NASM CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER (CPT)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES ALREADY GRADED A IN
2025
1. If forward head posture is permitted during the drawing-in maneuver,
what muscle
may be preferentially activated, leading to poor muscle balance
throughout the spine?
a. Rhomboids
b. Sternocleidomastoid
c. Upper trapezius
d. Diaphragm
ANS Sternocleidomastoid
2. Which hip muscle helps maintain a level pelvis in the frontal plane?
a. Erector spinae
b. Gluteus medius
c. Gluteus maximus
d. Hip flexor
ANS Gluteus medius
3. Circuit training is best described as what?
a. A system of handing straps that allows the user to use their own body
weight to load
exercise movements
b.Taking two modalities and combining them into one exercise
movement, such as
placing the hands on a balance tool while performing a suspended
crunch
c. A full-body program that incorporates high-intensity aerobic
conditioning, muscular
strength, and endurance training movements
d. Exercises that are performed back-to-back with no rest between each
move- ment
ANS A full-body program that incorporates high-intensity aerobic
conditioning, muscular
,strength, and endurance training movements
4. Which of the following is considered a deep muscle of the core?
a. Rotatores
b. Latissimus dorsi
c. Rectus abdominis
d. Iliopsoas
ANS Rotatores
5. If your client is working in Phase 1 of the OPT model, what type of
flexibility training
should they utilize?
a. SMR/active stretching
b. SMR/ballistic stretching
c. SMR/dynamic stretching
d. SMR/static stretching
ANS SMR/static stretching
6. What is it called when a ligament is overstretched or torn?
a. A pull
b. A twist
c. A strain
d. A sprain
ANS A sprain
7. Which of the following statements pertaining to high-intensity interval
train- ing (HIIT)
is incorrect?
a. Itcan produce results in a compressed period oftime with a smaller
volume of work.
b. Measuring intensity by one's "effort" (a subjective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity.
c. Intervals are performed at higher intensities and use longer recovery
peri- ods.
d. Measuring intensity by performance (objective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity
.
ANS Measuring intensity by one's"effort"(a subjective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity.
,
8. What is the primary purpose of the peripheral nervous system?
a.To coordinate the activity of all parts of the body
b.To trANSmit nervous impulses from neuron to neuron
c.To trANSmit impulses between afferent and efferent neurons
d.To connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
ANS To connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
9. Asking a client to close their eyes during a balance exercise would
challenge which
system?
a. Somatosensory system
b. Visual system
c. Auditory system
d. Vestibular system
ANS Visual system
10. What is the corresponding heart rate for an intensity scored as 14 on
the original
Borg 6 to 20 scale of exertion?
a. 140 beats per minute
b. Unable to estimate because RPE does not correlate with heart rate
c. Unable to estimate because the Borg 6 to 20 scale applies only to
vigorous
exercise
d. 120 beats per minute
ANS 140 beats per minute
11. You are training a youth client.What is the best choice for number of
SAQ drills per
workout for this athlete?
a. 4 to 8 drills per workout
b. 2 or 3 drills per workout
c. 1 or 2 drills per workout
d. 9 or 10 drills per workout
ANS 4 to 8 drills per workout
12. Which exercise primarily targets the trANSverse abdominis?
a. Bracing
b. Medicine ball throw
c. Drawing-in maneuver
d. Back squat
, ANS Drawing-in maneuver
13. What are the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs)?
a. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine
b. Methionine, tryptophan, and lysine
c. Histidine, threonine, and phenylalanine
d. Alanine, glutamine, and tyrosine
ANS Valine, leucine, and isoleucine
14. Which of the following is considered one of the FourHorsemen of
Fitness?
a. ViPR
b. Medicine ball
c. Sandbag
d. Kettlebell
ANS Medicine ball
15. Which joint has the simplest movement, moving either back and
forth or side to
side?
a. Synovial
b. Nonsynovial
c. Nonaxial
d. Condyloid
ANS Nonaxial
16. What is stroke volume?
a.The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each contraction
b.The amount of blood remaining in the ventricle after contraction
c.The amount of blood in the ventricle before contraction
d.The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute
ANS The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each
contraction
17. Why is a jump-down exercise considered more advanced than a
jump-up exercise?
a. Jumping down lessens force deceleration.
b. Jumping down limits eccentric contractions.
c. Jumping down requires more concentric force control.
d. Jumping down challenges landing mechanics.
ANS Jumping down challenges landing mechanics.
