ISSA vs NASM: comparing the two CPT certifications
Facts checked on against ISSA's and NASM's own pages. Page updated .
Prices, packages and policies change often, and both companies run frequent sales. Confirm every figure on their sites before you buy. CPT Trainer is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ISSA or NCCPT. ISSA is a trademark of its owner. CPT Trainer has no connection to NASM either.
The short answer: both are self-paced online courses that lead to a nationally recognized personal trainer credential, and both renew every 2 years. The biggest practical difference is the exam. NASM's exam is closed book, timed and proctored. ISSA gives you a choice: its own open-note, untimed course exam, or a closed-book, proctored exam from NCCPT, an ISSA subsidiary.
Side by side
| Item | ISSA CPT | NASM-CPT |
|---|---|---|
| Exam | Course exam: open note, no time limit, not proctored. Or the NCCPT exam: closed book, timed, proctored. | One exam: closed book, 2 hours, proctored by PSI. |
| Questions | Course exam: up to 200, depending on the course. NCCPT exam: 140, of which 125 are scored. | 120, of which 20 are unscored research questions. |
| Passing score | Course exam: 70 percent. NCCPT exam: a scaled passing standard. | A scaled score of 70. |
| Where you test | Course exam: online, when you are ready. NCCPT exam: a Prometric center or live remote proctoring. | A PSI test center or PSI remote proctoring. |
| Third-party accreditation | The NCCPT exam carries NCCA accreditation. The ISSA course exam does not. | The NASM-CPT carries NCCA accreditation. |
| Time allowed | 6 months to complete the course; extensions can be bought a month at a time. | 180 days from purchase to take the exam. |
| Retakes | Course exam: a failed portion can be resubmitted once free; later attempts have a fee. | A retest is about $199 unless your package includes one; waits of 1 week, 30 days, then a year. |
| Renewal | Every 2 years: 20 CEUs, current CPR/AED and a $99 fee (waived if all 20 CEUs come through ISSA). | Every 2 years: 2.0 CEUs (about 20 hours, 0.1 of it from CPR/AED) and a fee, waived for NASM One members. |
| Before you certify | Current CPR/AED, every course quiz submitted, and part of the balance paid. | Current CPR/AED and a high school diploma or GED before the exam. |
Accreditation, in plain terms
Accreditation in fitness applies to an exam, not to a company. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) reviews whether a certification exam is fair, secure and sound. Many gyms ask for a credential from an exam with NCCA accreditation, and some do not mind.
NASM's CPT exam has NCCA accreditation. ISSA's own course exam does not; ISSA's accreditation page says the exam with NCCA accreditation is the NCCPT exam, which every CPT enrollment includes access to, with a separate proctoring fee. ISSA says its own credential, without that accreditation, is accepted by most major gym employers and suggests calling the employer you want to work for. That is good advice whichever course you pick: ask the gym before you buy.
Cost
Both companies sell the course in several packages and change their prices often. On 29 October 2026:
- ISSA: the Certified Personal Trainer course page listed about $868 paid in full (shown against $1,068), or 12 monthly payments of about $89. Bundles with a specialization cost more. NCCPT's proctoring fee is extra; ISSA's page gives it as $79. ISSA CPT course page
- NASM: the CPT page showed plans from about $47 a month during a sale, with the full price depending on the package (Self-Study, Premium Self-Study, All-Inclusive and bundles). NASM CPT page
Compare the total you would pay, not the monthly figure, and check what each package includes: a retest, printed books, CPR/AED or a specialization can each change the real price.
How you study
Both courses are online and self-paced, with no fixed class schedule. ISSA's FAQ describes audio and video lessons, a searchable online textbook, practice quizzes and a study workbook. ISSA's course page says you can be certified in as little as 3 months; NASM says many candidates finish in four to six weeks at 10 to 15 hours a week. Treat both as the fast end of the range, not a promise.
The exam shapes how you study. For a closed-book, timed exam, you need to recall the material on your own, under a clock. For ISSA's open-note exam, you need to understand the material well enough to find and apply it quickly, across as many as 200 questions. Our study method covers both.
Which one suits you
Neither is the right answer for everyone. Some honest rules of thumb:
- If your target gym requires NCCA accreditation: either works, as long as you take NASM's exam or ISSA's NCCPT exam. Ask the gym which credentials it accepts.
- If test anxiety or a fixed clock worries you: ISSA's open-note, untimed course exam takes away that pressure, and you can still sit the NCCPT exam later.
- If you want one standardized, proctored exam from the start: NASM's single exam path is simpler to plan around.
- If your schedule is unpredictable: ISSA's 6 months to finish the course and NASM's 180 days to take the exam are similar windows; check what an extension costs on each.
- If cost decides it: compare the totals on the day you buy, including the retest and renewal costs above.
Already chose ISSA?
CPT Trainer is a study app for the ISSA CPT course: every term the course defines, 602 of them, drilled with scenario questions until they stick. It does not cover NASM's course. Start with the free questions, then read how the ISSA exam works, how hard the ISSA CPT is and our final exam tips.
$49 for 3 months of access or $29 for 1 month. One payment. No subscription, nothing renews. Full refund on request within 7 days.
No sign-up for the free questions. Module 1 of the app is free when you sign in with Google. See the passes
Sources
- ISSA, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 29 October 2026.
- ISSA, Certified Personal Trainer course page, checked 29 October 2026.
- ISSA, certification accreditation page, checked 29 October 2026.
- NASM, Certified Personal Trainer page, checked 29 October 2026.
- NASM, CPT exam information, checked 29 October 2026.
- NASM support, questions and time limit on the CPT exam, checked 29 October 2026.
- NASM, FAQs, checked 29 October 2026.
- NASM, recertification and renewal, checked 29 October 2026.
- The NCCPT exam figures (question count, scoring, test centers) come from our exam guide, which cites NCCPT's FAQ and its April 2026 manual.