Guide? Is there many more things that I need to pay deep attention to rather than what is in the guide? As I read through some chapters, I felt that it really did cover the jist of it. But, am I wrong?
Lyss, good question. Ill ask Scott to chime in and see if he can offer any other advice
I couldn’t agree more with you Joe. There are a lot of 4-5 week courses here in Australia which promises you that you will know everything there is to know about being a personal trainer after that short amount of time but I don’t think it is. I don’t want to pay $50+ for a 60 min session with someone who might not even know more than me about training. (I’m sure the short courses are okay, but I don’t think you will completely ‘get it’ in that short amount of time) one year like with Ace sounds a lot better to me
Great Information you have here Mr. Cannon! I actually shared this page of yours to my friends who are in Personal Training Industry too…We all would love to enhance or improve what we have..
Glenda, thanks that is very kind of you to do that. Hope all is going well at Zen Fitness 🙂
Hey Joe,
I’ve been visiting your website for the past few days and I have to say that everything I’ve read so far is making me more confident about pursuing this career. I feel that the information that I’ve read so far has been very helpful, especially in the area of choosing what agency I want to be certified through.
I am 24 years old and I have a passion for physical fitness. I have been a wildland firefighter for the past 5 years, but i am ready to move on and help people in a somewhat different way. I mainly want to target people who want to lose or gain weight, and people that want to put on muscle or get their bodies more tone.
I love to participate in crossfit workouts but I also have a lot of weight lifting experience as well. I have played football all through high school and some in college. So I’ve been in the weight room pretty constantly since I was a sophomore in high school.
I was just wondering if you had any suggestions or recommendations for me as far as getting this new exciting career started! I feel pretty confidently that i want to get certified through ACE, and I’m ready to begin the learning process.
Thanks Joe!
Hi Nick, glad you found my website. I’d say take your time and study the ACE book and take any practice tests they have. As a fireman, you may want to market your services to fireman. I think fireman – and EMTs – are an untapped area in personal training.
thank you although 44 my passion for bodybuilding leads me to the choice of becoming a trainer and helping others learn what has taken me many years to craft and I am serious i will be going to amazon and looking for the book and any information i can find
sounds good david here are some more ACE materials I found than might help