18. What type of periodization uses changes in volume and intensity on
a daily or weekly
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES ALREADY GRADED A IN
2025
1. If forward head posture is permitted during the drawing-in maneuver,
what muscle
may be preferentially activated, leading to poor muscle balance
throughout the spine?
a. Rhomboids
b. Sternocleidomastoid
c. Upper trapezius
d. Diaphragm
ANS Sternocleidomastoid
2. Which hip muscle helps maintain a level pelvis in the frontal plane?
a. Erector spinae
b. Gluteus medius
c. Gluteus maximus
d. Hip flexor
ANS Gluteus medius
3. Circuit training is best described as what?
a. A system of handing straps that allows the user to use their own body
weight to load
exercise movements
b.Taking two modalities and combining them into one exercise
movement, such as
placing the hands on a balance tool while performing a suspended
crunch
c. A full-body program that incorporates high-intensity aerobic
conditioning, muscular
strength, and endurance training movements
d. Exercises that are performed back-to-back with no rest between each
move- ment
ANS A full-body program that incorporates high-intensity aerobic
conditioning, muscular
,strength, and endurance training movements
4. Which of the following is considered a deep muscle of the core?
a. Rotatores
b. Latissimus dorsi
c. Rectus abdominis
d. Iliopsoas
ANS Rotatores
5. If your client is working in Phase 1 of the OPT model, what type of
flexibility training
should they utilize?
a. SMR/active stretching
b. SMR/ballistic stretching
c. SMR/dynamic stretching
d. SMR/static stretching
ANS SMR/static stretching
6. What is it called when a ligament is overstretched or torn?
a. A pull
b. A twist
c. A strain
d. A sprain
ANS A sprain
7. Which of the following statements pertaining to high-intensity interval
train- ing (HIIT)
is incorrect?
a. Itcan produce results in a compressed period oftime with a smaller
volume of work.
b. Measuring intensity by one's "effort" (a subjective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity.
c. Intervals are performed at higher intensities and use longer recovery
peri- ods.
d. Measuring intensity by performance (objective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity
.
ANS Measuring intensity by one's"effort"(a subjective measure) is an
accurate measure of
intensity.
,
8. What is the primary purpose of the peripheral nervous system?
a.To coordinate the activity of all parts of the body
b.To trANSmit nervous impulses from neuron to neuron
c.To trANSmit impulses between afferent and efferent neurons
d.To connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
ANS To connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
9. Asking a client to close their eyes during a balance exercise would
challenge which
system?
a. Somatosensory system
b. Visual system
c. Auditory system
d. Vestibular system
ANS Visual system
10. What is the corresponding heart rate for an intensity scored as 14 on
the original
Borg 6 to 20 scale of exertion?
a. 140 beats per minute
b. Unable to estimate because RPE does not correlate with heart rate
c. Unable to estimate because the Borg 6 to 20 scale applies only to
vigorous
exercise
d. 120 beats per minute
ANS 140 beats per minute
11. You are training a youth client.What is the best choice for number of
SAQ drills per
workout for this athlete?
a. 4 to 8 drills per workout
b. 2 or 3 drills per workout
c. 1 or 2 drills per workout
d. 9 or 10 drills per workout
ANS 4 to 8 drills per workout
12. Which exercise primarily targets the trANSverse abdominis?
a. Bracing
b. Medicine ball throw
c. Drawing-in maneuver
d. Back squat
, ANS Drawing-in maneuver
13. What are the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs)?
a. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine
b. Methionine, tryptophan, and lysine
c. Histidine, threonine, and phenylalanine
d. Alanine, glutamine, and tyrosine
ANS Valine, leucine, and isoleucine
14. Which of the following is considered one of the FourHorsemen of
Fitness?
a. ViPR
b. Medicine ball
c. Sandbag
d. Kettlebell
ANS Medicine ball
15. Which joint has the simplest movement, moving either back and
forth or side to
side?
a. Synovial
b. Nonsynovial
c. Nonaxial
d. Condyloid
ANS Nonaxial
16. What is stroke volume?
a.The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each contraction
b.The amount of blood remaining in the ventricle after contraction
c.The amount of blood in the ventricle before contraction
d.The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute
ANS The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each
contraction
17. Why is a jump-down exercise considered more advanced than a
jump-up exercise?
a. Jumping down lessens force deceleration.
b. Jumping down limits eccentric contractions.
c. Jumping down requires more concentric force control.
d. Jumping down challenges landing mechanics.
ANS Jumping down challenges landing mechanics.
18. What type of periodization uses changes in volume and intensity on
a daily or weekly
