The NCCPT exam, the ISSA exam with NCCA accreditation

NCCPT-CPT facts

What is on it

Six domains from NCCPT's 2025 job task analysis. Applied Science, Program Design and Exercise Technique, 25% each.

• Applied Science25%
• Nutrition8%
• Intake & Ongoing Evaluation12%
• Program Design & Implementation25%
• Exercise Technique & Training Instruction25%
• Professional Practice & Responsibility5%

Source: NCCPT Certification Exam Policies & Procedures Manual, Appendix 2.2 (April 2026) · checked 19 Oct 2026

NCCPT's exam bibliography (manual Appendix 3) does not list the ISSA textbook. It lists ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (11th ed.), ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer (5th ed.), NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training (2nd ed.), Tortora & Derrickson's anatomy text and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, among others. So read beyond the ISSA course material, and expect the ACSM and NSCA way of putting things.

Test day

You sit it at a Prometric center or online, closed-book, with only scratch paper and a basic calculator. The rule that catches people is breaks: none are scheduled, and the clock keeps running if you step out. During the exam a navigation grid shows answered, skipped and flagged items, and a countdown timer runs at the top, so you can skip a hard item and come back to it.

Check eligibility before you book: 18+, a photo ID and a non-digital CPR card.

Scoring and results

NCCPT reports a scaled score against a passing standard it does not publish. Raw scores are converted so every exam form is held to the same standard, which is why no fixed "number correct" exists. You get pass or fail on the spot, and a fail comes with a report for each content area. Pass rates are published once a year, in Appendix 4 of the NCCPT manual; they move from year to year, so we do not repeat them here.

Retakes and the eligibility window

You have 12 months from purchase to pass, with one free 6-month extension and a paid second one. A retake is $99 plus Prometric's fee for the new sitting, 3 attempts in 12 months, after waits of 14 days, then 90 days, then a year; after 2 years the exam has to be bought again. Moving a booked date costs money too: free 30+ days before, $40 at 5–29 days, $79 under 5 days, for a no-show or for arriving 30+ minutes late.

Is the NCCPT exam mandatory?

No. ISSA lists it as one of two exam options. You need it if you want an NCCA-accredited credential; without it you hold the ISSA CPT from the course exam. ISSA accreditation explained.

NCCPT practice exam

We found no official NCCPT sample-question set. Our ISSA practice test is sorted by the six NCCPT-CPT domains, with a reason for every option. It uses five options per question, so it drills the content rather than mimicking the exam screen.

Drill the NCCPT domains

More on the ISSA exams

• ISSA CPTTwo exams under one name: format, cost, domains, sources
• ISSA CPT practice testQuestions sorted by the six NCCPT-CPT domains, every option explained
• ISSA CPT exam factsFinal exam format, passing score, retakes, CPR and CEU renewal
• ISSA CPT costCourse price, NCCPT exam and Prometric fees, retakes, renewal
• ISSA CPT accreditationIs ISSA NCCA accredited? Only the NCCPT-CPT exam is