Exercise physiologist certification · two ACSM routes
Certified exercise physiologist, which credential?
You become a certified exercise physiologist by passing a certifying body's exam. This page centers on the two from the American College of Sports Medicine, and lists other bodies further down. The EP is for people who test and train apparently healthy clients and clients whose disease is under control; the CEP is for clinical programs that treat patients. The degree you hold and the clinical hours you can document decide which exam is open to you today. Below: the two compared, the four steps from degree to credential, what became of the RCEP, the other bodies that certify exercise physiologists, and what the job pays.
Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Not affiliated with NSCA, ACSM, BOC, CSCCa, ISSA or USAW.
- 70%EP, first attempt, Jul–Dec 2025
- 55%CEP, first attempt, Jul–Dec 2025
- $59,460median pay, exercise physiologists (BLS, May 2025)
ACSM-EP vs ACSM-CEP
| Feature | ACSM-EP | ACSM-CEP | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Exercise professionals who assess and train apparently healthy clients and clients with medically controlled diseases | Clinical exercise physiologists who test and prescribe exercise for people with cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, orthopedic, neuromuscular, neoplastic, immunologic or hematologic disease, from children to older adults | [1][2][3] |
| Eligibility | A bachelor’s degree in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology (or an equivalent set of courses), or the final semester of one, plus adult CPR/AED with a live hands-on skills check | A master’s in clinical exercise physiology (or equivalent) with 600 clinical hours (Pathway A), or a bachelor’s in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology with 1,200 clinical hours (Pathway B) | [2][4] |
| Application audits | About 10% of EP applicants are audited; every month 15% of the previous month’s passing EP candidates have their degree checked by a third party | Every CEP application is audited (transcript and clinical log) before you can schedule the exam | [4][5] |
| Questions on the exam | 140 questions: 125 scored and 15 unscored | 115 questions: 100 scored and 15 unscored | [1][2][3] |
| Testing time | 210 minutesAt a test center breaks do not stop the clock; OnVUE allows no breaks. The tutorial is outside exam time. | 210 minutesAt a test center breaks do not stop the clock; OnVUE allows no breaks. The tutorial is outside exam time. | [1][2][3] |
| Passing scoreEach body uses its own scaled score (NSCA 70, ACSM 550 of 800, BOC 500 of 800), so the numbers do not compare and none of them is a percentage. | Scaled score of 550Forms are equated, so the number of correct answers behind a 550 varies. | Scaled score of 550Forms are equated, so the number of correct answers behind a 550 varies. | [2] |
| Exam priceThe bar shows the highest standard price for a first attempt (nonmember, including any application fee). | $350 ACSM member / $460 nonmember, each including a $50 nonrefundable application fee | $350 ACSM member / $460 nonmember, each including a $50 nonrefundable application fee | [2][6][7] |
| Retake price | $235 per retest | $235 per retest | [2][6][7] |
| Pass rateBodies count differently: the NSCA reports all candidates in a calendar year, ACSM first and repeat attempts, the BOC first-time and retake candidates per exam year. | 70% of first-time candidates passed in July–December 2025, the first months of the new outlineRepeat candidates 53%. 2024: 70% first-time, 54% repeat; 2023: 68% and 52%. | 55% of first-time candidates passed in July–December 2025, down from 65% in 2024Repeat candidates 49%. 2024: 65% first-time, 47% repeat; 2023: 60% and 42%. | [5] |
| Continuing education | 60 continuing education credits (CECs) every 3 years; CPR/AED and first-aid courses count for up to 5 CECs a year | 60 continuing education credits (CECs) every 3 years; CPR/AED and first-aid courses count for up to 5 CECs a year | [8] |
| Renewal fee | $70 per certification; late fee $80 within the 6-month grace period, reinstatement $225 | $70 per certification; late fee $80 within the 6-month grace period, reinstatement $225 | [8] |
Read it from the top. The two rows that really separate them are eligibility and audits: the CEP wants documented clinical hours and checks every file before you can book, while the EP takes a degree and a CPR/AED card and audits a sample. Further down the table they converge: the same price, the same scaled pass mark and the same renewal, with the CEP asking fewer questions in the same seat time.
