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) and do them a few times over
  • 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 the questions carefully, reading each option and
    eliminating 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!"