Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS®)
Introduction
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification is provided by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) which is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning and other sport science professions around the world. It is quite a challenging exam, and hence, the success rate of the examination is 63%. The scientific foundation and practical/applied areas are two sections that test the candidate’s knowledge.
This certification is for those professionals who apply scientific knowledge to train athletes to improve athletic performance. It is because there is a need for trainers who can provide Sport-specific testing sessions, the Implementation of safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs, and guidance regarding nutrition and injury prevention are provided to athletes.
What is Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Exam?
The candidate’s knowledge in the domains such as sport psychology, nutrition, and exercise sciences like anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics are assessed. Also, the certification is an indicator of the level of expertise of the professional in strength and conditioning principles and implementation of this knowledge into training for performance enhancement.
The certification benefits the candidates by increasing their knowledge base, subsequently, leading to new opportunities in their practice, more respect from other therapists, and helps them provide better care for patients. Also, it is viewed to be the gold standard for strength and conditioning/ sports performance training and is believed to be one of the harder Strength and conditioning certifications.
Who should take the exam?
The degree has specific requirements that focus on strength and conditioning. Hence, anyone with a bachelor’s degree from a program accredited by an NSCA-approved agency can apply for the certification. The candidate must either be enrolled as a college senior at an accredited institution or have a bachelor’s or higher degree.
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Requirements
- Firstly, Have a current CPR/AED certification
- Lastly, Submit documentation supporting all of the eligibility requirements.
Exam details
| Exam Name: | Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Exam |
| Administered by: | Pearson VUE |
| Mandatory Pre-requisite | Have a bachelor’s degree |
| Credential Earned: | Certified strength and conditioning specialist |
| Exam Duration: | 1.5 hours |
| Number of Questions: | 95 (15 non-scored) |
| Passing marks | 70 marks |
| Language: | English and 5 foreign languages (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish) |
Exam registration steps
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) exam is administered by Pearson VUE at hundreds of their testing centers worldwide. Follow these steps to register for the exam –
- Firstly, visit the Pearson VUE website.
- Then, Signup/Login to the Pearson VUE account.
- Then, Search for the CSCS Exam.
- And finally, confirm the payment method.
- Then, within 2-3 days of registration, you will receive an Authorisation to Test email with instructions on how to schedule your exam from Pearson VUE.
- Subsequently, you can select the date, time, and location of your wish to take the exam. You will be able to view the exam appointment availability only after registering for the exam.
- Lastly, go to the NSCA website and check the nearest Pearson VUE testing center.
- The exam can be taken only within 120 days after registration
For More Details See – CSCS® FAQ | Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Course outline/syllabus
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) exam paper consists of 4 domains.
Exercise Science
Exercise Science takes up 55% of the exam with 44 questions out of 95 questions in total. This domain consists of the following topics – Anatomy and physiology (muscular, neuromuscular, bone and connective tissue, cardiopulmonary), Biomechanics, Bioenergetics and metabolism, Neuroendocrine Physiology, Physiological adaptations, biomechanical differences of athletes.
Sport psychology
Sports psychology is the next domain, it covers 24% of the paper with 19 questions. This domain tests the candidate’s knowledge regarding psychological foundations of performance such as motivational theory, motor learning, and skill acquisition techniques, mental health issues in athletes.
Nutrition
The nutrition domain covers 21% of the exam with 17 questions. It tests the candidate’s knowledge regarding nutritional factors such as affecting health and performance, food choices, and training methods to maximize performance, symptoms, and behaviors associated with eating disorders, effects, risks, and alternatives of common performance-enhancing substances.
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Study Guide
Preparation starts with planning. Before studying for any examination, it is important to have a blueprint of the steps that you have to take during the preparation phase. Hence, we are providing a comprehensive breakdown of the preparatory steps. Here is a Preparation Guide that will help you in starting the preparations and keeping your efforts dedicated towards the main aim of passing the CSCS exam.
Revise the Exam Objectives
Like the quote goes there’s no shortcut to success, there is no shortcut to exam success too. It’s all in how well you prepare. Different types of exams require different types of preparation. By finding out which exam you will be sitting for, it will make it easy for you to prepare accordingly. Therefore, revision of exam objectives before the preparations is essential as it allows you to reflect on what you already know, and what you need to learn. Going over all of the subjects will help you have a better knowledge of the exam’s syllabus and format.
Following are the exam objectives for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam-
- Firstly, Exercise Science
- Secondly, Sports psychology
- Lastly, Nutrition
Study Resources
Following are the study materials and guides are available on the NSCA store.
- Firstly, Download NSCA strength and conditioning professional standards and guidelines to gain access to all sources, become a member and you will have access to journals and member-only content.
- Secondly, Exercise technique manual – An online video and a practical resource that provides a visual demonstration of a variety of free weight and machine exercises.
- Lastly, Essentials of strength and training – This resource explains the key theories, concepts, and scientific principles of strength training and conditioning and their direct application to athletic competition and performance. There is a bundle that includes an online study course that provides a guided reading plan. This is an essential text for strength and conditioning professionals and students
Additional Resources
Other than the basic study resources, there are some auxiliary options available on the Official site of the NSCA. You can use any of these if you feel that you need a bit more clarity in any of the topics from the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist course outline –
CSCS Exam Prep Live Clinic
These are in-person educational clinics. These sessions are a blend of classroom training and hands-on experience. You have the option of choosing any of the following formats: 1.5 days, 2 days, or 3 days.
Foundation of Coaching Lifts Course
This course will give you hands-on experience of training the athletes with their workouts like bench press, squats, power press, etc.
Take the Practice Tests
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist practice exam tests are an important part of preparation. It is because they help the candidates know which are the areas that they have mastered and which areas they need to focus more on. Also, practice tests prepare you for the final examination as they give you an idea about the structure of the final paper, and manage to complete the paper within the given time limit. Taking up Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist practice questions will help you assess how well you know the content and how well you have understood the concepts.
