ACSM EP EXAMS SCRIPT 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A regular female client becomes dizzy during a strength training session. The
ACSM-EP stops the session and her symptoms disappear after 30 minutes. What is the
MOST appropriate course of action:
a. Switch from strength training to circuit training.
b. Make note and reduce the load for the next workout.
c. Switch her to cardio training only.
d. Refer the client to her physician. - ✔✔d. Refer the client to her physician.
✔✔The client screening process can be broken down into three phases comprising risk
classification, health history evaluation and related assessments, and:
a. Body composition measurement.
b. Informed consent.
c. Medical clearance or referral (if needed).
d. Prior exercise history. - ✔✔c. Medical clearance or referral (if needed).
✔✔Self-administered questionnaires are less useful for the ACSM-EP because:
a. ACSM-EPs typically desire a more extensive health profile for their clients.
b. These forms promote underestimation of risk factors.
c. Necessity for physician clearance is not evident from self-guided forms.
d. Clients are more likely to be dishonest on a self-guided form. - ✔✔a. ACSM-EPs
typically desire a more extensive health profile for their clients.
✔✔Syncope during exercise may result from cardiac disorders that prevent the normal
rise in:
a. Heart rate.
b. Blood pressure.
c. Cardiac output.
d. Respiration rate. - ✔✔c. Cardiac output.
✔✔Which of the following is one of the principal symptoms of both cardiac and
pulmonary disease?
a. Tachycardia
b. Syncope
c. Ischemia
d. Dyspnea - ✔✔d. Dyspnea
✔✔The benefit of participation in exercise would outweigh the risk for which of the
following conditions?
a. Acute aortic dissection
b. Decompensated heart failure
c. Acquired advanced heart block
,d. Active endocarditis - ✔✔c. Acquired advanced heart block
✔✔The final and critical last step in professionally supervised initial client screening is
to:
a. Complete an informed consent.
b. Determine if a medical evaluation is necessary.
c. Refer the client to a physician if warranted.
d. Complete a health history questionnaire. - ✔✔c. Refer the client to a physician if
warranted.
✔✔One MET is equivalent to an oxygen uptake of:
a. 8.5 mL/kg/min.
b. 7.5 mL/kg/min.
c. 3.5 mL/kg/min.
d. 1.5 mL/kg/min. - ✔✔c. 3.5 mL/kg/min.
✔✔Long duration exercise events in a cold environment increase the risk of:
a. Hypothermia.
b. Heat exhaustion.
c. Heat stroke.
d. Heat cramps. - ✔✔a. Hypothermia.
✔✔Physical assessments should be designed to provide the ACSM-EP with information
on the client's:
a. Abilities and limitations.
b. Likelihood of reaching goals.
c. Interests.
d. Injuries. - ✔✔a. Abilities and limitations.
✔✔Tests for muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and
measurement of flexibility provide the ACSM-EP with information on the client's:
a. Desire for change.
b. Current fitness status.
c. Health history.
d. Interest in physical activity. - ✔✔b. Current fitness status.
✔✔When performing submaximal exercise, the exact time required to reach a steady
state is determined by:
a. Body mass.
b. Training state only.
c. Mode of exercise.
d. Training state and the magnitude of the increase in exercise intensity. - ✔✔d.
Training state and the magnitude of the increase in exercise intensity.
,✔✔Which of the following acronyms provides a framework for exercise prescription in
healthy individuals?
a. CRF
b. RPP
c. AHA
d. FITT - ✔✔d. FITT
✔✔Which activity is recommended for all adults regardless of fitness level?
a. Walking
b. Swimming
c. Rowing
d. Hiking - ✔✔a. Walking
✔✔A client comes to you wishing to train for a half marathon. By prescribing running to
your client, you are adhering to which of the following principles?
a. Pyramid training
b. Specificity of training
c. Cross training
d. Overload principle - ✔✔b. Specificity of training
✔✔Where is the majority of ATP generated in the cell?
a. Nucleus
b. Cytosol
c. Mitochondria
d. Plasma membrane - ✔✔c. Mitochondria
✔✔Kettlebell exercises designed to mimic a sport-related movement is an example of:
a. Specificity training.
b. Proper progression.
c. Structural exercises.
d. Muscle endurance training. - ✔✔a. Specificity training.
