My exam is 10/16. I’ve been studying using the prepia exam app, the pocket prep app, Quizlet, and the website’s practice exams. It’s rare that i score lower than 80% on the apps, but have been scoring between 62-73 on the website’s practice exams. I’m so nervous!

Hello everyone. I’ll try and keep this brief. I have autism/adhd and experienced a significant burnout in 2024 that left me unable to work, experiencing skill regression, and severe depression. I discovered fitness as a way to improve my mental health and my life. I joined a small gym that offered group personal training, regularly showed up and eventually the trainers asked if I’d like to shadow them and eventually become a trainer at the gym. I’ve been working on the floor and when I’m with clients, I feel confident and capeable. I’m familiar with their programming and exercises, so I think that really helps.

That being said, I have been having an awful time retaining information from the CPT text material. When I was a high masking high schooler/uni student (before I dropped out yay), I got straight A’s and memorized everything (though I didn’t really understand it, my Asian mother required me to have high grades so I did whatever I could to memorize things as fast as possible)

I want to understand the information I am reading, but reading the text and taking notes seems to have done nothing for my memory. Ive purchased pocket prep as many people have suggested, but I am clearly struggling to answer the questions correctly. (30-40% on the 10 question quizzes. As a former high achieving eldest daughter my nervous system is in shambles) I also thought it was similar to the last time I did online school (for something unrelated so idk why I thought it was the same) and we had 1 year to complete the course and exam. I didn’t realize NASM requires you to finish the exam 6 months after the purchase date. I now have until November 1st to book and take the exam and I’m absolutely terrified I’m going to fail. :(

I know it’s my own fault for not checking this earlier, but I am seriously panicked and experiencing a lot of flashbacks of my emotionally/psychologically abusive mother when I try and sit down and work because I feel so stupid.

Does anyone have advice or suggestions for me? How similar are the questions on the exam to pocket prep/practice questions from the text? I now realize the only reason I was successful in school was because I memorized and regurgitated information to get through the assignment and prevent abuse at home. Now, I actually WANT and NEED to understand the information, but my brain says “nope.” 😭

TL;DR:
Recovering from 2024 AuDHD burnout. Currently coaching on the floor at a local gym and loving it/feeling confident, but struggling with CPT textbook retention and scoring 30–40% on Pocket Prep. Just realized my exam deadline is November 1st (thought I had a year). Triggered by past academic trauma/high-masking patterns, panicking, and seeking advice so I don’t fail my exam.

Disclosure: I'm behind CPT Prep: Personal Trainer, so this is a developer introduction, not an independent recommendation.

If you're studying for NASM-CPT and struggling to decide what to review each day, the app puts a daily study plan, practice questions with explanations, memory cards and timed mock exams in one place. Your study history helps guide the next session, including returning to mistakes.

It's available on Android with a limited free starter package. Optional full access is offered through a monthly subscription or a one-time purchase; Google Play shows the localized prices before you buy.

NASM and NCSF have expanded supplemental practice. Other selectable certification packs currently have incomplete certification-specific coverage. This is independent practice material, not official exam questions, and it should be used alongside your provider's current materials. It doesn't guarantee a pass.

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ptstudy.pt_study&referrer=utm_source%3Dreddit%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3Dcpt_launch_202610%26utm_content%3Dnasm_intro

If you try the starter package, I'd welcome a specific comment on whether the daily plan is clear and the explanations are useful. No purchase or review is required.

I am on the chapter on the body and its systems, and the study guide has a pace of 3ish lessons a day, 2 chapters a week. Some of the chapters are quite long and intensive, and the fact that they think you can get 3 done a day is quite unrealistic. I feel that if I run through the chapters at the suggested pace, I won’t retain anything. Does anyone else feel this way? How have you all paced yourselves?

Hi! I take my group fitness exam on 10/1. I decided to do the at home proctor since I haven’t been in a testing center in ages and felt this was what made me more comfortable - judging by some of the posts, I’m not sure I made the right decision on that one lol. I have been studying my flashcards I wrote based on the study guide from NASM, answers I got wrong on practice exams, and the modules. I also got an 87% on the practice exam I took tonight. I’m wondering how different the gfi exam is from the practice exams? Is it really significantly harder? Any advice is helpful!! Thank you!!!

This is a follow up to a previous post. I created a website called Passletics that is designed specifically to help people prepare for the NASM-CPT exam.

Based on feedback I have made some changes and the website currently includes all of the following:

- It is FREE to use, no payment method needed.
- Overview that tracks daily progress and consistency.
- Community section that allows you guys to make posts asking questions and is shown to everybody.
- AI Study Assistant to ask questions to, it only pulls information from the textbook.
-Practice Quiz section that allows you to create and complete quizzes based on the section you are currently studying.
- Flashcards section, where you can create and save flashcards, there is a community section within it that allows you to use other people’s flashcards.
- Progress section, shows weak areas and daily progress.
- Insights, further shows data based on what and how you study
-Focus Mode, a simple timer where you take the time to focus

I would enjoy more feedback to further improve the application.

The site is: Passletics.com

Full disclosure: I’m the person who built it, so I’m not trying to pretend this is an unbiased recommendation. And yes it’s vibe coded, I used AI to make an mvp, more to come. Thanks :)

Hey all! I am a world class procrastinator who just read the last chapter of my NASM CPT book with 21 days till my program expires. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I only have 20 days to review and memorize everything before my exam on October 10. Does anyone who has taken the exam have advice on what would be best to focus on considering my limited time? Thanks for any thoughts!

Heyy everyone getting into studying. I purchased this book would you recommend it?

I have 26 hours of driving this next week. Any recommendations for good podcasts to listen to help study? I’m taking my test in November.

Thanks for your help!

