What Are the ACSM-CEP Requirements?

By Marc Ferrer · Founder, Engram Kinetics · Published November 2026

Two requirements deserve a careful look before you apply: the clinical hours, because not every hour counts, and the CPR level, because the adult CPR/AED card that’s enough for the ACSM-EP isn’t enough here.

Two routes, one trade-off

ACSM lists two routes for US candidates. The master’s route asks for a master’s in clinical exercise physiology, or an equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution, and 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience. The bachelor’s route asks for a bachelor’s in exercise science, exercise physiology, or an equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution, and 1,200 hours. International degrees must meet ACSM’s course requirements.

So the master’s halves the hours. For someone already working in cardiac rehab with a bachelor’s, the 1,200 hours may come faster than a degree. For a student choosing a graduate program, a clinical exercise physiology master’s program with a built-in practicum may cover the hours on the way. Either way, you can apply and test in your final semester.

What counts as a clinical hour

This is the part to check line by line. ACSM counts hands-on, supervised, patient-centered work: clinical assessment, exercise testing, exercise prescription for people with chronic disease, and patient education.

It doesn’t count observation-only hours, non-clinical experience, hours with athletes or apparently healthy people, or personal training. A year of training healthy older adults in a gym, however well documented, adds nothing to the total. Neither do weeks spent shadowing in a cardiac rehab unit if you never worked with the patients yourself.

The check matters because every CEP application is audited, all of them, by ACSM’s CEP External Review Board. For the EP, ACSM audits about 10% of candidates. Count your hours the way the reviewer will, before you pay.

The CPR level is higher

For the ACSM-EP, a current adult CPR/AED certification is enough, as long as it includes a live, in-person skills assessment. For the CEP, ACSM asks for a current Basic Life Support certification at provider level, ACLS, or CPR for the Professional Rescuer, and it too must include a live, in-person skills assessment. A candidate who moves from the EP to the CEP and keeps the same lay-rescuer card doesn’t meet the requirement.

What changes in 2027

The program rule that applies to the EP applies to the CEP too, and the date that decides is the date your degree is awarded. From August 15, 2027, the master’s must come from a CAAHEP-accredited exercise physiology program, and the bachelor’s from a CAAHEP-accredited exercise science program, or from a program that has formally started accreditation through a formal inquiry or a Request for Accreditation Services. Candidates from programs still in the process must show proof of that status. International degrees are judged by equivalence to the CAAHEP standards for the same field instead. ACSM also adds standard first aid to the CPR requirement from that date: its table lists it for degrees awarded from August 15, 2027, and its text for candidates from that date, so if you apply after it, have one. The hours don’t change: 600 or 1,200.

An older ACSM page on the 2027 rule, still online, describes an alternative pathway for candidates whose program isn’t CAAHEP-accredited: for graduates from August 15, 2027, a temporary exemption through August 14, 2029, based on official transcripts, course descriptions and a signed attestation from the program director. The February 2026 eligibility page doesn’t mention it. If your plan depends on it, ask ACSM first.

ACSM says its Certification Board will reassess these requirements in August 2029.

What it costs

The exam costs $460, or $350 for ACSM members, including a $50 non-refundable application fee. A retest costs $235.

Sources

• ACSM, Clinical Exercise Physiologist: degree and hour options, CPR level, fees.
• ACSM, Updated ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP Certification Eligibility Requirements, revised February 6, 2026: routes, what counts as a clinical hour, audits, the 2027 program rule, first aid.
• ACSM, 2027 ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP Accreditation and Certification Requirements, published October 29, 2025: the alternative pathway.
• ACSM, Exercise Physiologist: the EP’s CPR/AED requirement, for comparison.

FAQ

Do personal training hours count toward the ACSM-CEP?

No. ACSM excludes personal training, work with athletes or apparently healthy people, observation-only hours and non-clinical experience. The hours must be hands-on, supervised and patient-centered: clinical assessment, exercise testing, prescription for chronic disease, patient education.

Can you take the ACSM-CEP with a bachelor’s degree?

Yes. With a bachelor’s in exercise science, exercise physiology or an equivalent field, you need 1,200 hours of hands-on clinical experience instead of 600. For US degrees awarded from August 15, 2027, ACSM’s eligibility page also asks for a CAAHEP-accredited program or one formally in the accreditation process.

Is CPR/AED enough for the ACSM-CEP?

No. The CEP requires Basic Life Support at provider level, ACLS, or CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Adult CPR/AED is the EP requirement.

Disclosure: Marc Ferrer is the founder of Engram Kinetics, an independent exam-prep platform. Engram Kinetics is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ACSM, NSCA or CSEP. Requirements and fees come from acsm.org, as checked in October 2026. ACSM decides eligibility, so confirm the current rules on acsm.org before you apply.

ACSM, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP are registered trademarks of the American College of Sports Medicine.