CPSS Study Guide & Mock Exam | NSCA CPSS Exam Prep

Q: Is the free sample really free?

Yes. You get the full exam blueprint, 15 questions with written explanations, six study tips, and working demos of five prep-tool features. No card, no time limit, and it stays yours whether or not you buy anything.

Q: What is the source material?

Everything maps to NSCA's Essentials of Sport Science (French & Torres Ronda, eds., Human Kinetics, 2022) and the official CPSS content outline. Notes are original summaries, not copied text.

Q: How many devices can I use one licence on?

Up to 3 devices per licence key. If you replace a device or use up your slots, contact support to move your licence to a new one.

A look inside

What you actually get

Not a PDF and not a question dump — a complete study system you work through. Here's the real thing.

CPSS Prep study dashboard showing practice-question progress, accuracy and exam countdown

Try the free sample →

Includes the exam blueprint, 15 explained questions, 6 study tips and live tool demos.

503 practice questions — every single answer explained

All 31 chapter summaries from the source text

12-lesson Research Process primer for coaches

Blind full-format mock — 165 min, no feedback until you finish

146 flashcards across 13 topics, spaced repetition

14 case studies · 5 built on real open-access papers

Review queue — misses return until you clear them twice

7 printable cheat sheets

40-question diagnostic that builds your study plan

Confidence tagging to expose lucky guesses

Search across every chapter, lesson and question

Progress saved automatically on your device

The full guide

Everything you get with full access

The free sample is a taste. Full access unlocks the complete system across all 30 chapters and four domains.

Notes for all 30 chapters

Distilled, exam-focused summaries across all four domains and the crosscutting research concepts — the "need-to-know" for each chapter.

500+ practice questions

Organised by domain and study mode, with instant feedback and running accuracy so you always know where you stand.

Adaptive weak-area tracking

The tool profiles your accuracy by domain and points you at the exact areas costing you the most points.

Study planner + countdown

A week-by-week plan weighted to the blueprint, with an exam-day countdown to keep you on pace.

Full 165-minute mock exam

A complete timed simulation that mirrors the real 115-item clock, so exam day feels like a rehearsal.

Case-study library

Athlete scenarios and research abstracts with linked questions — rehearsing the exact format that makes up half the exam.

About

I failed the CPSS the first time — so I built what would've got me through

This guide isn't scraped from a syllabus. It's built by someone who sat the exam, came up short, mapped exactly why, and passed on the second attempt — and has spent 20 years teaching the coaches it's written for.

Kahei Tse (Coach K)

Co-Founder & President, AQ Strong · Hong Kong

CPSSCSCSMSc Performance Coaching (Stirling)BSc Kinesiology & Exercise Science (Indiana)EXOS XPS & XFS20+ yrs coaching

Hi — I'm Kahei Tse, "Coach K." I didn't pass the CPSS on my first attempt. I have the MSc, the credentials, 20+ years coaching — and I still came up a few marks short.

That miss cost me six months and a second exam fee. Before attempt two, I mapped exactly where I'd gone wrong — and where I've watched other coaches get stuck since. I passed. Then I built the tool I wish I'd had the first time, so you can find your weak spots before the exam does — not after, when it costs you another cycle.

I built this because I didn't want you to lose the same weeks I did. Over 20+ years I've coached more than 1,000 athletes and mentored the coaches who train them. I hold an MSc in Performance Coaching (University of Stirling) and a BSc in Kinesiology & Exercise Science (Indiana University, USA), alongside the CPSS and CSCS — credentials that are independently verifiable through the NSCA's certified-professional directory.

I'm Co-Founder & President of AQ Strong, a private high-performance centre in Hong Kong, and I run its Academy — coach-education courses and workshops — having also taught on international programs (EXOS, Exxentric).

That mix matters for one reason: I know how S&C coaches actually think, where they get stuck, and how this exam likes to test it. The guide is built around those exact pressure points, with the study tactics and exam-day approach I used to pass.

20+

Years coaching

1,000+

Athletes coached

AQ Strong

Co-Founder & President

CPSS

Certified

Enroll now

Start free — upgrade when you're ready

Try the free sample instantly, then unlock the complete study guide, 500+ questions, and the full prep tool. Instant access on purchase.

