NASM CPT LATEST 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Repetitive movement patterns - ✔✔can create pattern overload (e.g.,
armsconstantly overhead-construction, painting, etc. -can lead to tight
latissimusdorsiand weak rotator cuff).
✔✔Dress shoes - ✔✔constantly plantar flexed position leads to tight gastrocnemius,
soleus, and Achilles tendon, causing decreased dorsiflexion and over-pronation (flat
feet).
✔✔Mental stress - ✔✔can cause:
- Elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and ventilation at rest and when exercising.
- Abnormal breathing patterns that cause imbalances in the neck, shoulders, chest, and
low back.
✔✔Past injuries/surgeries: - ✔✔- Strong predictor of future risk of injury.
- Ankle sprains decrease neural control to the gluteus medius and maximus.
- Knee injuries decrease neural control to muscles that stabilize the kneecap.
- Non-contact knee injuries are often the result of hip or ankle dysfunction.
- Low-back pain can cause decreased neural control of core stabilization muscles.
- Shoulder injuries can lead to altered neural control of the rotator cuff
✔✔Common medications - ✔✔can effect exercise performance; e.g., beta-blockers
lower heart rate and blood pressure.
✔✔Chronic conditions - ✔✔medical conditionssuch as:hypertension and other
cardiovascular conditions, cardiorespiratory conditions, diabetes, stroke, or cancer.
✔✔Submaximal tests - ✔✔assessments to estimate VO2maxand determine
cardiorespiratory exercisestarting point.
✔✔Calculating maximal heart rate: - ✔✔- Straight percentage method: HRmax= 220 -
age...easiest, less accurate.
- Regression formula: HRmax= 208 -(0.7 × age)...more accurate
✔✔YMCA 3-minute step test: - ✔✔- Perform 96 steps per minute, on 12-inch step, for
3minutes.
- Within 5 seconds of stopping, take recovery pulse for 60 seconds.
- Match recovery pulse to chart in text.
- Assign to proper HR zone:
- Very poor / poor / below average= zone 1 (65-75% HR max)
- Average /above average / good = zone 2 (76-85% HR max)
- Excellent= zone 3 (86-95% HR max)
,✔✔Rockport walk test: - ✔✔-Record weight.
- Walk 1 mile on a treadmill.
- Record the time.
- Immediately record heart rate. - Calculate the VO2 score using the formula in the text.
- Match the VO2 score with age and sex to the chart in the text.
- Assign to proper HR zone:
oPoor and fair = zone 1
oAverage and good = zone 2
oVery good = zone 3
✔✔Radial pulse - ✔✔measured with two fingers placed lightly along right side of arm, in
line and just above thumb.
✔✔Carotid pulse - ✔✔measured on the neck; not a preferred method to use on clients.
✔✔Resting heart rate (RHR) - ✔✔heart rate when the body is not physically
active.Average RHR for a: male =70 bpm; female =75 bpm. Typical adult RHR range=
between 70 and 80 bpm.
✔✔Systolic - ✔✔pressure within the arteries after the heart contracts.
healthy=less than 120 mmHg
✔✔Diastolic - ✔✔pressure within the arteries when the heart is resting and fillingwith
blood.
healthy= less than 80 mmHg
✔✔Kinetic chain checkpoints - ✔✔foot and ankle, knee, LPHC, shoulders,andhead and
cervical spine.
✔✔Cholesterol - ✔✔blood lipid associated with cardiovascular disease and obesity
✔✔HDL - ✔✔high-density lipoprotein, aka "good cholesterol."
✔✔LDL - ✔✔low-density lipoprotein, aka "bad cholesterol."
✔✔less than 200 mg/dL. - ✔✔Healthy total cholesterol level=?
✔✔Overweight - ✔✔a person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9, or is 25-30lbs over
recommended weight for height.
✔✔Obesity - ✔✔a person with a BMI of 30 or greater, or is at least 30lbs over
recommended weight for height.
