NSCA Certification: NCCA Accreditation

The CSCS and NSCA-CPT credentials are the only fitness-related certifications that have been nationally accredited for more than 10 years through the esteemed National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), based in Washington, D.C. In order to meet criteria set forth by the NCCA, the certification program evolved from a committee to a commission in 1992 with its own officers (Executive Council) and became administratively and financially independent of the NSCA. The NSCA Certification Commission is solely responsible for the CSCS and NSCA-CPT examinations, policies and procedures.

In 1993, the NSCA Certification Commission acquired accreditation from the NCCA for the CSCS examination. In 1996, the NSCA Certification Commission acquired accreditation from the NCCA for the NSCA-CPT examination. In 1998 and 2003, the NCCA re-accredited both the CSCS and NSCA-CPT certification programs, and the current accreditation extends through April 2008.

On March 15, 2005, IHRSA's Board of Directors approved a revision resolution recommending that IHRSA member clubs hire personal trainers who hold a current certification from a certifying body that has received third-party accreditation of its personal trainer certification program.

Whereas, given the increasing importance of personal training in health, fitness, and sports clubs, IHRSA recommends that, beginning January 1, 2006, member clubs hire personal trainers holding at least one current certification from a certifying organization/agency that has begun third-party accreditation of its certification procedures and protocols from an independent, experienced, and nationally recognized accrediting body.

Furthermore, given the twenty-six year history of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) as an organization dedicated to establishing quality standards for certifying agencies, IHRSA has identified the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the accreditation body of NOCA, as being an acceptable accrediting organization.

IHRSA will recognize other, equivalent accrediting organizations contingent upon their status as an established accreditation body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and/or the United States Department of Education for the purposes of providing independent, third-party accreditation.

The NCCA measures the ability of certifying organizations in any industry to accurately discriminate between qualified and unqualified professionals. To earn the recognition of the NCCA, a credentialing body must demonstrate an ability to develop and administer psychometrically sound examinations through a series of criteria.

The purpose of the certification program is to conduct certification activities in a manner that upholds standards for competent practice in a profession, occupation, role, or skill.
The certification program must be structured and governed in ways that are appropriate for the profession, occupation, role, or skill that ensure autonomy in decision making over essential certification activities.
The certification board or governing committee of the certification program must include individuals from the certified population, as well as voting representation from at least one consumer or public member. For entities offering more than one certification program, a system must be in place through which all certified populations are represented, with voting rights, on the certification board or governing committee.
The certification program must have sufficient financial resources to conduct effective and thorough certification and recertification activities.
The certification program must have sufficient staff, consultants, and other human resources to conduct effective certification and recertification activities.
A certification program must establish, publish, apply, and periodically review key certification policies and procedures concerning existing and prospective certificants, such as those for determining eligibility criteria, application for certification, administering assessment instruments, establishing performance domains, appeals, confidentiality, certification statistics, discipline, and compliance with applicable laws.
The certification program must publish a description of the assessment instruments used to make certification decisions as well as the research methods used to ensure that the assessment instruments are valid.
The certification program must award certification only after the knowledge and/or skill of individual applicants have been evaluated and determined to be acceptable.
The certification program must maintain a list and provide verification of certified individuals.
The certification program must analyze, define, and publish performance domains and tasks related to the purpose of the credential, and the knowledge and/or skill associated with the performance domains and tasks, and use them to develop specifications for the assessment instruments.
The certification program must employ assessment instruments that are derived from the job/practice analysis and that are consistent with generally accepted psychometric principles.
The certification program must set the cut score consistent with the purpose of the credential and the established standard of competence for the profession, occupation, role, or skill.
The certification program must document the psychometric procedures used to score, interpret, and report assessment results.
The certification program must ensure that reported scores are sufficiently reliable for the intended purposes of the assessment instruments.
The certification program must demonstrate that different forms of an assessment instrument assess equivalent content and that candidates are not disadvantaged for taking a form of an assessment instrument that varies in difficulty from another form.
The certification program must develop and adhere to appropriate, standardized, and secure procedures for the development and administration of the assessment instruments. The fact that such procedures are in force should be published.
The certification program must establish and document policies and procedures for retaining all information and data required to provide evidence of validity and reliability of the assessment instruments.
The certification program must establish and apply policies and procedures for secure retention of assessment results and scores of all candidates.
The certification program must require periodic recertification and establish, publish, apply, and periodically review policies and procedures for recertification.
The certification program must demonstrate that its recertification requirements measure or enhance the continued competence of certificants.
The certification program must demonstrate continued compliance to maintain accreditation.