- Pick the EP if you hold or are finishing a degree in exercise science or a close field (kinesiology, exercise physiology) and your work is fitness and health: assessment, prescription and coaching of people who are cleared to exercise.
- Pick the CEP if your hours come from cardiac or pulmonary rehab, oncology or other clinical exercise programs. Hours with athletes, healthy clients or personal-training clients are not counted (CEP requirements).
- Not either-or. The EP is not a prerequisite for the CEP, and a bachelor's holder can reach the CEP directly with the longer hour count.
How to become an exercise physiologist
Four steps; only the last one is specific to clinical work.
Finish the degree
Kinesiology, exercise science or exercise physiology. Degree rule: Degrees awarded on or after August 15, 2027 must come from a CAAHEP-accredited program or one that has started the CAAHEP/CoAES process; ACSM will reassess in August 2029. More on ACSM certifications.
Get CPR/AED
The course needs an in-person skills test. Required: CPR/AED; first aid from 2027.
Pass the EP (non-clinical work)
Four domains, 125 scored questions. Domain pages and a full practice test are on the ACSM-EP hub.
Log clinical hours, then the CEP
Hours: Master’s + 600 h or bachelor’s + 1,200 h. The EP is not required first. The application is reviewed before a testing window opens; see the ACSM-CEP hub.
What happened to the RCEP
The Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist is no longer awarded. The RCEP, the older CEP and the ETT were consolidated into today’s ACSM-CEP; earlier holders keep a legacy designation that cannot be renewed (ACSM notice).
So a prep product that still sells an "RCEP exam" is preparing you for a credential new candidates cannot earn. The exam to sit now is the ACSM-CEP, with its July 2025 outline.
Other exercise physiologist credentials
Other bodies certify under the same title. Two of them are below; neither has practice questions on this site, and the facts come straight from their own pages, checked Oct 27, 2026.
- ASEP Exercise Physiologist Certified (EPC). The American Society of Exercise Physiologists reviews your transcripts first: a degree in exercise physiology or a related field, with passing grades in at least seven of nine listed course areas (education requirements). You must be an ASEP member, and the exam is taken online: 200 questions in 4 hours, $300 (EPC exam process).
- CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP). A Canadian credential from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: an undergraduate degree of at least 120 credits and at least 100 hours of practical experience (prerequisites). CSEP lists an equivalency route for ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP holders in good standing (CSEP-CEP).
Exercise physiologist salary
BLS figure: $59,460 median pay for exercise physiologists (BLS, May 2025). That number covers the occupation, not the credential, and BLS publishes no separate line for clinical exercise physiologists.
Both exams, one question at a time
ACSM-EP practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with NSCA, ACSM, BOC, CSCCa, ISSA or USAW.
ACSM-CEP app
ACSM-CEP practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with NSCA, ACSM, BOC, CSCCa, ISSA or USAW.
Next pages
- ACSM-EPdomains, practice test and exam facts
- ACSM-CEPclinical domains, ECG and medication questions
- ACSM-EP requirementsdegree names, coursework and audits
- ACSM-CEP requirementswhat counts as a clinical hour
- ACSM certificationsall four ACSM exams and the GETP edition
Sources
- ACSM-EP exam content outline, effective July 10, 2025 (PDF) acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM Candidate Handbook, July 2025 (PDF) acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM-CEP exam content outline, effective July 10, 2025 (PDF) acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM: updated ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP requirements and accreditation (revised Feb 6, 2026) acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM: about ACSM certification (scoring, pass rates, audits) acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM: Certified Exercise Physiologist acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM: Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ACSM: recertification acsm.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
Exercise physiologist certification, quick answers
Can you become an exercise physiologist without a degree?
Not through any credential on this page. The ACSM exams, the ASEP EPC and the CSEP-CEP all start from college coursework in exercise science or a related field.
Do I need the ACSM-EP before the ACSM-CEP?
No. Eligibility for the CEP is a degree plus clinical hours (Master’s + 600 h or bachelor’s + 1,200 h); holding the EP is not one of the conditions.
How long does ACSM certification take once I apply?
EP: 3-month window after approval, which can be extended. CEP: Application review first, then the same kind of window.
Is the RCEP still offered?
No. It was merged into the CEP. Existing RCEPs keep the letters as a legacy credential with no renewal path, and new candidates sit the CEP.