✔✔Skin-fold measurements - ✔✔- uses caliper to measure subcutaneous fat.
, - 4 sites: biceps (vertical fold), triceps (vertical fold), subscapular (45° fold), iliac crest
(45° fold). All on the right side of the body
- Durnin-Wormsely formula
✔✔Durnin-Wormsely formula - ✔✔add totalof measurements and compare tothe
solutions table in the textbookto determine body fat percentage.
✔✔Fat mass= - ✔✔body fat % × scale weight.
✔✔Lean body mass= - ✔✔scale weight-fat mass.
✔✔Bioelectrical impedance - ✔✔conducts electrical current through the body to
estimate fat content.
✔✔Underwater weighing - ✔✔used in exercise physiology labs; lean mass sinks, fat
mass floats;dry weight compared to underwater weight.
✔✔Circumference measurements - ✔✔assess girth changes in the body; not accurate
estimate of fatness.
- Measure at the neck, chest, waist, hips, calves, and biceps.
✔✔Waist-to-hip ratio - ✔✔divide the waist circumference measurement by the hip
measurement.
- Ratios greater than 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men increases risk for a number of
diseases.
✔✔Body mass index (BMI) - ✔✔a person's weight compared to his/her height.
- Not designed to assess body fat.
- Risk of chronic disease increases with a BMI of 25 or greater.
✔✔Davies test - ✔✔assesses upper extremity stability and agility.
✔✔Shark skill test - ✔✔assesses lower extremity agility and neuromuscular control.
✔✔Bench press test - ✔✔estimates 1-rep maximum on overall upper body strength of
pressing musculature.
✔✔Squat test - ✔✔estimates 1-rep squat maximum and overall lower body strength.
✔✔Push-up test - ✔✔measures muscular endurance of the upper body; primarily
pushing muscles
✔✔LEFT test - ✔✔assessesagility, acceleration, deceleration, and neuromuscular
control
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Repetitive movement patterns - ✔✔can create pattern overload (e.g.,
armsconstantly overhead-construction, painting, etc. -can lead to tight
latissimusdorsiand weak rotator cuff).
✔✔Dress shoes - ✔✔constantly plantar flexed position leads to tight gastrocnemius,
soleus, and Achilles tendon, causing decreased dorsiflexion and over-pronation (flat
feet).
✔✔Mental stress - ✔✔can cause:
- Elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and ventilation at rest and when exercising.
- Abnormal breathing patterns that cause imbalances in the neck, shoulders, chest, and
low back.
✔✔Past injuries/surgeries: - ✔✔- Strong predictor of future risk of injury.
- Ankle sprains decrease neural control to the gluteus medius and maximus.
- Knee injuries decrease neural control to muscles that stabilize the kneecap.
- Non-contact knee injuries are often the result of hip or ankle dysfunction.
- Low-back pain can cause decreased neural control of core stabilization muscles.
- Shoulder injuries can lead to altered neural control of the rotator cuff
✔✔Common medications - ✔✔can effect exercise performance; e.g., beta-blockers
lower heart rate and blood pressure.
✔✔Chronic conditions - ✔✔medical conditionssuch as:hypertension and other
cardiovascular conditions, cardiorespiratory conditions, diabetes, stroke, or cancer.
✔✔Submaximal tests - ✔✔assessments to estimate VO2maxand determine
cardiorespiratory exercisestarting point.
✔✔Calculating maximal heart rate: - ✔✔- Straight percentage method: HRmax= 220 -
age...easiest, less accurate.
- Regression formula: HRmax= 208 -(0.7 × age)...more accurate
✔✔YMCA 3-minute step test: - ✔✔- Perform 96 steps per minute, on 12-inch step, for
3minutes.
- Within 5 seconds of stopping, take recovery pulse for 60 seconds.
- Match recovery pulse to chart in text.