✔✔A new client uses cycling as her primary form of exercise. Which of the following
would be the most appropriate test to use in order to assess her cardiorespiratory
fitness?
a. Queens College Step Test
b. Rockport Walking Test
c. Ebbeling Treadmill Walking Test
d. Astrand-Rhyming Cycle Ergometer Test - ✔✔d. Astrand-Rhyming Cycle Ergometer
Test
✔✔The factors that make up cardiac output are:
a. Stroke volume and VO2max.
b. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
, c. VO2max and heart rate.
d. Heart rate and stroke volume. - ✔✔d. Heart rate and stroke volume.
✔✔One way that an ACSM-EP can reduce the risk of overuse injury is to:
a. Only use weight-bearing activities.
b. Implement plyometrics with novice clients.
c. Avoid increasing multiple exercise variables simultaneously.
d. Increase frequency of the activity by two to three days/week. - ✔✔c. Avoid increasing
multiple exercise variables simultaneously.
✔✔In general, the first few days of exercise in a hot or humid environment should be
modified by:
a. Having multiple bouts of exercise instead of a single bout.
b. Exercising on nonconsecutive days.
c. Wiping off sweat with towels frequently to enhance cooling.
d. Decreasing intensity and providing more rest periods. - ✔✔d. Decreasing intensity
and providing more rest periods.
✔✔What principle describes the need to stress the body beyond daily activity to create
fitness gains?
a. Adaptation
b. Hypertrophy
c. Specificity
d. Overload - ✔✔d. Overload
✔✔Health and fitness benefits occur with at least ______ minutes a week of moderate-
intensity physical activity.
a. 150
b. 75
c. 180
d. 60 - ✔✔a. 150
✔✔To assess a normal and appropriate cardiovascular response to graded exercise,
the EP-C should monitor:
a. BP and HR before, during, and after exercise.
b. Rating of perceived exertion during exercise.
c. Carotid or radial pulse during exercise.
d. Respiration and ventilation during exercise. - ✔✔a. BP and HR before, during, and
after exercise.
✔✔Which blood vessel is the location of gas and nutrient exchange?
a. Arteriole
b. Venule
c. Capillary
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A regular female client becomes dizzy during a strength training session. The
ACSM-EP stops the session and her symptoms disappear after 30 minutes. What is the
MOST appropriate course of action:
a. Switch from strength training to circuit training.
b. Make note and reduce the load for the next workout.
c. Switch her to cardio training only.
d. Refer the client to her physician. - ✔✔d. Refer the client to her physician.
✔✔The client screening process can be broken down into three phases comprising risk
classification, health history evaluation and related assessments, and:
a. Body composition measurement.
b. Informed consent.
c. Medical clearance or referral (if needed).
d. Prior exercise history. - ✔✔c. Medical clearance or referral (if needed).
✔✔Self-administered questionnaires are less useful for the ACSM-EP because:
a. ACSM-EPs typically desire a more extensive health profile for their clients.
b. These forms promote underestimation of risk factors.
c. Necessity for physician clearance is not evident from self-guided forms.
d. Clients are more likely to be dishonest on a self-guided form. - ✔✔a. ACSM-EPs
typically desire a more extensive health profile for their clients.
✔✔Syncope during exercise may result from cardiac disorders that prevent the normal
rise in:
a. Heart rate.
b. Blood pressure.
c. Cardiac output.
d. Respiration rate. - ✔✔c. Cardiac output.
✔✔Which of the following is one of the principal symptoms of both cardiac and
pulmonary disease?
a. Tachycardia
b. Syncope
c. Ischemia
d. Dyspnea - ✔✔d. Dyspnea
✔✔The benefit of participation in exercise would outweigh the risk for which of the
following conditions?
a. Acute aortic dissection
b. Decompensated heart failure
c. Acquired advanced heart block
,d. Active endocarditis - ✔✔c. Acquired advanced heart block
✔✔The final and critical last step in professionally supervised initial client screening is
to:
a. Complete an informed consent.
b. Determine if a medical evaluation is necessary.
c. Refer the client to a physician if warranted.
d. Complete a health history questionnaire. - ✔✔c. Refer the client to a physician if
warranted.
