Frequently
Asked Questions

No. NFPA has chosen not to pursue NCCA accreditation. NFPA is, however, a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) and has maintained that membership for many years. I.C.E. membership and NCCA accreditation are separate.

NFPA's decision not to pursue NCCA accreditation is intentional and does not prevent NFPA-certified professionals from obtaining professional liability insurance or using their certification professionally.

NFPA has made a deliberate decision not to participate in the NCCA accreditation system.

NFPA believes the quality of professional fitness education should be evaluated by more than participation in a third-party credentialing system. Personal trainers and fitness professionals need a broad understanding of exercise science, anatomy, biomechanics, program design, client communication, professional responsibility, and the practical application of that knowledge.

NFPA has chosen to focus its resources on comprehensive education, practical professional preparation, continuing education, student support, and maintaining current fitness-industry curriculum rather than pursuing NCCA accreditation.

The distinction between certification accreditation and evaluation of the underlying education is also a central issue discussed in NFPA's review of the NCCA model.

Yes. NFPA is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) and has been a member for many years.

Membership in I.C.E. does not require an organization to obtain NCCA accreditation. In fact, I.C.E. itself distinguishes organizational membership from NCCA accreditation. NFPA has chosen to participate in the credentialing community through I.C.E. while independently deciding not to pursue NCCA accreditation.

Yes. NFPA was founded in 1985.

The organization that preceded today's NCCA began in 1977 as the National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies (NCHCA) and was focused on healthcare certification. I.C.E.'s historical materials state that the system was restructured and broadened in 1987 and that the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) name was adopted as its scope expanded beyond healthcare in 1989.

Therefore, NFPA was already educating fitness professionals before the NCCA existed in its modern, broad professional-certification form.

NFPA did not originate under the NCCA system and subsequently developed its own fitness-education and certification standards.

NCCA accreditation is a private credentialing accreditation for certification programs. It should not be confused with institutional accreditation of a college, university, school, or educational curriculum.

NCCA evaluates certification programs against its standards, including areas related to governance, assessment development, administration, validity, reliability, and maintenance of the certification program.

NFPA believes prospective fitness professionals should also evaluate the education behind a certification—including curriculum depth, practical application, professional preparation, continuing education, instructor expertise, and student support.

No. NCCA is not a federal or state licensing agency and does not govern the personal training profession.

I.C.E. describes itself as a nonprofit organization and states that it has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Education or other government agencies.

Employers, fitness facilities, insurance providers, and applicable state or local authorities may establish their own requirements for fitness professionals.

Yes. NCCA accreditation requires participating organizations to pay application fees and ongoing annual accreditation fees.

I.C.E.'s current fee schedule states that organizations with NCCA-accredited programs must pay a yearly accreditation fee to remain in good standing. Separate application and re-accreditation fees also apply.

NFPA is already an I.C.E. member but has chosen not to incur the additional costs associated with pursuing and maintaining NCCA accreditation because NFPA does not consider NCCA accreditation necessary to establish the quality or professional usefulness of its fitness education.

I would not put the dollar amounts in the FAQ, because those fees will change over time.

No single accreditation designation can guarantee the complete quality of a student's education.

NFPA encourages prospective fitness professionals to examine what they will actually learn: exercise science, anatomy, biomechanics, assessment, program design, practical application, professional responsibilities, continuing education, and the ability to apply that knowledge safely with clients.

The material you provided specifically raises the concern that consumers may interpret certification accreditation as validation of the complete instructional curriculum even though those are different concepts.

Yes. NFPA-certified fitness professionals are eligible to obtain professional liability insurance through insurance providers that recognize the NFPA credential.

NFPA considers professional insurability an important real-world consideration when evaluating a fitness credential. Liability insurance can be particularly important for personal trainers, instructors, independent contractors, and fitness professionals operating their own businesses.

NFPA provides an Insurance resource directly through its website for certified professionals seeking coverage.

Any insurance agency that covers health and liability insurance. You will need to provide a current copy of your NFPA certificate showing you are not only a member of NFPA, but current. NFPA provides a direct insurance resource through the Insurance link located on the NFPA website. One insurance provider available to NFPA-certified professionals is K&K Insurance.

Insurance coverage, eligibility, policy limits, exclusions, and premiums are ultimately determined by the insurance provider, so professionals should review the specific policy before purchasing coverage.

No. NCCA accreditation is not inherently required for a fitness professional to obtain professional liability insurance.

NFPA-certified professionals can obtain liability insurance through insurance providers that recognize the NFPA certification. This demonstrates an important distinction between participation in a particular accreditation system and the professional insurability of an individual fitness professional.

Consider the organization's history, curriculum quality, exercise-science content, practical application, professional standards, continuing education requirements, student support, employer requirements, and whether certified professionals can obtain appropriate professional liability insurance.

NFPA has provided professional fitness education since 1985, is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, requires continuing professional education, and NFPA-certified professionals can obtain professional liability insurance through insurers that recognize the NFPA credential.