The ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer is a fitness professional involved in developing and implementing an individualized exercise program for a person who may have a physical, sensory or cognitive disability, who is healthy or has medical clearance to perform independent physical activity. CIFT certified professionals hold a current NCCA-accredited health/fitness certification and CPR and AED certifications. In addition to knowledge of exercise physiology, exercise testing and programming, a CIFT has knowledge in inclusive facility design and awareness of social inclusion for people with disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Additionally the ACSM/NCPAD CIFT demonstrates and leads safe, effective and adapted methods of exercise; writes adapted exercise recommendations, understands adapted methods of exercise; understands precautions and contraindications to exercise for people with disabilities; is aware of current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy specific to recreation facilities (US Access Board Guidelines) and standards for accessible facility design and can utilize motivational techniques and provide appropriate instruction to individuals with disabilities to begin and continue healthy lifestyles.
The exam will be delivered in a computer-based testing format (English only) at Pearson VUE® Authorized Test Centers worldwide. There are 100-120 multiple-choice questions based on KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 
50 KB pdf) distributed across eight content areas. The table below lists the approximate percentage of questions from each content area:
Click on a question below to view the answer.
The exam is currently available on-demand, with immediate results, at over 4300 Pearson VUE® Authorized Test Center locations. Candidates may pick the date, time and location of their exam.
A body of knowledge delineated into Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 50 KB pdf (KSAs) has been developed specifically for the ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer by subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs developed the KSAs specifically for fitness professionals working with people with a physical, sensory or cognitive disability.
The examination is composed of approximately 100–120 multiple choice questions drawn from the KSAs for the ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer. It includes “trial” questions that are being tested for use in future examinations. These trial questions are randomly distributed throughout the exam and will not be counted in the final results.
You will not be allowed to bring any materials or equipment into the examination area. There are no calculations on the exam.
Exam Time: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
Total Exam Seat Time: 175 minutes (2.75 hours); includes eligibility verification, a tutorial and a non-disclosure agreement prior to exam.
- Current ACSM Certification OR current NCCA-accredited, health/fitness-related certifications (e.g., ACE, NCSF, NASM, NFPT, NSCA, Cooper Institute) AND
- Current Adult CPR (with practical skills component) & AED Certification
- Community/public health settings e.g. YMCA, parks & recreation, after school programs
- Commercial health clubs
- Corporate fitness centers
- University recreation centers
The CIFT certification is a specialty certification that tests the competencies of fitness professionals desiring to work with individuals who may have a physical, sensory or cognitive disability, who are healthy or have medical clearance to perform independent physical activity. Because the eligibility requirements include a current ACSM or NCCA-accredited certification, the candidate will already have a foundation in health and fitness competencies. The certification is designed to address specifically the knowledge, skills and abilities for working with individuals with disabilities.
The CIFT certification is intended for fitness professionals to support clients in this specific area at a level that is consistent with their pre-requisite certification.
For example, if an individual is eligible to take the CIFT certification exam because they hold an ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM certification, then they are qualified to work with apparently healthy clients or those who have been cleared by their physician to take part in independent physical activity. They are required to stay within their scope of practice consistent with their personal trainer certification and the CIFT certification, if earned. The clients they are working with must be either apparently healthy or cleared by their physician to take part in independent physical activity.
If an individual holds the ACSM Exercise Specialist® certification they are qualified to work with clients or patients with cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic disease who require clinical supervision. Therefore if they hold the CIFT certification they are qualified to work with clients or patients that have a physical, sensory or cognitive disability in addition to cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic disease.
Simply put, inclusion means including everyone. Fitness professionals can learn ways to be inclusive in their facility and in their testing and programming through education and by earning the ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer certification. For education and inclusive initiatives, visit the Inclusive Fitness Coalition and the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability.
Workshops are not currently available; however, there will be workshops available in the near future. Please check back for more information at a later date.
$195 for non-ACSM Certified Professionals and $150 for ACSM Certified Professionals. The cost of the re-test is $125. To receive the ACSM Certified Professional discount, e-mail certification@ACSM.org, include your full name and 6 digit ACSM ID number as listed on your certificate.
There is not an ACSM membership discount for specialty certifications, however, there is an ACSM Certified Professional discount. See question above.
ACSM membership discounts apply to the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist®, ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist® and ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist®. ACSM membership applications may be obtained by visiting ACSM.org/join; both printable and online applications are available. To view membership categories, fees, and benefits, visit ACSM.org/membership options. Should you have additional membership related questions, email membership@ACSM.org.
You will receive your results immediately upon completion of the exam in a printed score report. The score report will include your scaled score out of 800 and the percent that you answered correctly in each competency. If you pass, a certificate will be sent to you in 6–8 weeks.
Re-test candidates will receive a re-test promotional code (promocode) on the results printout. You may retake the exam 15 days following your initial exam and every 15 days following until a passing score is achieved.
Individuals who receive a passing score will be required to earn 15 continuing education credits specific to the ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer in addition to maintaining an NCCA-accredited certification and CPR certification.
CECs from an ACSM certification can also be applied for an ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer if the content covered in the course includes information covered in the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of the specialty certification.
ACSM will be providing self-study opportunities for the specialty certification as well as working with programs that exist in the industry to award continuing education credits.
This is currently under review by the ACSM Committee on Certification and Registry Board.
ACSM currently offers four other certifications. ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM, ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist®, ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist® and ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist®. For more information, visit ACSM.org/certification.
Yes, the ACSM/NCPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer exam will be available in English at any Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center worldwide. Please visit PearsonVUE.com/ACSM for international testing center locations.
Translated exams will be made available in different languages as demand dictates. Currently, the exam is available at any worldwide Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center in English.
The passing score for all ACSM certification exams is set in advance and applied to all candidates’ exam results. Similar to exam scoring for a wide variety of other high stakes, national standardized exams (e.g., GRE, SAT, GMAT, etc.), ACSM certification exams are reported on a 200–800 score scale.
Specifically, all candidates are expected to meet the passing standard of a scaled score of 550 in order to receive a “Pass” on any respective ACSM certification exam. This passing standard is based upon the expectations of the subject matter experts/test developers across all topics of the competency areas, as related to each respective credential’s examination blueprint. Passing candidates are expected to answer a sufficient number of test questions correctly that demonstrates a summative amount of knowledge at a level of at least minimal competency or the lowest acceptable score to pass the exam.
Finally, each content area is weighted proportionally, based on the results of a periodic comprehensive job task analysis/role delineation study. In other words, some content areas are more important (thus, have more questions) and count more with respect to the overall score than other content areas. On the score report, candidates receive their overall score, their pass/fail status, as well as a breakdown by each specific content area (either by a percentage or a sub-section scale score, respectively).
