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On-Demand testing allows the ideal situation for exam access for the candidate. Specifically, you select the best date, time and location for your exam at one of over 4,400 Pearson VUE® Authorized Test Centers worldwide.
- Master’s degree from a college or university in exercise science, movement science, exercise physiology or kinesiology.
- Current certification as a Basic Life Support Provider or CPR for the Professional Rescuer
One of the Following:
ACSM Exercise Specialist® certification (current or expired)
OR
600 hours of clinical experience
The RCEP Practice Board requires varied clinical experiences across all 6 practice domains: cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, orthopedic, neuromuscular and immunologic, and a total of 600 hours for candidates. Only hours associated with exercise assessment, prescription, supervision, counseling and education in which you assisted in or played a direct role in providing services will be accepted (includes clinical internship hours). These hours may be obtained with patients with co-morbid conditions. Please see application for a breakdown of how many hours are required in each content area.
Once you apply for the exam, your application will need to be approved. If a candidate is approved between the dates of January 1, 2007 and July 31, 2007, he/she will be issued a voucher code that will expire on December 31, 2007. If a candidate is approved between the dates of August 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, he/she will receive a voucher code that will expire on May 31, 2008. After your application has been approved, you can schedule the exam at a time, day and location most convenient for you.
- Submit an application by downloading it at www.acsm.org/rcepapp
- An official copy of your university transcript noting the degree completion
- A summary description of the program study as written in the university catalog
- Completed Clinical Experience Documentation with an ACSM Exercise Specialist® certification are exempt
- 2 copies of your transcript, summary description and clinical documentation
- If you are approved to take the exam, ACSM will contact you with a unique voucher number that you will use when scheduling your exam with Pearson VUE. If you are not approved, your application fee will be refunded in full.
There are three ways to schedule an exam with Pearson VUE:
The cost for the ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® exam is $299 for non-ACSM Members and $239 for ACSM Members. The cost of the re-test is $155.50. Prices are in USD.
Three hours are allowed for the exam. There is a tutorial and survey at the beginning of the exam and an open-ended comment section at the end of the exam that is not included in the 3 hours.
There are approximately 125-150 items, some of which will be unscored, experimental items.
You will receive your results immediately upon completion of the exam. If you pass the exam, a certificate will be sent to you in 6-8 weeks.
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.
Depending on your experience and education, there are a variety of approaches to begin preparing for a certification exam. Obtain the suggested study materials, and devote 3 to 6 months reviewing the content of these materials as they relate to the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) of the ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® certification.
Recommended study materials are listed below. They can be ordered directly from the publisher, Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins (LWW) by visiting www.lww.com, by calling 1-800-486-5643, or at any major bookstore, or any major online distributor or reseller.
- ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 7th edition
- ACSM’s Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 5th edition (LWW)
- ACSM’s Resource’s for Clinical Exercise Physiology
Sign up through ACSM’s secure website and become an ACSM member in 1-2 days. For a list of benefits or to become a member, visit www.acsm.org/join. Once you join as a member (online option), you will receive your ACSM membership ID by email within one business week. If you need a member exam voucher in less than one week, please email certification@acsm.org after you’ve completed your online membership payment.
ACSM currently offers three other certifications. For general information about ACSM certifications, please call the ACSM Certification Resource Center at 800-486-5643, or visit www.acsm.org/certification.
Yes, the ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® exam is available in English at any Pearson VUE Authorized Test center worldwide. Please visit www.pearsonvue.com/acsm/locate for international testing centers.
In the future, the ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® exam will be made available in different languages as demand dictates. Currently, the ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® exam is available in English.
