NSCA · TSAC-F · exam facts
TSAC-F exam facts, including the online rules
Everything about sitting the exam, from who may apply to when the credential must be renewed: one table with sources, then a short section for each question people ask. Sources: the current handbook, effective July 2026, and the certifier’s yearly exam reports.
TSAC-F practice test Study guide
Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Not affiliated with NSCA, ACSM, BOC, CSCCa, ISSA or USAW.
- 18+, diploma, CPR/AEDto apply
- Yes (US only)online exam
- 78% (2025)pass rate
- 2024–2026, ends Dec 31, 2026current renewal cycle
Practice before you book the session
TSAC-F practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with NSCA, ACSM, BOC, CSCCa, ISSA or USAW.
Every exam fact, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certifying body | National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Who it is for | Entry-level professionals who train military, fire and rescue, law enforcement, protective services and other emergency personnel | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Eligibility | At least 18 years old, a high school diploma or equivalent, and current CPR/AED; no degree needed | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Degree rule | No degree required; the 2030 CASCE degree rule applies to the CSCS only | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| CPR/AED requirement | Current CPR/AED that included a hands-on skills assessment; a course without one is not accepted | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Where you test | Pearson VUE test center, or online with live remote proctoring (Pearson OnVUE) for candidates living in the US | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Online exam | Yes, for US residents onlyThe TSAC-F is the only NSCA exam offered online. | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| When you can test | Year-round; you have 120 days from registration to sit the exam, with one 120-day extension for $100 | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Questions on the exam | 150 questions: 130 scored and 20 unscored | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Unscored questions | 20 unscored pretest questions, mixed in and not marked | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Question types | Multiple choice with three options | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Testing time | 3 hours, one section, no scheduled breakAt a test center the clock keeps running during an unscheduled break; in an online session there are no breaks, and leaving the computer ends the exam. | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 70The raw number of correct answers behind a 70 changes from form to form; scaled scoring keeps the standard the same. | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Score scale | Scaled score; 70 is the published passing point | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Results | Score report at the test center right after the exam; the official report is in your Pearson VUE account after 24 hours; results stay valid for one calendar year | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Exam price | $300 NSCA member / $435 nonmember | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Retake rules | Wait at least 30 days and pay again (retakes are not discounted); at most 3 attempts in a row, then a 1-year wait | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Pass rate | 78% of 361 candidates passed in 202582% of 303 in 2024 and 88% of 360 in 2023; in 2022, 91% of 410 candidates became certified. 85% in 2019. | NSCA exam report, 2025 exams (Wayback copy of Jun 15, 2026) · NSCA exam report, 2024 exams (Wayback copy of Apr 30, 2025) · NSCA exam report, 2023 exams (Wayback copy of Nov 3, 2024) · NSCA exam report, 2022 exams (Wayback copy of Apr 19, 2024) · NSCA Certification Handbook, 2022 edition (PDF, superseded) [2][3][4][5][6] | |
| Credential holders | 1,983 TSAC-F holders as of December 31, 2025 | NSCA exam report, 2025 exams (Wayback copy of Jun 15, 2026) [2] | |
| Renewal cycle | Every 3 years; the current 2024–2026 cycle ends December 31, 2026 for every certified person | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Continuing education | 6.0 CEUs per cycle if certified before 2024 (4.0 if certified in 2024, 2.0 in 2025, 1.0 in January–June 2026, none from July 2026), or retake and pass the examOne set of CEUs covers every NSCA credential you hold; 1 contact hour = 0.1 CEU. | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Renewal fee | $65 for members, $90 for nonmembers, for each NSCA credential held (prorated for people certified after 2023) | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Accreditation | NCCA-accreditedOf the five NSCA credentials, only the CSCS, NSCA-CPT and TSAC-F are NCCA-accredited. | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Content outline in force | Detailed content outline in force since February 1, 2024, built on the 2022 job task analysis | NSCA: TSAC-F Job Task Analysis Summary (PDF) · NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) [1][7] | |
| What changed recently | The February 2024 outline cut Nutrition from 15 to 10 questions, renamed testing to Assessment and Evaluation (14 → 17), moved resiliency and coping from Program Design into Wellness Intervention, and added tasks on program KPIs and the interdisciplinary team | NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) · NSCA Certification Handbook, 2022 edition (PDF, superseded) · NSCA: TSAC-F Job Task Analysis Summary (PDF) [1][6][7] |
Eligibility: no degree
Three requirements: an age floor, a diploma or its equivalent, and CPR/AED. The CPR/AED course has to have included a hands-on skills check; a course without one is turned down. Nothing asks for a degree, and the CASCE degree rule that starts in 2030 applies to the CSCS alone (CSCS eligibility).
