General Questions
NETA is very excited to announce the new and improved View Your Customer History online portal !!
The new online customer history portal provides a more user-friendly platform and added features. Through your customer history portal, you can
- view your current NETA certifications and expiration dates,
- view your continuing education activities completed with NETA over the last three years,
- renew your certifications online using our new online renewal forms,
- update your contact information, and
- reprint certificates.
What do you need to do?
To activate access to your online customer history, please visit www.netafit.org/my-account/. Using the email address currently on file with NETA, create your personal password. Once activated, you may login to access your NETA customer history. Whether it is your first time ever accessing your NETA customer history online, or you have previously (i.e., prior to September 4, 2018) accessed your history, everyone must first activate access by creating a new password.
To optimize your experience with these updates on our website, please refresh your Internet browser and/or clear your browsing history.
If you have any questions or need assistance please call NETA at 1-800-237-6242.
Yes, both NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certification programs have earned accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), demonstrating each program’s compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA-accreditation of NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certification programs is valid through July 31, 2027. NCCA only awards accreditation for certification programs and does not accredit an entire organization.
NETA does not currently offer job placement. However, you are encouraged to visit the Employment Opportunities page on our website, on which you will find many job opportunities posted by employers throughout the United States.
NETA workshop presenters must meet the following education, credential, and experience qualifications:
• Completed a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a health or fitness-related area of study such as exercise science, kinesiology, exercise physiology;
• Hold at least one valid NCCA-accredited fitness certification (e.g., personal trainer, group exercise instructor) and/or Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher designation (e.g., RYT®, E-RYT®) depending on the workshop format(s) to be presented;
• Hold a valid adult CPR/AED certification that included a live hands-on practical skills evaluation;
• Relevant experience working as a health or exercise professional; and
• Experience teaching/presenting to groups of 10-20+ adults.
To learn more about opportunities for NETA workshop presenters, please contact NETA at 1-800-237-6242 or [email protected].
If you are absent from a Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification review workshop, then you may apply the TCV toward registration for the “Test Only” option for the Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification exam administered via remote online proctoring with ProctorU. A $99 re-registration fee will apply.
For more information, please see NETA’s Cancellation and Refund Policy.
To host a live NETA workshop at your facility, please submit a hosting request online or contact Nicole at [email protected].
NETA’s online modules are administered via Articulate Online. Please double-check to make sure the system requirements on your computer or mobile device are up-to-date and able to support optimal viewing of NETA’s online modules. For best viewing, NETA recommends using Adobe Flash Player 10.3 or later plus the latest version of Google Chrome as the web browser.
Do not bookmark the modules in your internet browser as this may cause connectivity problems when re-entering the module(s). Always enter and re-enter the module(s) by clicking on the original hyperlink(s) provided by NETA.
Earn a NETA Certification
NETA offers two primary certifications including Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer, both of which have earned NCCA-accreditation. NETA also offers a wide variety of specialty certificates including: Barre Connect, Indoor Group Cycle, Kettlebell, Pilates Mat, Pilates Reformer, Senior Fitness, Wellness Coaching, Yoga Foundations, and several other yoga specialties.
Attendance at a live review workshop is not required to earn NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certifications. Please visit the “Test-Only Options” page on NETA’s website to learn more about the “Test-Only” option for these certifications.
Attendance at a live workshop is required to earn any of the yoga specialty certifications offered in conjunction with NETA’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. Attendance at a live workshop is also required to earn NETA’s Pilates Reformer, Advanced Pilates, and Intermediate Cycle Specialty Certifications. At the conclusion of the live workshop, participants will receive instructions regarding how to complete the final exam online within 30 days of the workshop to earn the specialty certificate.
The following NETA Specialty Certifications may be earned by either attending the live workshop OR by completing the online version: Indoor Group Cycling, Pilates Mat, Barre Connect, Kettlebell, Advanced Kettlebell, Nutrition Coach, Youth Fitness and Senior Fitness. For those attending a live workshop, participants will receive instructions at the conclusion of the workshop regarding how to complete the final exam online to earn the specialty certificate. For those completing the online version, instructions will be provided in the online course module regarding how to complete the final exam to earn the specialty certificate.
NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Wellness Coach certification exams may be completed online using remote online proctoring services provided by ProctorU.
Register for an exam by calling NETA at 1-800-237-6242 or register online at Test-Only Options.
The “Test-Only” registration fees are provided below:
• Group Exercise Instructor Certification Exam: $249
• Personal Trainer Certification Exam: $449
• Wellness Coach Specialty Certification Exam: $299
*Group Exercise instructors must hold valid adult CPR certification, and Personal Trainers must hold valid adult CPR and AED certification. NETA only accepts CPR/AED certifications that include a hands-on skills assessment. Mail, fax (1-763-545-2524), or email ([email protected]) a copy of your current adult CPR/AED card (front and back) or certificate to NETA prior to your examination date. Wellness Coaches must hold (1) a current NCCA-accredited health or fitness certification, or (2) a bachelor’s degree or higher in a health or fitness-related field, or (3) credentials as an allied health professional. Submit documentation (e.g., copy of certification, degree, or other credentials) fulfilling the prerequisite to NETA prior to your examination date.
Candidates for certification must be at least 18 years old, or earned a high school diploma or GED. Candidates who are younger than 18 years of age, yet have earned a high school diploma or GED, must submit a completed Minor Waiver and Permission Form to attend a NETA workshop or sit for a NETA certification exam.
Both NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certification exams include 120 multiple-choice questions, of which 100 questions are scored and 20 questions are experimental (i.e., ‘pre-test’). The experimental questions are undergoing a pre-testing process to evaluate performance and validity of each item before introduction on future exams as scored questions. Candidate’s responses to experimental questions do not affect the score or pass/fail status of their exam. Candidates are allowed up to 2 hours (i.e., 120 minutes) to complete the exams. To learn more about NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer exams, please see NETA’s Exam Candidate Handbook.
NETA’s Wellness Coach Specialty Certification exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Candidates are permitted up to 2 hours (i.e.,120 minutes) to complete the exam.
All other NETA specialty certification exams are comprised of anywhere from 25 to 50 multiple-choice questions. There is no time limit for completion of NETA’s specialty certification exam, which are administered online via NETA’s website.
Effective January 1, 2016, new and renewing Personal Trainer certificants must hold current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) certification including a live hands-on practical skills evaluation, from a recognized provider (e.g., ARC, AHA, ASHI, NSC). New and renewing Group Exercise Instructor certificants must hold current CPR certification, including a live hands-on practical skills evaluation, from a recognized provider.
CPR/AED certification is not required in order to earn one of NETA’s specialty certificates; however, the certificant must hold a valid adult CPR certification in order to renew a specialty certificate (excluding Wellness Coach).
NETA does NOT require NETA-certified exercise professionals to hold a First Aid certification. However, many employers do require First Aid certification as a condition of employment. Therefore, NETA highly recommends that NETA-certified professionals consider obtaining a recognized First Aid certification.
To learn more, please see NETA’s CPR/AED Provider Reference Guide.
No. Effective January 1, 2016, NETA will only accept CPR/AED certifications that include a live hands-on practical skills evaluation, completed either in-person or virtually with an authorized and qualified instructor. Although many providers do deliver some elements of CPR/AED certification courses online, often referred to as blended learning courses, acceptable courses must include a hands-on practical skills evaluation in order to earn CPR/AED certification. To learn more, please see NETA’s CPR/AED Provider Reference Guide.
If you pass the Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer certification exam, then your official certification will be held until you provide NETA with documentation of valid CPR (Group Exercise Instructors) or CPR/AED (Personal Trainers) certification. Once documentation of a valid CPR/AED is received, your official NETA digital credentials (i.e., certificate and badge) will be emailed to you.
When you obtain the required safety certification(s), send a copy of the certification card (front and back) or the certificate to NETA via:
Mail: NETA ● 12800 Industrial Park Blvd., Suite 220 ● Minneapolis, MN 55441–3929
Fax: 1-763–545–2524
Email: [email protected]
Please include your name, NETA customer ID#, date of the certification exam, and location of the exam.
