Continuing Education FAQs

Requirements can be different for each type of fitness certification you pursue, but all certifiers require that you demonstrate ongoing competence through continuing education.  Your credential impacts your work opportunities, your liability insurance, your credibility in the fitness industry, and the respect of your clients. Continuing to educate yourself, not only adds to your fitness portfolio, it assures that you are retaining and maintaining your trainer education to continue supporting the needs of your clients.

It’s important to continually grow and maintain your knowledge to support your clients needs and goals. Growing your trainer knowledge and learning fresh skills will keep you on the cutting edge.  Clients are eager to try new techniques, and they want to learn from enthusiastic trainers who are passionate about fitness and have a well rounded knowledge base.

You will need 2.00 CECs each cert year, but you will not need to complete them until you’re within your second certification year. Starting year two (and beyond), you will begin earning credits through learning assessments, which you’ll have a full certification year to accumulate.  You will also have the opportunity to work one certification year ahead to complete a max of 4.00 credits.  In doing this, your credits will transfer to the following year and you can proceed to renew for a two year time period.  Note: 10 credit hours are required each year, 1 hour = 0.20 credits (2.00 credits needed to extend one year, 4.00 credits needed to extend two years).

You can earn ALL CECs for FREE, each certification year, through your online account!  Free Fitness Flops and Self Tests will post to your account through-out the year, so you’ll always have enough free options available for the life of your certification.  We also have Specialty Courses for purchase, if you’d like to add to your credential, but those are not required for renewal.

You’ll complete and submit continuing education coursework throughout the year to uphold your personal trainer credential, but we make earning CECs stress free by allowing the opportunity to earn all the required credits through your online account, absolutely free.  You will never have to bear the expense of Continuing Education as long as you are NFPT Certified!

NFPT’s Free Self Tests (worth .60 credits each) are derived from the FREE education resource articles on our NFPT Blog.  You read the selected articles, then take a 50 question test.  Once you’ve passed the test with an 80% or higher, your credits will automatically post to your account.  Don’t let the word “test” scare you though…it’s open book, not timed, and you can take it as often as you need to receive a passing score.

NFPT’s Free Fitness Flops (worth .10 credits each) will present one article, with a 5-6 question quiz.  These are fun, quick, and the credits stack up fast.

NFPT Online Courses can be purchased if you’re one who likes to earn additional credentials.  They’re not required, but make great additions to your trainer toolbelt.  We have a wide variety of courses available that will award anywhere from .50 – 2.00 CECs.  Don’t forget to check out our Partner Courses as well!

If you’ve completed health, fitness, or business courses outside of NFPT, you can submit your credential/transcript to [email protected] to receive credits for that learning assessment.  Each learning hour is equivalent to .20 credits, so once we’ve reviewed the submitted document, we will award the appropriate credit allotment to your account, with NO Petition Fees!   

It’s as simple as uploading your certificate of completion (professional document) through your NFPT Account, or emailing the attachment to [email protected].  As long as we have the official document of completion, and the hours associated with the course, we will apply the appropriate credit award to your account.  If completing a NFPT course and/or the free options through your online account, your credits will automatically post…no need to turn anything in.

Yes!  We know there are great courses out there, and we want you to expand your fitness knowledge in ways that interest you.  When you invest your time on ANY health/fitness/business course we WILL give you credit for that learning assessment…without a petition fee!  As long as you submit a professional document with a clear representation of the credit hours, from a credible source, we will accept your course submission.

CEC Suggestions:

• FREE NFPT Self Tests and Fitness Flops  (.10 – 4.00)

• NFPT Courses (.50 – 2.00 credits)

• ANY health/fitness/business credential  (.20 – 4.00 credits)

• Emergency response card  (.30 – .90 credits, every other cert year)

• Proof of liability coverage (.25 credits)

• College transcript showing health, fitness or business classes  (1.00 – 4.00 credits)

• Write for the NFPT Blog (.50 – 4.00 credits)

• Attend health/fitness trade shows, workshops or seminars (1.00 – 4.00 credits)

Note: 10 credit hours are required each year, 1 hour = 0.20 credits