Become a NESTA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

The Fitness Industry’s ONLY 4-Year NCCA Accredited Personal Training Certification. Earn your certification with confidence. Join Now!

*All other NCCA accredited personal training programs are valid for 2-3 years. 

Train differently, transform lives! Get certified as a Personal Fitness Trainer with NESTA's Applied Learning Methods.

Conduct accurate evaluations of clients' health, fitness, and skills to craft realistic and actionable goals.

Tailor workouts to meet each client's unique needs and goals, supported by solid scientific principles.

Master exercise techniques with precision and motivate effectively using biomechanics and principles of motivation

Clarify your professional scope of practice and align with the NESTA code of ethics.

Empower yourself for success in the NCCA Accredited Personal Fitness Certification exam, meeting all standards outlined by the NCCA for Certification Program Accreditation.

Interview for employment opprotunites at the TOP nationwide health clubs including:
Anytime Fitness, Life Time Fitness, Fitness 19, LA Fitness, 24-Hour Fitness and many more.

Begin Your Journey To Becoming An NCCA-Accredited Certified Personal Fitness Trainer With Guidance From Our Team Of NESTA Experts, Who Share Their Wealth Of Knowledge And Expertise.

PFT EXAM ONLY

$349



Refer to training, CEUs, and exam details below. Additional discount codes may not be applied. 
Company Policies

PFT

COMPLETE PACKAGE

$697



Refer to training, CEUs, and exam details below. Company Policies

PFT PLUS

$399



Refer to training, CEUs, and exam details below. Additional discount codes may not be applied. 
Company Policies

Disclaimer: The NESTA educational materials are optional and are not required to prepare for the NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer Exam. You can sit for the certification exam now without purchasing the official NESTA study materials if you feel you are ready.

Why choose the NESTA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer Program?

Price

Our competitively priced, fully accredited personal trainer certification program, making professional fitness education accessible to everyone.

4 Years

Get a competitive edge: NESTA-PFT is the only 4-year personal training certification, saving on renewals & ensuring long-term recognition

Accepted

NESTA is widely accepted in the majority of fitness clubs worldwide, affirming its credibility and relevance across diverse fitness communities.

Support

NESTA-PFT: Unlimited human support. Level up & get lasting guidance.

Accreditation

The NESTA-PFT is accredited by NCCA, the Gold Standard. NESTA holds the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation for its Personal Fitness Trainer Certification.

100% Online

Learn on your schedule, train on any device using our digital training system including all training and progress tracking tools.

NESTA Fitness Professionals Go Beyond Client Expectations!

Through their wide range of specialty courses, NESTA has allowed me to provide my clientele with a broader range of services and information to help them reach their goals faster, and safer. Their focus on the business aspects of the fitness industry within their programs is unlike any other certification. It has given me insights and strategies to increase client retention and draw more clientele to our business, which have been especially useful in the new post-pandemic fitness world.
– Mike Clark

Fast-track your fitness career!

Get NESTA-PFT certified in as little as 30 days. Explore our program to see what's included and launch your journey as a personal trainer.

NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer Certification Details

Provided below are all the details required to get started on your journey in becoming a NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Personal Training

Chapter 2 – Exercise Physiology

Chapter 3 – Kinesiology and Functional Anatomy

Chapter 4 – Applied Biomechanics

Chapter 5 – Flexibility

Chapter 6 – Nutrition

Chapter 7 – Special Populations

Chapter 8 – Assessments

Chapter 9 – Program Design

Chapter 10 – Exercise Application

Chapter 11 – Safety, Injury Prevention, and Treatment

Chapter 12 – Exercise Psychology

Chapters 13-14 – Business Strategies and Applications for the Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

 

 

 

 

All exam candidates must meet the following requirements:

 – Program is paid in full prior to scheduling exam date

– Exam candidate is at least 18 years of age

– Hold a valid government issued Driver’s License or Passport

– Minimum high school level or equivalent education

– Current Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) Certification card/certificate or BLS (Basic Life Support) card/certificate in place of CPR card or equivalent to a CPR certification

