FAQs

The exercise profession is evolving rapidly and is increasingly seen as a leader in promoting active, healthy lifestyles both domestically and internationally.

With this growing attention, there is increased scrutiny of professional qualification standards. Stakeholders need to identify exercise professionals with National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant certifications. This need to protect consumers and serve stakeholders has led to actions such as: (1) proposed bills to regulate the profession; (2) the establishment of registries in the EU and other countries; (3) new standards for exercise facilities; and (4) interest from other professions in the scope of practice of U.S. exercise professionals.

The Coalition unites the industry, policymakers, and standard-setting organizations with a shared voice to promote best practices for exercise professionals and stakeholders, including the general public.

CREP has a volunteer Board of Directors composed of individuals representing qualifying certifying organizations (currently four with the capacity to expand to seven) elected to a specified term and two non-voting Advisory Directors that represent programmatic accredtiation and third-party acccreditation of professional certification.

CREP Executive Office operations are managed by Celtic Associations, under the administrative guidance of the Board.

The CREP strategic plan includes a number of tactics that align with the Coalition’s mission to support the exercise professionals certified by organizations whose programs have been accredited by the NCCA or ISO 17024, including:

• Providing an internationally recognized registry for qualified exercise professionals in the U.S.
• Supporting portability for the exercise professional that holds an NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professional certification by mapping the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals (USREPS) to international registries.
• Monitoring regulatory issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Promoting the profession while defending the professional scope of practice.

USREPS focuses on:

• Positioning the United States Registry of Exercise Professionals (USREPS) as the primary verification resource for NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professional certifications in the U.S., recognized globally by partners like EREPS and ICREPS.
• Expanding opportunities for registered exercise professionals by promoting professional competencies and building consumer and professional confidence through best practices in education and credentialing.
• Disseminating information on professional qualification standards to stakeholders.
• Ensuring regulatory efforts by policymakers align with best practices and recognizing exercise professionals certified by NCCA or ISO 17024-compliant programs in health, fitness, and sports fields.
• Collaborating with industry organizations to promote physical activity and health in the U.S.
• Engaging with standard-setting organizations (CAAHEP, NCCA, ICE, NSF, EHFA) for the fitness and exercise profession.
• ICREPS – Use A Registered Exercise Professional

USREPS developed exercise professional role descriptions using common job titles from the U.S. Department of Labor, employer usage, and Job Task Analysis (JTA) studies for competency-based certification exams. These definitions supported the USREPS public comment for the 2018 update of the U.S. Department of Labor Standard Occupational Classification and assist policymakers in accurately defining common job roles in health policy and regulation.

USREPS identifies exercise professionals who earn and maintain an NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professional certifications for roles identified on the Registry in compliance with practice standards, scope of practice and the defined code of ethics.

USREPS supports NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professionals by:

• Serving as a verification clearinghouse for employers, regulatory bodies, and consumers.
• Simplifying global employment opportunities through international registry recognition.
• Identifying and maintaining records of individuals who meet U.S. registry requirements and remain in good standing.

The USREPS will display all of the current NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professional certifications that an individual holds from member organizations for a role listed on the Registry. No specialty credentials are listed on the Registry.

Please use this link to access the badge introduction and instructions webpage.

No, the Registry is intended solely for the purpose of verification of credentials. The Registry will not serve as a directory for exercise professionals to position and market their services to the consumer. Certifying organizations provide the verification data for the Registry upon validation of a credential.

Individual membership is not currently offered. Certifying organizations pay dues and registration fees to support the Registry and the Coalition's other work, benefiting you through certification from a certifying organization.

Each certification organization in the Coalition is responsible for updating the Registry with new, renewing, or expired professionals. USREPS strives to ensure the accuracy of the Registry information. If you believe a listing is inaccurate, please contact the issuing certification organization directly.

Yes, the listing will be removed immediately once the certification lapses or expires. No, there is no grace period.

Yes, after a certification is renewed, or if a new or additional NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant exercise professional certification is earned, it will be automatically added to the Registry.

To be eligible for membership, a certification organization must:

• Be engaged in the fitness business.
• Offer at least one NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant certification program for an exercise professional role defined by the U.S. