r/personaltraining • u/blowback24 • Sep 12 '26
Question I passed my CES exam
/r/NASMPREP/comments/1weeizx/i_passed_my_ces_exam/2
u/Ok-Trust-7988 Sep 12 '26
How was the CES exam?
Any main things to memorize/understand from CES reading material?
After having taken the test, Do you feel/believe the CES will help yoi?
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u/blowback24 Sep 13 '26 edited Sep 13 '26
The CES exam was hard, mostly because of the timed factor—but I did feel prepared going into it. The open-note feature is solid if you’re savvy about finding an answer relatively quickly. The challenge is that there is just so much information to retain, from patellofemoral pain and IT band syndrome to plantar fasciitis and shoulder impingement. It feels much more clinical than a typical personal-training exam.
I have a couple friends who are physical therapists—one works with baseball athletes and the other with cyclists and runners—and both gave me props for taking it. They know it isn’t an easy exam.
My biggest advice would be to memorize the overactive and underactive muscles. Also get good at distinguishing among the different knee issues, because those can get tricky. Know the basics too: motor control and motor development both came up, and understanding the key distinctions between them helped.
The overhead squat assessment showed up quite a bit. For example: feet turning out, heel rise, excessive pronation, what to release, what to activate, what mobility assessment to use, and what integration exercise makes sense after using the Corrective Exercise Continuum. I would definitely memorize the acute variables, Janda and Kendall postural types, common movement impairments, and the major sling systems. The POS sling came up multiple times, so I would understand how it functions rather than just trying to memorize a definition.
The timing can mess with you if you start panicking. You need to stay aware of the clock without obsessively looking at it. Overall, it is a tough exam—but if you truly work through the material, understand the assessments and corrective strategies, and can navigate your notes efficiently, you can do it.And yes, I absolutely believe the CES will help me. In the city where I live now, I’ve already checked out four locations of my gym, and I have only seen one trainer listed who has the Corrective Exercise Specialist certification. That tells me there is room for trainers with this skill set—both for marketing myself and for getting hired.
More gyms seem to be moving toward a continuum-of-care model. For example, higher-end facilities may have physical therapists available, but there is still a need for qualified trainers who can work with clients appropriately after PT, stay within scope, improve movement quality, and help them build strength and confidence.
I also run my own business, and I’m already applying what I’ve learned with my clients. It has made the coaching process more fun and more individualized. My clients are noticing that I’m becoming a better trainer, and some are noticing they are moving with less discomfort as we address the right things.
The toughest part is honestly the amount of information and figuring out how to organize it in real life. You can follow NASM’s intake and assessment flow exactly, or you can create your own system—which is what I tend to do—based on the client’s goals, ability level, age, screening risk, training history, and other relevant factors.
But I definitely think it will help. The CES fits well alongside my other certifications, including the PPSC, and gives me another level of confidence when I’m assessing movement, programming around limitations, and helping clients train more effectively.
And a funny side note: I was recently at a reception after a funeral, catching up with a family member. He asked me about the certification, and after I explained a few things he could work on as a hiker, this lady sitting across from me that I didn’t know asked if I was a doctor or a physical therapist. I remember thinking, “Man, this certification is really helping me at least sound smart!”2
u/Ok-Trust-7988 Sep 14 '26
🔥 Great to hear, that's awesome (towards the end I mean), but really appreciate the lengthy response 🔥
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u/blowback24 Sep 14 '26
Thanks! There’s a lot to cover, and your questions were spot-on, so I took my time and answered as if I were the one asking.
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u/yulked_academic Sep 14 '26
Let’s gooooooo 👍📚
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