FREE NASM CPT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Last Updated on April 17, 2025

FREE NASM CPT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]: Try our National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) certification examination review Questions and Answers for better NASM certification test prep. You can also download the NASM CPT Practice Test in printable PDF and test your knowledge in online quiz exams.

The NASM CPT Handbook provides information about the National Academy of Sports Medicine® (NASM) and the certification examination it offers personal trainers and fitness professionals. You can download the CPT Handbook PDF from the official website, www.nasm.org. All CPT candidates and all Certified Professionals are required to read this Candidate Handbook.

NASM CPT Practice Test 2025

These resources are designed to help you familiarize yourself with the format and content of the exam, which consists of 120 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 120 minutes.

 Chapter Wise Practice Tests 

NASM CPT Certification

A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing meaningful feedback, and being a reliable source of accountability.

Some certifications are available in the U.S., although some are not accredited. Most require a high school diploma, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED) certification, and some examination.

The National Commission accredits the NASM-CPT certification program for Certifying Agencies (“NCCA”), an Institute for Credentialing Excellence division. The NASM Certification Governing Board (CGB) is an independent and autonomous board that oversees the NASM-CPT program.

NASM’s Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification program includes, at a minimum, a certification examination developed under psychometric and NCCA standards and an administrative process that includes the issuance of credentials, a recertification process, and a code of professional conduct.

Exam Name CPT Certification 
Purpose Certified Personal Trainer
Administrated by National Academy of Sports Medicine
Certifying Agencies NCCA
Total Questions 120 questions
Questions Type multiple choice format
Time Duration 2 hours
Retaking the Exam one week to 30 days
Minimum Passing Score 70
Certification Validity two (2) years

NASM CPT Exam 2025

The CPT Exam Only option allows the candidate to challenge the NCCA-accredited CPT certification examination. However, purchasing NASM certification preparation materials is not required to become eligible to sit for the CPT exam and does not guarantee a passing score.

NASM CPT blueprint for determining the content (performance domains)

Candidates who pass the examination will be awarded the CPT credential. This option is most appropriate for candidates who have received formal education in related fields, such as athletic coaching or training, and have significant experience with exercise and fitness science.

NASM CPT Exam Content

The NASM-CPT certification exam is in a four-answer, multiple-choice format. It includes 120 questions, and candidates are provided two (2) hours to complete it. Each exam includes 20 “pretest questions.” These questions are being tested for future examinations as part of the continuous exam development process at NASM, as required by NASM’s accreditor. Pretest questions are excluded from the scoring process and scattered throughout the exam.

  1. Basic and Applied Sciences and Nutritional Concepts 15%
  2. Client Relations and Behavioral Coaching 15%
  3. Assessment 16%
  4. Program Design 20%
  5. Exercise Technique and Training Instruction 24%
  6. Professional Development and Responsibility 10%

CPT Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to sit for the NASM-CPT certification exam and receive certification, each candidate must:

  • Must have a high school diploma or equivalent, such as the General Education Development test (GED)
  • Must have current Emergency Cardiopulmonary Resuscitated (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Certification..

CPT Exam Score

NASM examinations are scored using a scaled score method. Scaled scores can range from 0 to 100 and represent a conversion of the candidate’s raw score to compare different forms of the same examination. By accounting for the difficulty level of the examination form, a scaled score provides consistency in reporting passing standards.

The same level of performance is required to meet the scaled passing score of 70 regardless of which form of exam a candidate takes. A candidate must achieve a scaled score of 70 or higher to pass the examinations.

NASM CPT Study Guide 2025

The official NASM CPT Study Guide includes hundreds of mid-chapter knowledge checks (or mini-quizzes), a proven process to help retain content. Each chapter and section also includes a summary review, quiz, and a practice final exam with unlimited attempts.

✔ Section 1: Professional Development and Responsibility

Chapter 1: Modern State of Health and Fitness
Chapter 2: The Personal Training Profession

✔ Section 2: Client Relations and Behavioral Coaching

Chapter 3: Psychology of Exercise
Chapter 4: Behavioral Coaching

✔ Section 3: Basic and Applied Sciences and Nutritional Concepts

Chapter 5: Nervous, Skeletal, and Muscular Systems
Chapter 6: Cardiorespiratory, Endocrine, and Digestive Systems
Chapter 7: Human Movement Science
Chapter 8: Exercise Metabolism and Bioenergetics
Chapter 9: Nutrition
Chapter 10: Supplementation

✔ Section 4: Assessment

Chapter 11: Health, Wellness, and Fitness Assessments
Chapter 12: Posture, Movement, and Performance Assessments

✔ Section 5: Exercise Technique and Training Instruction

Chapter 13: Integrated Training and the OPT™ Model
Chapter 14: Flexibility Training Concepts
Chapter 15: Cardiorespiratory Training Concepts
Chapter 16: Core Training Concepts
Chapter 17: Balance Training Concepts
Chapter 18: Plyometric (Reactive) Training Concepts
Chapter 19: Speed, Agility, and Quickness Training Concepts
Chapter 20: Resistance Training Concepts

✔ Section 6: Program Design

Chapter 21: The Optimum Performance Training® Model
Chapter 22: Introduction to Exercise Modalities
Chapter 23: Chronic Health Conditions and Special Populations

NASM CPT Study Guide URL
CPT 7 Guided-Study Program (Plus) Purchase
Free CPT Exam Study Guide PDF Download PDF
CPT Certification Link nasm.org/cpt/exam-info