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NCHPAD - Building Healthy Inclusive Communities

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Inclusive Fitness Trainer Certification


Please note that Beta Testing ended on November 21, 2007. For more information, please contact the ACSM National Office by calling 317-637-9200 ext 115 or e-mailing certification@acsm.org.

ACSM is pleased to announce a collaboration with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) to offer a specialty certification. This certification is an industry-first for professionals working in the health and fitness field, specifically to work with individuals with disabilities.

There are 50 million people (approximately 20%) in the United States that have reported some type of disability. ACSM professionals have the potential to make a significant contribution by earning the specialty certification to safely and effectively work with people with disabilities.

ACSM and NCHPAD are performing BETA testing in preparation for a live exam. BETA testing begins Monday, October 1, 2007 with a final testing date of Wednesday, November 21st.

The BETA exam is offered through Authorized Pearson VUE® Testing Centers. Individuals interested in BETA testing must meet the eligibility requirements to participate. The cost of the BETA exam is $99USD and is a voucher-only exam. Individuals who would like to participate must request a voucher through the ACSM National Office by calling 317-637-9200 ext 115 or e-mailing certification@acsm.org. Once the candidate has confirmed eligibility and received the voucher, he/she can register on-line at http://www.pearsonvue.com/or by calling (888)-883-2276.

Registration begins on Monday, September 24th. Due to the nature of BETA testing, immediate results will not be available. Candidates will be notified the first half of January 2008 if they earned a passing score. If a passing score has been achieved, the candidate will earn the credential. If a candidate does not receive a passing score, he/she will be given the opportunity to re-test during the live version of the exam.

What are the minimum requirements to take the exam?

  • High school diploma or equivalent AND
  • Current ACSM Certification OR current NCCA-accredited, health/fitness-related certifications (e.g., ACE, NCSF, NASM, NFPT, NSCA, Cooper Institute) AND
  • Current Adult CPR (with practical skills component) & AED

What is a common work setting for individuals seeking this certification?

  • Community/public health settings, e.g. YMCA, parks & recreation, after school programs
  • Commercial health clubs
  • Corporate fitness centers
  • University recreation centers

What is the scope of practice for this Specialty Certification?

  • Demonstrates and leads safe, effective and adapted methods of exercise
  • Writes adapted exercise recommendations and understands precautions and contraindications to exercise for people with disabilities.
  • Able to demonstrate safe and effective adapted methods of exercise and is aware of current Americans with Disability Act (ADA) policy specific to recreation facilities (US Access Board Guidelines) and standards for accessible facility design
  • Can utilize motivational techniques and provide appropriate instruction to individuals with disabilities to begin and continue healthy lifestyles
  • Works with people with a disability who:
    • Are healthy OR
    • Have medical clearance to exercise and were referred or currently under the care of a physician or healthcare professional

What are the exam specifications?

  • BETA Exam Time: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
  • Total BETA Exam Seat Time: 175 minutes; includes tutorial, survey, non-disclosure agreement prior to exam and 10 minutes at the end for comments
  • Total Questions: 105

What is the exam blueprint?

  • Exercise Physiology and Related Exercise Science (18%)
  • Health Appraisal, Fitness and Clinical Exercise Testing (15%)
  • Exercise Prescription and Programming (20%)
  • Safety, Injury Prevention, and Emergency Procedures (11%)
  • Human Behavior and Counseling (10%)
  • Clinical and Medical Considerations (11%)
  • Americans with Disability Act (ADA) & Facility Design (5%)
  • Disability Awareness (10%)

What will I be tested on?

A body of knowledge delineated into Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) has been developed specifically for this Specialty Certification by subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs developed the KSAs specifically for fitness professionals working with people with disabilities. The SMEs assumed that candidates would know the ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM KSAs as a foundation for this specialty certification.

The following subject matter experts were key contributors to the development of the certification.

Mitch Carr, MS.Ed.
Director of Fitness, Sports and Recreation
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Larry Durstine, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina
Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Exercise Science
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC

Georgia Frey, Ph.D.
Dept. of Kinesiology, Indiana University
Bloomington, IN

Blythe Hiss, MS
University of Illinois at Chicago
National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD)
Chicago, IL

Luke Kelly, Ph.D.
Professor, Curry School of Education
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

Karen Luken, MS, LRT, CTRS
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
North Carolina Office on Disability & Health
Chapel Hill, NC

Chris Mackey, BS
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
North Carolina Office on Disability & Health
Chapel Hill, NC

Amy Rauworth, MS
Associate Director
National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD)
University of Illinois At Chicago
Chicago, IL

Rose Snyder, MS, ATC, OPA-C
Henry Ford Hospital, William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine
Detroit, MI


A huge thank you goes out to Jim Rimmer, Director of the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability and Jim Whitehead, Executive Vice President of the American College of Sports Medicine for their vision and support of this project.

Valuable Team Members include:

NCHPAD Staff: Amy Rauworth, Blythe Hiss, Cheeri Ong, and Brienne Davis
ACSM Staff: Richard Cotton, Hope Wood, Beth Muhlenkamp, Kathy Berlin and Mandy Couch


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