Free ACE Personal Trainer Practice Test
Original ACE CPT questions for all four exam domains, every answer explained.
Which four approaches to managing an identified risk does ACE's outline list?
172 original ACE CPT questions with explanations · 5 free drills: every domain plus a mixed set · 73% of candidates passed in 2025
ACE CPT practice questions by domain
The domains and weights from ACE’s exam content outline. Every domain has a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer; each drill’s first attempt is free. Our mock draws its 125 scored questions in these weights and adds 25 unscored questions, as on the real exam.
I. Client Onboarding and Assessments (23%)
About 29 of 125 scored questions
Health and lifestyle screening with the PAR-Q+, medical clearance and referral, readiness to change and goal setting, posture and movement screens, and baseline fitness assessments.
II. Program Design and Implementation (31%)
About 39 of 125 scored questions
Turning assessment data into goals, program principles and FITT-VP guidelines, ventilatory-threshold cardio zones, exercise selection, movement patterns, cueing and teaching technique in person and online.
III. Program Modification and Progression (27%)
About 34 of 125 scored questions
Adherence and self-efficacy, behavior-change models, lapses and barriers, nutrition and supplement education within scope, progressions and regressions, overtraining and when to stop exercise.
IV. Risk Management, Professional Conduct, and Ethical Business Practices (19%)
About 23 of 125 scored questions
Emergency procedures, negligence and risk-management approaches, environmental conditions, confidentiality and records, scope of practice and the ACE Code of Ethics, inclusion, and business and marketing plans.
Ready for the full exam?
150 questions in 3 hours, scored on the 125 that count, with a score by domain and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillThe ACE CPT exam at a glance
The ACE Personal Trainer Certification exam has 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, 125 of them scored. Practice each domain with free ten-question drills, then take a timed mock with the real question count, clock and outline weights.
- Questions
- 150 multiple-choice questions: 125 scored and 25 experimental questions mixed in; about 10% are video based
- Time limit
- 3 hours, closed book, with an on-screen four-function calculator
- Answer options
- Multiple choice with four response options (A to D) in ACE’s handbook examples; ACE randomizes the option order
- Domains
- Client Onboarding and Assessments 23%, Program Design and Implementation 31%, Program Modification and Progression 27%, Risk Management and Professional Conduct 19%
- Passing score
- A scaled score of 500 on a 200 to 800 scale. ACE does not publish the raw number of correct answers that equals 500
- Delivery
- Live proctored at a test site in the US and Canada or by live remote proctoring (Meazure Learning)
- Fee
- US$499 on its own, or US$99 with an ACE Personal Trainer study program
- Retakes
- US$249 within one year of the first attempt. ACE’s exam options page says a retake can be as soon as 4 days later; its registration FAQ says 10 days
- 2025 pass rate
- 73% of 7,105 candidates
What the ACE CPT exam tests
- Program Design and Implementation is the largest domain at 31%: turning interview and assessment data into goals, FITT-VP guidelines, cardio programming with ventilatory thresholds and the talk test, exercise selection and the five movement patterns, and cueing technique in person and online.
- Program Modification and Progression (27%) covers adherence, self-efficacy and behavior-change models, responding to lapses, nutrition and supplement education within scope, progressions and regressions, overtraining and termination criteria.
- Client Onboarding and Assessments (23%) covers the PAR-Q+, medical clearance and referral, medications that change exercise responses, readiness to change, SMART and GROW goals, posture and movement screens, and baseline fitness tests.
- Risk Management, Professional Conduct, and Ethical Business Practices (19%) covers emergency procedures, negligence, the four risk-management approaches, heat, altitude and air pollution, confidentiality and SOAP notes, scope of practice, inclusion, and business and marketing plans.
- ACE shows about 10% of questions as short videos of a movement. Our questions describe the movement in words instead; the decision you make is the same.
How to take the ACE CPT exam
- Be at least 18 and hold a current adult CPR/AED certificate that included a hands-on skills check (CPR only outside the US and Canada).
- Register for the exam: US$99 with an ACE Personal Trainer study program or US$499 on its own.
- Schedule a live test site in the US or Canada, or live remote proctoring through Meazure Learning (remote exams can be booked 24 hours to 60 days ahead).
- Sit the 150-question exam in 3 hours. Your scaled score and pass or fail status appear as soon as you submit.
Common questions
How many questions are on the ACE personal trainer exam?
150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours. 125 are scored and 25 are experimental questions that do not count; you cannot tell which ones they are. About 10% of the questions show a short video of a movement.
What score do you need to pass the ACE exam?
A scaled score of 500 on a scale of 200 to 800. ACE converts the number you answer correctly into a scaled score so that every exam form demands the same ability, and it does not publish the raw number of correct answers that equals 500. Our mock shows your raw score on the 125 scored questions and your score by domain.
What is the ACE personal trainer pass rate?
ACE’s handbook reports that 7,105 candidates took the Personal Trainer exam in 2025 and 73% passed.
How much does the ACE CPT exam cost?
US$499 on its own, or US$99 when bought with an ACE Personal Trainer study program. A retake costs US$249 within one year of the first attempt, and rescheduling outside the allowed window costs US$149.
Is the ACE exam open book?
The NCCA-accredited ACE Personal Trainer Certification exam is closed book and live proctored. ACE also sells a separate ACE Certificate with a 100-question open-book online exam; that is a different credential, and these pages prepare you for the accredited exam.
What happens if I fail the ACE exam?
You can retake it for US$249 within one year of your first attempt; after a year you pay the first-time fee again. ACE’s exam options page says a retake can be scheduled as soon as 4 days after the first attempt, and its registration FAQ says 10 days.
Are these official ACE questions?
No. ACE keeps its exam questions confidential. These are original practice questions written to ACE’s published exam content outline, with four answer choices like ACE’s handbook examples and an explanation for every answer.
Ready for exam day?
150 questions in 3 hours, scored on the 125 that count, with a score by domain and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillMore personal trainer exam practice
One NASM and ACE personal trainer pass covers both mock exams. The NSCA-CPT has its own pages.
Exam format, fees, scoring and pass rates checked November 2026: ACE: Personal Trainer exam options · ACE: Schedule your exam (fees and retakes) · ACE Certification and Recertification Handbook (revised September 2026) · ACE Personal Trainer exam content outline (2022 role delineation study).
Original independent practice questions written to ACE’s published exam content outline; they are not ACE exam questions. ACE is a registered trademark of the American Council on Exercise. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Council on Exercise.