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Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Exam
The CSCS exam is the National Strength and Conditioning Association's NCCA-accredited certification exam for strength and conditioning specialists, administered in two sections at Pearson VUE test centers.
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Questions220 multiple-choice questions: Scientific Foundations 80 scored + 15 non-scored (95 items); Practical/Applied 110 scored + 15 non-scored (125 items) — 190 scored total
Testing time4 hours total: 1.5-hour Scientific Foundations section plus 2.5-hour Practical/Applied section
ScoringScaled score of 70 or higher (on a 1–100 scale) required to pass; candidates must pass both sections
Exam feeUSD 475 non-member / USD 340 NSCA member registration fee; retake both sections USD 475/340; retake one section USD 385/250
Prep options
Study resources for CSCS
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NSCA
- Category
- Fitness
- Current version
- 2025 CSCS Detailed Content Outline (based on the 2025 job task analysis)
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese
- Score scale
- 1–100 scaled score per section
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Computer-based multiple-choice exam (with video and image items) administered at Pearson VUE test centers
- Availability
- By appointment at Pearson VUE test centers; candidates must test within a 120-day authorization window after registering (free reschedule or cancellation up to 24 hours before the appointment; USD 100 extension fee to extend the window)
- Results
- Immediate on-screen pass/fail message; official score report posts to the Pearson VUE account within 24 hours; certification granted after eligibility documents are verified (typically 1–2 weeks)
- Score validity
- Both sections must be passed (and all eligibility requirements met) within one year of the initial exam date; results become invalid if eligibility documentation is not received within one year of the exam date
Exam structure
Two sections: Scientific Foundations (95 items — Exercise Science 48, Sport Psychology 20, Nutrition 12, plus 15 non-scored) and Practical/Applied (125 items — Program Design 44, Exercise Technique 28, Program Implementation 22, Organization and Administration 16, plus 15 non-scored); the Practical/Applied section includes 30–40 video and/or image items.
Where rules vary
U.S.-origin credential (NCCA-accredited, created by the U.S.-based NSCA) administered beyond the U.S. through Pearson VUE, NSCA's official exam provider, with translated exams offered through NSCA's international affiliates; from 2030 the CASCE-accredited degree requirement applies to U.S. candidates only. Reviewer may prefer 'national / US' given the credential's primary U.S. market.
Eligibility
Bachelor's degree or higher, OR current enrollment as a college senior at an accredited institution; current CPR/AED certification; eligibility documentation due within one year of the exam date (from January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates must hold a bachelor's degree from a CASCE-accredited program)
Retake policy
Retake one section (USD 250 member / USD 385 non-member) or both sections (USD 340/475); both sections must be passed within one year of the initial exam date; no-shows forfeit the fee and must re-register