To successfully prepare for the GEI, PT, or WC exam, NETA recommends that candidates devote an appropriate amount of time (e.g., at least 30-45 days) and effort to self-directed study prior to attending a review workshop or sitting for the examination. The exact amount of preparation time is highly dependent on the candidate’s formal education, quality and quantity of professional experience, study habits, and comprehension skills.
Candidates preparing for one of these certification exams may utilize any appropriate up-to-date resources containing subject matter consistent with the role delineation and exam content outline corresponding to a specific exam. NETA does offer a variety of study resources such as the publicly available study guides found on NETA’s website for each exam and Study Materials available for purchase.
Please note, NETA does not require candidates to purchase NETA’s study materials or to attend NETA’s live review workshop to be eligible to sit for the GEI, PT, or WC exam(s). The use of NETA’s study materials and services does not guarantee a successful outcome on the exam.
If a workshop participant decides they are not ready to take the Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach Specialty certification exam at the conclusion of the workshop, then they may postpone the exam until a later date.
The participant has three options to reschedule the exam to a later date:
1. Re-register to attend the entire live certification review workshop once again and take the exam at the conclusion of the workshop. A $59 re-registration fee applies for this option.
2. Re-register for another live certification review workshop, opt not to attend the workshop, but simply arrive on Saturday (for Group Exercise) or Sunday (for Personal Trainer or Wellness Coach) to take the exam with the rest of the workshop participants. If they select this option, please inform the NETA Customer Service Representative who is assisting with the re-registration so they can provide the appropriate arrival time and instructions. A $59 re-registration fee applies for this option.
3. Register to take the computer-based version of the exam administered online using remote online proctoring services provided by ProctorU. To learn more about this option, please visit NETA’s website under “Certifications” and “Test Only Options.” A $99 re-registration fee applies for this option.
For each of these options, the participant must call NETA’s office at 1-800-237-6242 to re-register for the exam.
In addition to attaining a passing score on the exam, to earn NETA’s Wellness Coach Specialty Certification candidates must have also fulfilled the prerequisite that requires candidates to hold (1) a current NCCA-accredited health or fitness certification, or (2) equivalent education (e.g., bachelor’s degree or higher in a health or fitness–related field), or (3) credentials as an allied health professional. The complete list of credentials fulfilling the Wellness Coach Prerequisite may be viewed on NETA’s website.
If you have not completed or provided NETA with documentation that you have fulfilled the prerequisite, then your official certificate will be held until you provide NETA with appropriate documentation indicating that you have satisfied the prerequisite. Once documentation (e.g., copy of NCCA-accredited certification, copy of college university degree or transcript, or copy of another eligible credential) is received by NETA, your official certificate will be sent via USPS mail.
Send documentation of prerequisite to NETA via:
Mail: NETA ● 12800 Industrial Park Blvd., Suite 220 ● Minneapolis, MN 55441–3929
Fax: 1-763-545-2524
Email: [email protected]
Please include your name, NETA customer ID#, date of the certification exam, and location of the exam.
Candidates completing either the paper/pencil or computer-based version of the Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach exam should allow up to 30 days to receive their score report, results letter, and official certificate (wellness coach) or digital credentials (Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer). NETA’s office staff will make every effort to process your exam results as quickly as possible. Your results will be mailed via USPS First Class Mail. In accordance with NETA’s privacy policy, we cannot disclose exam scores through email, fax, or telephone. For those earning NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer certification, please allow up to 30 days from the exam date to receive an email from Accredible containing access to your digital credentials.
Effective January 1, 2016, candidates who do not successfully pass NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification exam are eligible to retake the exam for a period of one year following the initial attempt. A mandatory 30-day wait period must elapse from the most recent exam attempt before the candidate is eligible to retake the exam. Candidates are limited to a maximum of three (3) attempts (initial attempt plus two retakes) per 12-month period.
The candidate may register to retake the paper/pencil version of the exam administered by an independent proctor at the conclusion of a live review workshop, or the computer-based version of the exam administered online using remote online proctoring services provided by ProctorU.
A $129 registration fee must be paid for each retake attempt for the Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification examination.
If the candidate does not retake the exam within one year of the initial attempt, then the candidate must initiate the entire application and registration process, and standard first-time examination fees apply.
The candidate must call NETA’s office at 1-800-237-6242 to register to retake an exam.
