Test Taking Strategies
The test had 150 multiple choice questions along with a series of questions related to 2 simulation problems. You
have 3 hours to take the first part and another hour to take the second. When taking the test, read the question
and then read all the options given for the answer. You can usually eliminate 2 of them. Then you can spend your
time deciding  which of the two is most likely to fit the answer. Reading the question carefully is important. Look for
the key words in the question that are in caps and in bold such as MOST, INITIAL, or BEST.  If you find you are
taking a great deal of time on one question you can either mark it to go back to it (the demo you take before the
exam will show you how) or take an educated guess. There were some questions that I really did not know, and I
just picked one that seemed right to me. I found it was better to just pick an answer than to dwell on it a long time.
The time dwelling on a question that I did not know seemed to drain me, but if I just took an educated guess and
moved on, I was in a better frame of mind to answer the questions that I did know.

Other things you may want to know
It takes some of the stress off just knowing a few things ahead of time. One is know the exact directions to your
testing center and leave plenty of time to get there. I actually arrived 45 minutes early so I did a little last minute
studying in the car.  You are not allowed to bring in your purse or cellphone but the testing center that I went to
had secured lockers where you could put your belongings and have a key to the locker. You can bring snacks and
water with but you have to leave them outside the testing room. You can take breaks but you will need to sign in
and out of the log book each time you leave. Personally I did not take any breaks. I finished the test in 3 hours - I
just wanted to get it done already!  After you finish selecting your answers and click submit, a short survey comes
up. You will take the survey and click submit again and a page with your test scores will come up. Then you print
the page and the proctor will hand you the page. ACE will mail to you a certificate in 4-6 weeks. I actually sat in
front of the computer screen for an entire minute after my score page came up. I just kept reading the words over
and over: "Congratulations, you passed!"   

Test Taking Tips and Strategies for the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam

Here's some tips on how to take your ACE Personal Trainer certification exam successfully and with confidence.
My Tips for studying and taking the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam
  • Start with Chapter 4 (then do chapters 1, 2 and 3 last the first time around)
  • Highlight notable facts
  • Answer questions in study guide after reading the corresponding chapter
  • After finishing the whole book, go back a second time and define the words listed in the study guide's
    chapter heading page
  • Use the glossary in the ACE Personal Trainer Manual to help you with the definitions as well as reading
    through the book again
  • Do the practice tests that come with the manual (including the simulation problems) several times
  • Order the additional online practice test and print out all the answers after taking the test (which includes all
    the explanations)
  • Go through the entire book a third time, this time reading your definitions, your highlighted facts and going
    over the questions and answers in the study guide
  • Write out major formulas and practice them, multiplying and dividing using paper and pen
  • Read the discussion board for ACE Exam candidates on acefitness.org
  • Use the last week to relax your mind and review major points, facts and formulas
  • When taking the test, read questions carefully, read each option and eliminate the 2 obvious wrong ones
  • Take educated guesses on the ones you absolutely don't know
  • Visualize seeing on your computer screen the words: "Congratulations, you passed!"
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