✔✔One MET is equivalent to an oxygen uptake of:
a. 8.5 mL/kg/min.
b. 7.5 mL/kg/min.
c. 3.5 mL/kg/min.
d. 1.5 mL/kg/min. - ✔✔c. 3.5 mL/kg/min.
✔✔Long duration exercise events in a cold environment increase the risk of:
a. Hypothermia.
b. Heat exhaustion.
c. Heat stroke.
d. Heat cramps. - ✔✔a. Hypothermia.
✔✔Physical assessments should be designed to provide the ACSM-EP with information
on the client's:
a. Abilities and limitations.
b. Likelihood of reaching goals.
c. Interests.
d. Injuries. - ✔✔a. Abilities and limitations.
✔✔Tests for muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and
measurement of flexibility provide the ACSM-EP with information on the client's:
a. Desire for change.
b. Current fitness status.
c. Health history.
d. Interest in physical activity. - ✔✔b. Current fitness status.
✔✔When performing submaximal exercise, the exact time required to reach a steady
state is determined by:
a. Body mass.
b. Training state only.
c. Mode of exercise.
d. Training state and the magnitude of the increase in exercise intensity. - ✔✔d.
Training state and the magnitude of the increase in exercise intensity.
,✔✔Which of the following acronyms provides a framework for exercise prescription in
healthy individuals?
a. CRF
b. RPP
c. AHA
d. FITT - ✔✔d. FITT
✔✔Which activity is recommended for all adults regardless of fitness level?
a. Walking
b. Swimming
c. Rowing
d. Hiking - ✔✔a. Walking
✔✔A client comes to you wishing to train for a half marathon. By prescribing running to
your client, you are adhering to which of the following principles?
a. Pyramid training
b. Specificity of training
c. Cross training
d. Overload principle - ✔✔b. Specificity of training
✔✔Where is the majority of ATP generated in the cell?
a. Nucleus
b. Cytosol
c. Mitochondria
d. Plasma membrane - ✔✔c. Mitochondria
✔✔Kettlebell exercises designed to mimic a sport-related movement is an example of:
a. Specificity training.
b. Proper progression.
c. Structural exercises.
d. Muscle endurance training. - ✔✔a. Specificity training.
✔✔A new client uses cycling as her primary form of exercise. Which of the following
would be the most appropriate test to use in order to assess her cardiorespiratory
fitness?
a. Queens College Step Test
b. Rockport Walking Test
c. Ebbeling Treadmill Walking Test
d. Astrand-Rhyming Cycle Ergometer Test - ✔✔d. Astrand-Rhyming Cycle Ergometer
Test
✔✔The factors that make up cardiac output are:
a. Stroke volume and VO2max.
b. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
, c. VO2max and heart rate.
d. Heart rate and stroke volume. - ✔✔d. Heart rate and stroke volume.
✔✔One way that an ACSM-EP can reduce the risk of overuse injury is to:
a. Only use weight-bearing activities.
b. Implement plyometrics with novice clients.
c. Avoid increasing multiple exercise variables simultaneously.
d. Increase frequency of the activity by two to three days/week. - ✔✔c. Avoid increasing
multiple exercise variables simultaneously.
✔✔In general, the first few days of exercise in a hot or humid environment should be
modified by:
a. Having multiple bouts of exercise instead of a single bout.
b. Exercising on nonconsecutive days.
c. Wiping off sweat with towels frequently to enhance cooling.
d. Decreasing intensity and providing more rest periods. - ✔✔d. Decreasing intensity
and providing more rest periods.
✔✔What principle describes the need to stress the body beyond daily activity to create
fitness gains?
a. Adaptation
b. Hypertrophy
c. Specificity
d. Overload - ✔✔d. Overload
✔✔Health and fitness benefits occur with at least ______ minutes a week of moderate-
intensity physical activity.
a. 150
b. 75
c. 180
d. 60 - ✔✔a. 150
✔✔To assess a normal and appropriate cardiovascular response to graded exercise,
the EP-C should monitor:
a. BP and HR before, during, and after exercise.
b. Rating of perceived exertion during exercise.
c. Carotid or radial pulse during exercise.
d. Respiration and ventilation during exercise. - ✔✔a. BP and HR before, during, and
after exercise.
✔✔Which blood vessel is the location of gas and nutrient exchange?
a. Arteriole
b. Venule
c. Capillary