Digital credentials (certificates and/or badges) are electronic (digital) versions of a certification or credential, which replace traditional paper certificates. A digital credential includes information such as who earned the credential, what the credential represents, how it was earned, who issued it, when it was issued, and when it expires.
NETA has partnered with Accredible to issue digital credentials to those who have earned NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer certification. Secured by blockchain technology, digital credentials provide consumers and employers with the ability to quickly and confidently verify the authenticity and status of a certification. Digital credentials also allow the recipient to easily share and showcase their achievement on a variety of social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as inclusion in email signatures and personal or company websites.
To learn more about digital credentials issued by NETA visit the Digital Credentials page on NETA’s website.
After passing the Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer certification exam, and satisfying the CPR/AED requirement, you will receive your digital credential via an email sent by Accredible. This email will include a “call to action” button to view your digital certificate and badge. At any point after establishing a unique password, candidates may also login to their credential using their email address and password at https://www.credential.net/welcome.
If you earned or renewed a NETA Group Exercise Instructor and/or Personal Trainer certification after January 1, 2019, then the unique URL to access your digital credentials may also be obtained in your password protected customer history on NETA’s website at View Your Customer History .
Maintain Your NETA Certification
To renew a certification, complete the appropriate Renewal Application and send with documentation of CECs earned, copy of current CPR/AED (for Personal Trainers) or CPR (for Group Exercise Instructors and all specialty certifications excluding Wellness Coach) card (front & back) or certificate, and the appropriate renewal fee to NETA via:
Mail: NETA ● 12800 Industrial Park Blvd., Suite 220 ● Minneapolis, MN 55441–3929
Fax: 1-763–545–2524
You may also renewal your certification via NETA’s website using the appropriate online renewal form:
- Renew a Primary Certification (Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer) online
- Renew a Wellness Coach Specialty Certification online
- Renew all other Specialty Certifications online
Please Note: Renewal applications are not accepted over the phone.
Each NETA certification has a designated expiration date and must be renewed individually. CECs may be applied toward the renewal of multiple NETA certifications as long as the CECs were earned within the 2-year recertification period for a particular certification.
Please see NETA’s Recertification Handbook for more information regarding renewal of NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certifications.
All certifications are valid for two years from the date of issue. To renew a certification, the certificant must submit a completed renewal application, documentation of continuing education credits (CECs) earned, documentation of a valid adult CPR/AED certification, and the renewal fee within 90 days prior to the designated expiration date.Please see NETA’s Recertification Handbook for more information regarding renewal of NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certifications.
To renew a NETA Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification you must earn twenty (20) continuing education credits (CECs) after the date your certification was issued and before the designated expiration date. To renew a NETA Specialty Certificate (e.g., Indoor Group Cycle, Kettlebell, Yoga, Pilates) you must earn ten (10) CECs between the date of issue and the designated expiration date.CECs earned in excess of the number required for renewal may not be carried over to the next recertification period. CECs may be applied toward the renewal of multiple NETA certifications as long as the CECs were earned within the 2-year recertification period for a particular certification.
Please see NETA’s Recertification Handbook for more information regarding renewal of NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certifications.
NETA CECs may be earned by attending NETA’s live workshops, completing NETA home study courses, or NETA online modules. Please note, NETA requires that at least six (6) of the CECs needed for renewal of a NETA certification are earned directly from NETA workshops, home study courses, and/or online modules as listed on NETA’s website and/or course catalog. NETA CECs may also be earned by attending other live events, conferences, and workshops that have applied for and received approval to grant NETA CECs; however, the CECs earned at non-NETA events do not apply toward the 6 NETA credit minimum requirement.
As noted on the cover page for each NETA home study course, there are two options to submit your final exam:
1. The completed answer sheet provided in the home study workbook may be submitted to NETA’s office via:
Mail: NETA ● 12800 Industrial Park Blvd., Suite 220 ● Minneapolis, MN 55441–3929
Fax: 1-763–545–2524
Your exam will be scored and you will receive the results and a certificate of completion reflecting the NETA CECs earned (if a passing score is achieved) via USPS mail within 2-4 weeks.