– Maintain the confidentiality of the exam content and abide by exam policies as stated in the candidate handbook

– Agree to adher to the NESTA Code of Ethics

– Exam candidate may be subject to an audit to verify proof of documentation requirements (show proof of valid CPR card/certification, Driver’s License or Passport, High School Diploma or equivalent)

– Complete the 120 question, multiple choice, facilitated proctored exam within 90 days of receiving exam eligibility ID (note, only 100 questions are graded, 20 are ungraded “pretest” questions that are analyzed for future exams)

– Exam candidates must take the NESTA proctored exam at a PSI testing center

  • 120 question, timed 2-hour proctored multiple choice computer web-based exam. Passing score is 71 or above.
  • The exam candidate must take the Personal Fitness Trainer proctored exam within 90 days upon requesting their exam eligibility ID.
  • One exam attempt per purchase (unless otherwise specified under purchase options).
  • A $45 proctor fee is applicable to all PFT Exam Candidates living outside of North America. Payment is due upon requesting exam eligibility ID.
  • Exam results are shown immediately upon completing the exam. All passing exams receive a temporary certificate at the time of completion.
  • For more information about NESTA’s PFT exam locations, requirements, scheduling, and procedures, please visit PFT Exam Requirements page.

NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer exam candidates will take the exam at a PSI testing center in their local area. PSI is the proctored exam provider with hundreds of testing sites worldwide.

  • Click here to locate a PSI testing facility in your area.
  • For more information about NESTA’s PFT exam locations, requirements, scheduling, and procedures, please visit PFT Exam Requirements page.
  • An additional $45 proctoring fee applies to students living outside of North America. Payment is due upon requesting exam eligibility ID.

Scheduling hardship exam candidates will be required to use the “Private Proctoring Exam Option” and will not be eligible to test at a PSI facility. Please visit the Private Proctoring Exam Option page for detailed information and instructions. Approval from NESTA is required prior to testing.

Individuals having a disability requiring special accommodations must fill out the “Request for Special Accommodations” form. Requests are decided upon an individual basis. Accommodations usually include an allowance for increased examination time. Accommodation requests will be acknowledged through email and/or phone notification within 7-10 business days of the initial request. For individuals who require a reader, separate accommodations, or other requirements please state your needs and requirements in detail on the Request for Special Accommodations Form. Requests will be considered, and a response will be delivered within 10 business days. Not all PSI facilities are equipped to provide special accommodations requests. Additional policy and procedural information regarding individuals with disabilities or in need of special accommodations for exams can be found by following this link.

$199 Retest Fee: Students who did not meet the exam passing requirements can purchase a $199 retest 30 days from the date of the exam by visiting Exam Retest, Extensions and Administrative Fee page , or by calling our offices at 1-877-348-6692.

$95 Extension Fee: 90-day extension can requested by the exam candidate at any time. Please refer to the NESTA Policies page and click on the “Fees” tab at the top of the page. Extension requests to due medical issues must be provided in writing and a signed physician’s note must be provided. The request will then be reviewed by the NESTA Executive Board. Candidate will be notified by email of the decision. Please refer to the Personal Fitness Trainer Exam Candidate Handbook for details.

 $45 Proctor Fee: An additional $45 proctoring fee is applicable to all PFT exam candidates living outside of North America. Payment is due upon requesting exam eligibility ID.

 $45 Private Proctor Fee: An additional $45 proctoring fee is applicable to PFT exam candidates requiring to apply for private proctoring. Details and application is listed here: Private Proctoring Exam Option

 

The NESTA ECB requires its certified personal fitness trainer (PFT) to complete 4.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over a four year period. Each 0.1 CEU is worth one hour of study time or one contact hour in a live training format.

For more details on recertification, please click here.

Start Your Journey Today!

Begin your path to becoming an industry expert by earning your accredited
4-year Personal Fitness Trainer certification through NESTA.