ACSM Health Fitness Specialist Exam: A review - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[adam carsis]

Hi everyone,

I just took this exam and passed! yeah!

This is a review about what I thought about the test and some helpful hints.

Note: I am in my last semester of a Kinesiology degree and I have been studying specifically for this test for over a month. (1-3 hours per day). Also, the test is random so some of the questions that popped up for me may not pop up for other people. Just keep this in mind.

How I studied: I read every word in the 8th edition GETP. I studied 70% of the Certification Review book and read a few chapters in the Resources Manual about risk stratification and exercise testing.

When I first decided to take this test I searched the internet for as much info about it as I could. Well, there isn’t much. The few posts that I did read about it said that it was really hard and many people had to take it over. So I felt really nervous about this thing even though I am a good test taker. As it turns out: the test was pretty easy for me. I scored a 669 (550 needed to pass).

The composition of the test is pretty true to the ACSM’s blueprint (check out their website for more details) but here are a few hints about studying for the test that I think will help.

Metabolic Calculations: If you study the chapter in the Certification Review book about metabolic calculations, you should do fine. The questions themselves were not nearly as tricky as I thought they would be. They were similar to the practice questions that are in the Cert. Review.

Business, budgeting and administration: Wow, I really neglected studying for these types of questions. I wish I would have reviewed it a bit more.

ECG Graphs: I studied this hard. But I didn’t get one single ECG graph on the test. I am not sure if this is normal or I got a lucky test but there it is.

Skin folds: Someone told me to study this a lot and I am glad they did.

BMI Calculation: don’t forget to memorize the calculation for this as well as all the metric-standard conversions and vise versa.

General knowledge of stretches and resistance training: Even though none of the prep books really went over “how” to lift weights or stretch, there are some questions asking you which one is the right exercise for this type of training or targeting that type of muscle.

Contradictions to Ex testing and criteria for stopping a test: make sure to know these tables.

Pregnancy: Know ex prescription for pregnancy.

Case studies: there are several case studies that give you a bunch of data about a person that then ask you several questions regarding risk stratification and then ex prescription for that person.

All the rest of the questions were basic ex physiology, risk stratification, nutrition and ex prescription stuff that you would expect.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to post them here.

Good luck!

-adam

[Christina]

Hey Adam! Way to go! I was thinking about you wondering if you passed. It feels good to finally have that behind you, doesn't it?

Christina

[katana2000]

Congratulations! Thanks for the review, it is very helpful. I had also heard numerous stories about the exam being much harder than the practice tests. But your review has really eased my fears about the test. So which of the 3 books did you feel was the most helpful now that you have taken the exam?

[adam carsis]

So which of the 3 books did you feel was the most helpful now that you have taken the exam?

thanks. it really does feel great to have that out of the way.

about which of the 3 books was the most helpful... well i read every word of the GETP and highlighted a bunch of things and reviewed and studied it like crazy. i think doing this is essential.

but I think the Certification review was actually the most helpful. the review questions that it gives are ok for practice but the way it outlines everything you need to know helped out alot. especially the chapter on metabolic calculations.

the resources manual can certainly help, but i ended up not studying it very much.

[jeff]

Thanks for the review, Adam. I have a question for Christina or Adam. I am studying for the ACSM's CPT exam. It seems like Adam's review is very similar to what ACSM recommends for their CPT exam. How similar are these two exams? Is one much harder than the other? Thanks, Jeff

[adam carsis]

I think both exams are fairly similar because a large base of KSA's are shared.

The HFS exam is the harder one because it covers all the CPT KSA's plus additional KSA's for the HFS cert. The HFS cert covers risk factors and exercise prescription for people with controllable diseases in more depth.

[Arami]

I passed this test just now also! I was very psyched (and scared right before I clicked "End Exam") that I passed (646 / 550).

One note on the format of the tests. As with almost all multiple choice tests, and coming from a college/university perspective, there are 4 possible choices. Just play the elimination game as you go along, as most of the time there will be simply ridiculous answers (like not even related to the question itself). Sometimes there will be tricky questions that you should know the answer specifically for, but most of the time the elimination game (crossing two off right away) will help narrow down your answers.

Just a certain way in how I attacked the test!

And much thanks for this site - it, along with the Certification Review book (not to mention ACSM GETP 8th Ed.), were the most helpful pieces that helped me along my way!

[Christina]

Way to go! Now that you are certified, I hope you will stick around in case others have questions.

Congrats!

Christina

[katana2000]

I have a question for Adam, Arami, or anyone else who has taken the HFS. Did the exam have any questions regaurding medications? i know i need to know the basic hypertensive and cholestorol medications for risk stratification, but beyond that who in depth did the exam get in that area?
Thanks

[mlance15]

I have thought about taking the the ACSM Health Fitness Specialist exam in regards to helping me eventually go to Physician Assistant School. I was wondering with this certification would you be allowed to work in a clinical setting? What type of places are available to you once you achieve this certification? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Mike