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Everything You Need to Know Before Taking the CSCS Exam

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So, you have gone through the personal training program and you have done your study hours. Now you just have to pass the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. No pressure, right? Except it probably feels like a lot of pressure. You’re ready to become a certified strength and conditioning coach, and the only thing holding you back is passing this exam. The last thing you want to do is fail. So how do you make sure you pass it? Understanding what is necessary to know before taking the CSCS exam can help calm your nerves and make you feel confident in your ability to pass the exam. One of the best ways to boost your confidence and your percentage to pass the exam is using a CSCS study guide. By using the CSCS study guide, you will have everything you need to pass the exam and not waste the hundreds of dollars you invested into completing the programme.

Why use a CSCS study guide?

By using the CSCS study guide, you will have everything you need to pass the exam and not waste the hundreds of dollars you invested into completing the program. Many people, about 44%, fail the CSCS exam the first time they take it. Why? Well, it’s not a surprising statistic. The NSCA CSCS textbook is over 650 pages. Figuring out what content is necessary to study and memorize versus content that isn’t necessary can be difficult for a lot of people. Although all of the content in the textbook is full of good information that is helpful for a successful personal training career, knowing how to study it efficiently and effectively for a comprehensive exam is a lot of pressure. Having a CSCS study guide can help you overcome testing anxiety by giving you an outline to easily study and prepare for the exam. Memorising over 650 pages of material isn’t realistic, but having a study guide that helps conceptualise ideas and organise information from over 650 pages is realistic, and available to test takers.

Who makes CSCS study guides?

If you are thinking about using a CSCS study guide, you are probably wondering if you can trust the study guide. You don’t want to use a study guide that is made by someone who has zero understanding of the CSCS exam or the personal training industry. That would not be helpful for you in preparing for the exam. It’s ideal to use a CSCS study guide made by people who have taken the exam and already have experience in the industry. If you want to know everything that is necessary to know before taking the exam, then learning from others who have gone before you is the best way to learn, prepare, and pass the CSCS exam.

What should my study guide include?

There are different levels of study guides out there that are available to you. If you are just looking for a CSCS study guide that gives an overview of information of everything you need to know, then you can easily get a basic study guide. It might not go in depth, but it will give you the information you need to study for the exam. Along with the study guide, you can also get practice tests and flashcards. One thing you might want to know before the exam is the test structure. Practice tests are a great way to help understand the look and feel of the real CSCS exam you will take. Flashcards can also be helpful by giving you necessary definitions and topics you will need to know for your exam. 

If you really want to be confident that you know everything necessary for passing the CSCS exam, you can get a number of different study materials. With your study guide, practice tests, and flashcards, you can also get study guide answers, an audio study guide and mnemonics. Having the answer to questions will help you feel prepared for the questions on the exam. An audio study guide is great for times that you can’t look at your practice tests or flashcards. You can listen to it in the car or while you are working out. Mnemonics are helpful for memorising a lot of material given at once. There are also blueprints that give you different study plans based on how much time you have to study. If you only have two weeks until your exam, you can use a cram blueprint that gives you everything you need to know in just two weeks. And lastly, a CSCS cheat sheet is full of the most pertinent information for your CSCS exam. With all of these materials available to you, it will be very difficult to fail your exam.

Everything you need to know

Using a CSCS study guide will give you everything you need to know before taking the CSCS exam. Use a study guide, practice tests, and flashcards to prepare for the exam. Go even further and get study guide answers, an audio study guide, mnemonics, and a cheat sheet to make sure you don’t miss any necessary information for the CSCS exam.


David Tobin did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.

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