What sitting the CPSS actually costs

Before you've bought a single study resource.

Application fee (non-refundable)$25

Exam — non-member$475

Exam — NSCA member$340

NSCA membership, to get that rate~$130/yr

Realistic total, either route~$500

The member discount is about $135 and membership is about $130 — so it roughly cancels out on a single exam. Worth joining for the journals and CEUs, not for the exam saving alone.

68%passed in 2025 — roughly
one in three did not

Where $179 sits in that

The comparison that actually matters.

Full Access, 2 years$179

Your first attempt, all in~$500

A second attempt+$340–475

Wait before you may resit3 months

You are already spending around $500 to sit this exam. The study guide adds about a third again — and costs roughly half of what a second attempt would.

A failed attempt costs more than money — I know, because I paid it: another exam cycle, another three months of preparation, and the momentum I'd built.

No resource can guarantee a pass. This one is built to make sure you find your weak spots before the exam does.

Fees are indicative and change — confirm current exam, application and membership pricing at nsca.com. Pass rate as reported by the NSCA for 2025.

Free Sample

Instant, no card needed

Domain-weighted exam blueprint
15 questions, every answer explained
6 exam study tips
Demos: adaptive quiz, flashcards, timed mock, case study, planner
500+ questions & full prep tool
Research primer & 165-min mock exam

Get the free sample

Full Access

$179 /one-time

2 years · covers a retake

Use on up to 3 devices

503 questions, every answer explained
All 31 chapter summaries
12-lesson Research Process primer
Blind full-format 165-min mock exam
146 flashcards & 14 case studies
Review queue, diagnostic & cheat sheets
2 years of updates included

Get 2 years — $179

Lifetime

$249 /one-time

Yours permanently

Use on up to 3 devices

Everything in Full Access
Never expires — no renewals
Every future update, forever
Useful for recertification cycles
Best if you coach long-term

Get lifetime — $249

14-day money-back guaranteeNot what you expected? Email within 14 days for a full refund. No forms, no argument.

Instant accessYour licence key arrives by email the moment you buy. No waiting, no shipping.

One payment, no subscriptionNothing recurring and nothing to cancel. Buy once, use it until your exam.

Access is delivered instantly by licence key — no waiting, no shipping. Most candidates prepare in 3–12 months, so 2 years comfortably covers a normal cycle plus a retake. Choose Lifetime if you'd rather never think about it again. Got a discount code? Enter it at checkout.

Questions

Frequently asked

What if it isn't right for me?+

Email within 14 days of buying and you get a full refund — no forms and no argument. Your licence is deactivated at that point, which is the only condition. I would rather refund someone than have them study from something that isn't working for them.

Is the free sample really free?+

Yes, genuinely. You get the full exam blueprint, 15 questions with written explanations, six study tips, and working demos of five prep-tool features — the adaptive quiz, flashcards, a timed mock, a case study and the study planner. No card, no time limit, and it stays yours whether or not you buy anything.

What's the source material?+

Everything maps to NSCA's Essentials of Sport Science (French & Torres Ronda, eds., Human Kinetics, 2022) and the official CPSS content outline. Notes are original summaries, not copied text.

How is this different from a practice-exam PDF?+

A PDF gives you questions. This gives you a system: it tracks your weak domains, resurfaces shaky flashcards, times you like the real exam, and simulates the scenario format that makes up half the test.

Do you guarantee I'll pass?+

No one honestly can — the NSCA doesn't endorse or guarantee any prep resource. This is an independent study aid built to give you the best possible preparation. Always confirm current requirements on the NSCA site.

Can I buy it right now?+

Yes. Full access is available immediately at the launch price, and you get the study system by email the moment you buy. The free sample stays free either way.

How many devices can I use one licence on?+

Up to 3 devices per licence key — enough for, say, your laptop, phone and tablet. If you replace a device or use up your slots, contact support to move your licence to a new one.

Pass the CPSS exam with a real prep tool, not just a question dump.

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