How Do You Become a Certified Exercise Physiologist?

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

Two points trip people up. A certification is not a license, and the date on your diploma decides which rules apply to you.

Certification is not a license

ACSM is a professional body: what it awards is a certification. A license is different: it comes from a law. Louisiana is one state with such a law: it has licensed clinical exercise physiologists since January 1, 1996. Its law defines the role as work done under a physician’s direction in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and it places the license under the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.

Where no such law applies, becoming a “certified exercise physiologist” means earning a certification such as the ACSM-EP. It shows that you met a published standard.

The degree, and the date that decides

Today ACSM asks for a bachelor’s degree in exercise science or an equivalent field from a regionally accredited institution. The EP page names exercise science, exercise physiology and kinesiology. The name of the degree is not the whole test. ACSM’s eligibility page also asks the transcript to show at least 21 semester hours (28 quarter hours) of exercise science coursework in set areas, including a stand-alone exercise physiology course of at least 3 credits, or its equivalent, and exercise testing and prescription covering both healthy and special populations. About 10% of EP candidates are audited.

The rule changes for degrees awarded on or after August 15, 2027. From then on, the degree must come from a CAAHEP-accredited exercise science program, or from a program that has formally started CAAHEP accreditation through a formal inquiry or a Request for Accreditation Services (RAS). If your program is in that second group, you’ll need proof of its status, such as a RAS confirmation letter from the department chair. ACSM says it will review the requirements in August 2029.

The date that decides is the date your degree is awarded, not the date you sit the exam. That’s where plans go wrong. A student who graduates in December 2027 falls under the new rule even if every course was taken before it, and a May 2027 graduate keeps the current degree requirement even when testing later.

An earlier 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 6, 2026 revision, the page ACSM’s EP page links to, doesn’t mention it. If your plan depends on that exemption, ask ACSM before you count on it.

CPR/AED, then first aid

You need a current adult CPR/AED certification when you apply, and it must include a live, in-person skills assessment. A course done entirely online won’t meet that. ACSM adds a current standard first aid certification from August 15, 2027. Its eligibility table lists it for degrees awarded from that date, while the text below says candidates will need it from that date, so if you apply after it, have one.

The exam

You can apply and test in your final semester, with a transcript that shows active enrollment. Once the degree is conferred, the final transcript goes to ACSM. The exam has 140 questions, 125 of them scored, in 210 minutes, and you take it at a Pearson test center or online. It costs $460, or $350 for ACSM members, including a $50 non-refundable application fee. A retest costs $235.

After the ACSM-EP

The clinical credential is the ACSM-CEP. It adds hands-on clinical experience: 600 hours with a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology or an equivalent field, or 1,200 hours with a bachelor’s in exercise science, exercise physiology or an equivalent field. The hours must come from clinical settings. Observation-only hours don’t count, and neither does work with athletes or healthy clients, personal training included. The CPR level rises to BLS, ACLS or CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Every CEP application is audited, and the 2027 program rule applies to the CEP as well.

In Canada, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology certifies clinical exercise physiologists through its CSEP-CEP credential. Our CSEP-CEP guide covers it.

Sources

• ACSM, Exercise Physiologist: qualifications, exam delivery, fees.
• ACSM, Updated ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP Certification Eligibility Requirements, revised February 6, 2026: degree, coursework, CPR/AED, first aid, audits, CEP hours.
• ACSM, 2027 ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP Accreditation and Certification Requirements: the earlier transition provisions, including the temporary exemption.
• ACSM, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist Exam Content Outline, effective July 10, 2025: exam length and item count.
• CSEP, CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist: the Canadian credential.
• Louisiana Revised Statutes 37:3422 and 37:3423: definition of a clinical exercise physiologist and the license requirement.

FAQ

Can you become an exercise physiologist with a kinesiology degree?

For the ACSM-EP, yes, if the transcript shows the required coursework: at least 21 semester hours of exercise science, including a stand-alone exercise physiology course or its equivalent. For degrees awarded from August 15, 2027, the program must also be CAAHEP-accredited or formally in the accreditation process.

Do exercise physiologists need a license?

Only where a law requires one. Louisiana, for example, has licensed clinical exercise physiologists since 1996. The ACSM-EP is a certification from a professional body, not a license.

Can you take the ACSM-EP exam before you graduate?

Yes. ACSM lets candidates apply and test in the final semester of their degree program, with a transcript that shows active enrollment. The final transcript, with the conferred date, goes to ACSM after graduation.

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. Eligibility rules 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.