CSCS Exam
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) examination is for an expert in the field that creates and uses strength training and conditioning programs for members of a range of types of sports teams. Candidates must meet specific requirements (which include CPR and AED certifications) before taking this test. This nationwide test may be taken via computer or with paper and pencil. There are two segments that candidates will need to take, as follows:
Scientific Foundations - Candidates will be given an hour and a half to complete 90 multiple-choice items, 10 of which are not scored; these questions are pretrial items and may be used on future exams. Candidates will not know which items are scored and which are not. The items have been written to measure a candidate's knowledge and understanding of exercise science. The content is broken down as follows:
- 58 questions on exercise science
- 22 questions on nutrition
- 10 questions that are not scored
Practical/Applied - Candidates will be given 2½ hours to complete 120 multiple-choice items, 10 of which are not scored but are on your test for pretrial purposes, just as in the Scientific Foundations section. Forty of the questions on this test are based on a video. The content of this part is broken down as follows:
- 39 questions on exercise technique
- 39 questions on program design
- 10 questions on organization and administration
- 22 questions on testing and evaluation
- 10 questions that are not scored
Candidates will receive their results about 3-5 weeks after taking the test. The raw score is converted to a scaled score; the minimum passing scaled score is 70. If successful, a candidate will get a certificate in the mail in about 8-10 weeks. The certification date will be the date of the test. If a candidate must take part of or the entire test again, he or she may do so as many times as needed, but he or she must wait 90 days between each attempt.
Commercial Resources for the CSCS Exam Preparation (provided for information only, no endorsement implied)
CSCS Exam Study Guide from Mometrix Media
CSCS Exam Flashcards from Mometrix Media