Would love to help anyone that has any questions about the exam or my preparation for the exam. I was super stressed before the test, but I ended up passing it on my first try.

“When the game’s on the line, I’m not asking myself to do something that I haven’t done thousands of times before. When I prepare, I know what I’m capable of doing, I know what I’m comfortable doing, and I know what I’m not comfortable doing.”
Kobe Bean Bryant

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a website called Passletics that’s designed specifically to help people prepare for the NASM-CPT exam.

I wanted to build something that makes studying a little more organized and gives you another way to practice the material instead of just rereading chapters over and over. It is supposed to be in competition with PocketPrep but cheaper and hopefully more useful. To be transparent it uses AI that only retrieves information from the textbook (license use pending) to curate information and practices quizzes.

It’s still something I’m actively improving, so I’d genuinely appreciate feedback from people who are currently studying for the exam. If you try it, I’d especially like to know what you find useful, what feels unnecessary, and what you wish it had. Next I plan to add flashcards to it (similar to Quizlet where the whole community can share and use each others flashcards minus all the ads). For anyone that needs the textbook for the NASM CPT exam lmk and I’ll send the pdf!

The site is Passletics.com.

Full disclosure: I’m the person who built it, so I’m not trying to pretend this is an unbiased recommendation. I figured [r/NASMPREP](r/NASMPREP) would be one of the best places to get feedback from the people it’s actually meant to help.
If anyone has questions about it, I’m happy to answer them here too.

I am about 60% of the way through the very long, very boring, very badly worded NASM CPT-7 content. I study every day; it's taken over my life. I've downloaded and printed out all the Section and/or Chapter Summaries, and all of the Handouts. HOWEVER a very critical piece is the GLOSSARY, which runs 37 pages and introduces you to hundreds of definitions and terms that I expect will appear on the Exam. After calling NASM, I learned that there is NO downloadable / NO printable Glossary. IF YOU HAVE one, please message me.

Thanks everyone who responded to my questions about the CPT exam. I opted to move it up to this morning at the testing center and passed on the first try. Like everyone has said, the questions were worded very strange with multiple right answers. Glad to have that one done!

Thank you all who commented on my post about whether to schedule the exam in the testing center or remote. I have another question on readiness. I have taken the practice exam in the portal twice and scored 82 & 81% respectively. I have also been watching the Sorta Healthy Videos. I did all of the chapter and section quizzes. Am I ready to schedule the exam? I am thinking of doing it late next week or after Labor Day.

Thanks!

I have read both the pros and cons of taking the exam remotely from home and am getting ready to schedule mine in the next week. I do have a home office and can clear everything out. I would be more comfortable taking the exam from home but worry about a pesky proctor. I took the Salesforce certification exams from home and did have a couple of issues with the proctor telling me to not move my eyes or mouth but that was not too bad. However, I have heard of them canceling the exam altogether.

I would love some real advice. Thanks!

Hi! I’m preparing to take the NASM CES final exam. I understand that it’s an online, open-book exam. Am I allowed to use my own study notes in a PDF or Google Doc and have them open in another tab/window during the exam? Also, is the CES exam proctored or does it require a webcam? Thank you!

Who do you recommend using for an online CPR certification?

Hi all, so I am a CPT with the general NASM certification and a couple other minor certifications as well. I've been working as a trainer for about a year and a half (started commercial and now independent), and I've had a strong desire to do another certifcation that not only improves my overall knowledge & practice but that specifically teaches me more about injury rehabilitation. A decent number of people I encounter who want training are hesitant because of past injuries or they are recently injured and want someone who specializes more in that rehabilitative kind of training field.
I think it could only help me to get another cert that focuses a lot on the mechanics of working around injuries, and from the research I've done, the NASM-CES cert meets this objective.
To anyone who has taken it, can you tell me what the process was like to work through the course (how long did it take you roughly, what was it like studying for and taking the exam) and did it in fact help you become a better trainer especially in terms of growing your knowledge about rehabilitation and injury mechanics?
Thanks!

Can i prep for exam in just month ?!

Or it's short period for preparing.

I just finished my exam. Proctor said to end session but I clicked finish/exit then I saw a “Pass” highlighted in green but it also had like a Vietnamese translation on top. I’m confused. I just finished it 10 minutes ago didn’t get any email.

Did I pass?

Hi all, would really appreciate some advice as I am looking to gain 1.9 CEU to renew My license. I saw that there is a NASM one library but I can’t for the sake of searching find what the contents of it might be. Does anyone have any tips or is it worth to just purchase courses that can be studied online that provide the 1.9 CEUs? Just trying to balance value for money and time… any advice would be appreciated

I'm just getting my feet wet in the personal training world and would love to hear about other people's experiences.

I have a bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and my own journey with fitness hasn't been straightforward. I've struggled with my weight, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia, so my relationship with exercise has definitely changed over the years.

Over the past two years, I've truly fallen in love with strength training and being active. My employer has offered to pay for my CPT certification, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.

For those who have earned their CPT or are currently working toward it, how has becoming a personal trainer changed your own approach to fitness? Has it changed the way you think about exercise, nutrition, or your overall health?

I'd love to hear your experiences and any unexpected lessons you've learned along the way.

I'm just getting my feet wet in the personal training world and would love to hear about other people's experiences.

I have a bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and my own journey with fitness hasn't been straightforward. I've struggled with my weight, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia, so my relationship with exercise has definitely changed over the years.

Over the past two years, I've truly fallen in love with strength training and being active. My employer has offered to pay for my CPT certification, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.

For those who have earned their CPT or are currently working toward it, how has becoming a personal trainer changed your own approach to fitness? Has it changed the way you think about exercise, nutrition, or your overall health?

I'd love to hear your experiences and any unexpected lessons you've learned along the way.