Taking it online
Online exam: Yes, for US residents only. The session runs on Pearson OnVUE with a live proctor, and the handbook sets these conditions (handbook, pp. 11 and 14):
- a computer you have administrator rights on, with a webcam, microphone and speakers, on a stable high-speed connection;
- a private, well-lit room with nobody else in it;
- check-in opening 30 minutes before the appointment and taking about 15 minutes: download the OnVUE app, show a government photo ID, scan the room;
- no breaks: leaving the computer ends the exam, and you register and pay again.
Extra time is the only accommodation offered online; anyone who needs breaks, assistive technology or a different setting is pointed to a test center (p. 10).
Exam day
All 150 questions sit in one section, and 20 of them are unscored pretest items you cannot tell apart. Question format: 3-option multiple choice. Breaks: At a test center the clock keeps running during an unscheduled break; in an online session there are no breaks, and leaving the computer ends the exam.
To book, you register with the certifier first and then schedule with Pearson. Booking: a 120-day window from registration; one extension costs $100.
Scoring: a scaled pass mark
Passing score: 70 (scaled). Forms differ in difficulty, so how many items you must get right for that 70 shifts between forms, and the handbook gives no raw cut score; a percentage target on a prep site is a guess. Results: same day, with the formal report in your Pearson account a day later.
Pass rate by year
Latest year: 78% of 361 candidates passed in 2025 (exam report). Before that it was 82% in 2024 and 88% in 2023, counting all candidates of the year. For 2022 the report counts candidates who became certified, 91%, and the 2022 handbook gave 85% for 2019.
The figure has dropped in each report since 2022, though the 2022 base differs, so treat it as a trend across reports rather than a verdict on one year. A prep site still quoting the 2019 number is seven years behind. The report does not split online and test-center results.
Out-of-date pages
The 2022 handbook has no online option and the old domain split, with a larger nutrition block and the former Testing, Assessment and Evaluation domain. Both still circulate. If a page does not name the outline in force since February 2024, check it against the table above.
What it costs
Exam price: $300 NSCA member / $435 nonmember. Membership, the trade-off between a home session and a test center, and the fees that come from missing a deadline are on TSAC-F cost.
If you fail: retakes
After a fail you wait at least 30 days, and the retake costs as much as the first attempt ($300 / $435). The cap is 3 attempts in a row, then a 1-year wait, so spend the waiting period on your weakest domains rather than on another full run.
Recertification
Current cycle: 2024–2026, ends Dec 31, 2026. Continuing education: 6.0 CEUs for anyone certified before 2024, prorated for later passes as the table shows, or passing the exam again. Renewal fee: $65 / $90 for each credential you hold.
What the 2024 outline changed
The domains were reordered, Testing, Assessment and Evaluation became Assessment and Evaluation, resiliency and coping moved from Program Design, and two tasks were added (JTA summary): program metrics and the interdisciplinary team, both covered on organization and administration. Resiliency now sits on wellness and nutrition.
- TSAC-FNo degree, an online option in the US, seven domains in one section
- TSAC-F practice testA mixed set from all seven domains in exam proportions, every option explained
- TSAC-F costOne exam price; what a home session and a test-center trip each add; fees you can avoid
- TSAC-F tactical strength and conditioningWhat tactical S&C is, the tests organizations use, and the credential path
- TSAC-F study guideWhich edition of the tactical textbook, a reading order by weight, and the online session
Sources
- NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF) nsca.com · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA exam report, 2025 exams (Wayback copy of Jun 15, 2026) web.archive.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA exam report, 2024 exams (Wayback copy of Apr 30, 2025) web.archive.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA exam report, 2023 exams (Wayback copy of Nov 3, 2024) web.archive.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA exam report, 2022 exams (Wayback copy of Apr 19, 2024) web.archive.org · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA Certification Handbook, 2022 edition (PDF, superseded) nsca.com · checked Oct 27, 2026
- NSCA: TSAC-F Job Task Analysis Summary (PDF) nsca.com · checked Oct 27, 2026
TSAC-F exam facts, quick answers
What is the TSAC-F pass rate?
78% of 361 candidates passed in 2025, the latest year in the certifier’s exam report. It has dropped each year since 2022; the series is under pass rate.
Is there a break during the online TSAC-F exam?
No. Leaving the computer ends the exam and the registration, and you pay again to reschedule (handbook, p. 13).
How long does the TSAC-F certification last?
It renews with the certifier’s three-year cycle. Current cycle: 2024–2026, ends Dec 31, 2026.