2. Your final exam responses may be submitted online via NETA’s website. Visit the Home Study Exam page on NETA’s website. Select the exam from the dropdown list of home study course titles. Enter the Course # and Exam code as provided in the home study course workbook. On the next screen, enter your name, contact info, NETA Customer ID#, and email address. Double check your email address to ensure it has been entered correctly.
Once you have submitted your responses to the exam questions, click on the green box titled, “Submit Answers to NETA.” You will then receive two automated emails, one providing the results of your exam and one providing your certificate of completion reflecting the NETA CECs earned, if a passing score was attained. If these emails do not arrive in your inbox, then be sure to check your spam/junk folder. Your customer history will be updated within 1-3 business days.
NETA automatically accepts continuing education credits/units (CECs/CEUs) that have been approved by ACE, AFAA, NASM, and of course NETA. A copy of the Certificate of Completion issued by the continuing education (CE) provider must be submitted with your renewal application. The certificate of completion should include your name, the name of the CE activity or event, the date of the activity/event, and the number of CECs/CEUs awarded by each organization.
ACE CECs and NASM CEUs are preceded by a decimal point such that 0.1 ACE CEC or 0.1 NASM CEU is equivalent to 1.0 NETA CEC. 1.0 AFAA CEC is equivalent to 1.0 NETA CEC. All CE activities that have not been pre-approved by NETA, ACE, AFAA, or NASM must be petitioned for approval of NETA CECs. CPR, AED, and First Aid courses are not eligible for NETA CECs.
Yes, health- or fitness-related college/university courses for which a grade of “C” or higher was earned and completed within your recertification period will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for CEC approval by submitting a completed Petition Application, required documentation (e.g., course syllabus college/university transcript), and a $25.00 petition fee for each course.
No. The continuing education credits (CECs) granted for attending NETA’s Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Wellness Coach certification review workshops, whether attended prior to or after the initial date of certification, cannot be applied toward the renewal of the same certification. For example, the six (6) NETA CECs granted for attending the Group Exercise Instructor certification review workshop are not applicable toward the renewal of the Group Exercise Instructor certification. Similarly, the fourteen (14) NETA CECs granted for attending the Personal Trainer or Wellness Coach certification review workshops are not applicable toward the renewal of the Personal Trainer or Wellness Coach certification, respectively. However, you may apply the CECs earned for attending a particular workshop toward the renewal of a different NETA certification that was attained prior to attending the current workshop.
NETA will accept completed Renewal Applications up to 90 days before the designated expiration date. Renewal Applications will not be accepted more than 90 days before the designated expiration date. Upon renewal, the new expiration date is established as two years from the previous expiration date, not the date the Renewal Application was received or processed.
Digital credentials are always updated 7 days after a renewal application is processed.
Please allow up to 1-3 business days for your account to update a passing score for any home study exam you do on our website.
NETA provides an automatic 180-day reinstatement grace period for certifications that have lapsed past the designated expiration date; however, a late renewal fee does apply. Please note, the official status of your certification is “expired” during this reinstatement grace period. If your certification is not reinstated by the end of the 180-day grace period, then you must retake and pass the certification exam to once again hold the certification.
CECs earned during the 180-day grace period and applied toward reinstatement of a certification cannot be used once again toward future renewal of the same certification.
NETA will send a renewal reminder letter approximately 3-4 months prior to the designated expiration date, as well as reminder emails prior to the expiration date and within the 180-day grace period. However, it is the certificant’s responsibility to know the designated expiration date, monitor the status of their NETA certification(s), complete the necessary requirements for recertification, and apply for certification renewal in a timely manner.
Please see NETA’s Recertification Handbook for more information regarding renewal of NETA’s NCCA-accredited Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer certifications.
No. Continuing education credits (CECs) are granted for attendance and participation at a live workshop and are not contingent on passing or even attempting the certification exam. At the conclusion of a live workshop, all pre-register participants will receive a certificate of completion reflecting the number of CECs/CEUs earned. For late and walk-in registrations, the certificate of completion will be sent via USPS mail within 10-14 days of the workshop.
Orders are usually shipped within 24 hours of purchase excluding weekends & national holidays. Once shipped orders typically takes about 5-7 business days for delivery.
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