- Assign to proper HR zone:
- Very poor / poor / below average= zone 1 (65-75% HR max)
- Average /above average / good = zone 2 (76-85% HR max)
- Excellent= zone 3 (86-95% HR max)
,✔✔Rockport walk test: - ✔✔-Record weight.
- Walk 1 mile on a treadmill.
- Record the time.
- Immediately record heart rate. - Calculate the VO2 score using the formula in the text.
- Match the VO2 score with age and sex to the chart in the text.
- Assign to proper HR zone:
oPoor and fair = zone 1
oAverage and good = zone 2
oVery good = zone 3
✔✔Radial pulse - ✔✔measured with two fingers placed lightly along right side of arm, in
line and just above thumb.
✔✔Carotid pulse - ✔✔measured on the neck; not a preferred method to use on clients.
✔✔Resting heart rate (RHR) - ✔✔heart rate when the body is not physically
active.Average RHR for a: male =70 bpm; female =75 bpm. Typical adult RHR range=
between 70 and 80 bpm.
✔✔Systolic - ✔✔pressure within the arteries after the heart contracts.
healthy=less than 120 mmHg
✔✔Diastolic - ✔✔pressure within the arteries when the heart is resting and fillingwith
blood.
healthy= less than 80 mmHg
✔✔Kinetic chain checkpoints - ✔✔foot and ankle, knee, LPHC, shoulders,andhead and
cervical spine.
✔✔Cholesterol - ✔✔blood lipid associated with cardiovascular disease and obesity
✔✔HDL - ✔✔high-density lipoprotein, aka "good cholesterol."
✔✔LDL - ✔✔low-density lipoprotein, aka "bad cholesterol."
✔✔less than 200 mg/dL. - ✔✔Healthy total cholesterol level=?
✔✔Overweight - ✔✔a person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9, or is 25-30lbs over
recommended weight for height.
✔✔Obesity - ✔✔a person with a BMI of 30 or greater, or is at least 30lbs over
recommended weight for height.
✔✔Skin-fold measurements - ✔✔- uses caliper to measure subcutaneous fat.
, - 4 sites: biceps (vertical fold), triceps (vertical fold), subscapular (45° fold), iliac crest
(45° fold). All on the right side of the body
- Durnin-Wormsely formula
✔✔Durnin-Wormsely formula - ✔✔add totalof measurements and compare tothe
solutions table in the textbookto determine body fat percentage.
✔✔Fat mass= - ✔✔body fat % × scale weight.
✔✔Lean body mass= - ✔✔scale weight-fat mass.
✔✔Bioelectrical impedance - ✔✔conducts electrical current through the body to
estimate fat content.
✔✔Underwater weighing - ✔✔used in exercise physiology labs; lean mass sinks, fat
mass floats;dry weight compared to underwater weight.
✔✔Circumference measurements - ✔✔assess girth changes in the body; not accurate
estimate of fatness.
- Measure at the neck, chest, waist, hips, calves, and biceps.
✔✔Waist-to-hip ratio - ✔✔divide the waist circumference measurement by the hip
measurement.
- Ratios greater than 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men increases risk for a number of
diseases.
✔✔Body mass index (BMI) - ✔✔a person's weight compared to his/her height.
- Not designed to assess body fat.
- Risk of chronic disease increases with a BMI of 25 or greater.
✔✔Davies test - ✔✔assesses upper extremity stability and agility.
✔✔Shark skill test - ✔✔assesses lower extremity agility and neuromuscular control.
✔✔Bench press test - ✔✔estimates 1-rep maximum on overall upper body strength of
pressing musculature.
✔✔Squat test - ✔✔estimates 1-rep squat maximum and overall lower body strength.
✔✔Push-up test - ✔✔measures muscular endurance of the upper body; primarily
pushing muscles
✔✔LEFT test - ✔✔assessesagility, acceleration, deceleration, and neuromuscular
control
