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Hi Adam,
Unfortunately I only have the ACSM CPT certification so I cannot offer any advice. Perhaps someone will be able to answer your questions. We welcome you to our community though!
Christina
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The New ACSM-Health Fitness Specialist Exam. I will be taking the ACSM Health Fitness Specialist Exam in 3 weeks.
ACSM-HFS used to be called Health Fitness Instructor and there seems to be a little confusion about that.
Also, all three of the books recomended by ACSM to study for the test are all brand new editions.
I have been studying these books quite a bit. I will graduate this semester with a B.S. in Kinesiology so much of it is review. It is almost like an ultimate final that will test me on everything I have learned in college.
Still, I feel a bit intimidated by the sheer amount of info you need to know based on the ACSM-CPT KSAs and the ACSM-HFS KSAs combined.
So.... has anyone taken this exam recently (within a year even) and can post a few tips. Are there anythings you wished you would have studied more and things you thought you should have skipped?
Thanks
-adam
Hi Adam,
Unfortunately I only have the ACSM CPT certification so I cannot offer any advice. Perhaps someone will be able to answer your questions. We welcome you to our community though!
Christina
ACSM-CPT, NSCA-CPT
If you have a question about personal training please post it on the forum instead of sending me an email or private message. Chances are your questions will help someone else. Thanks!
Adam I have not taken the exam either. But I am studying for it right now. I actually was also worried about all the KSA's and one of my proffesors told me that more than likely the exam will be completely based off HFS KSA's. His advice was to just go over the CPT KSA's and make sure I was familiar with them but that I should not stress over them. Secondly he said one of his student's just passed the exam. He said his test had alot of questions involving
1. CVD risk factors
2. risk stratification
3. signs and symptoms
I hope this helps like I said this info is coming form one of my proffessors and another student who just passed the exam within the last few months.
Do you know if we need to know the sections on clinical exercise chapters 5 and 6 in the guidelines? Or do we need to know the areas about exercise testing for each disease from chapters 9 and 10? I can't seem to get a straight answer from the KSA's and I am really trying to narrow down all this info.
Good luck on the exam
Derek
1. I agree that most of the test will center around the HFS KSA's but may include some CPT KSAs.Originally Posted by katana2000
2. (I dont have my books with me right now...) Eventhough chapters 5 and 6 in the GETP are about clinical exercise, if the Resource Manuel for the GETP has HFS KSAs associated with those chapters, then we need to know them.
3. At first I was a bit confused on the KSA's and exactly what you need to know, but the Resource Manual for the GETP seems to lay it out really well. Do you have this book? I am reading through the GETP once over. Then I will read the Resource Manual and focus on the HFS specific KSAs then I guess I will read the Certification Review book for extra study. whew... man this is a lot to know.
4. Like your prof mentioned, I have also heard that risk factors, risk stratification, and sign and symptoms are a big part of the test. Also metabolic calculations, VO2 calculations, and perscription drugs and how they affect exercise.
If anyone else has any tidbits of insight please let us know!
Yeah I have all 3 books. My study plan looks like this
1. I read the GETP
2. Take detailed notes on the stuff I felt is related to the HFS exam
3. read the resource manuals HFS KSAs
4. take notes on all the KSAs i feel unsure of or I did not feel were covered in the GETP
5. Lastly go through the certification review
i wish I would of started with the resource manual, but when i got my books I wasnt sure where to start and one of my professors reccomended the guidelines first.
Adam how much longer till your exam? What do you plan to do with your certificaion personal training or cardio pulmonary rehab? I am really interested in getting involved in cardio pulmonary rehab and am curious what other people with ACSM HFS are planning on doing.
my exam is on march 19th. this gives me all of next week (spring break) to do some hardcore day-long study.
do you get the feeling that the Resource manual is probably the only book you need. It basically has everyting the GETP has, but more details. I am starting to focus on this book more.
I plan to start off with general personal training untill I get about a year of experience.
I am not ready for a full time career yet, I am starting a masters program for Kinesiology in the fall 2010. Eventually I would like to work in cardio rehab and clients with metabolic diseases, and the ocasional elite athlete or two.
One thing I wanted to mention:
For anyone taking any ACSM certification exam. Go to this page and download the exam tutorial.
It basically shows you the format of the test, what it looks like and shows sample questions.
It really helped ease my concerns about how questions would be worded, how long you have to take the test and how you can review or skip questions and go back.
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?...am_Information
cheers
-adam
I was actually thinking the same thing about the resource manual. I think that since it lists all the KSAs and then goes into detail about them that you will get all the information you need. Thanks for posting the tutorial link it was very helpful!
Good luck with the studying, make sure you let us know how you do on the test and what it was like!
no problem.
I take the test on march 19th so maybe that day or the next, pass or fail, I will post a review about the test and everyting that I can remember that is on it.
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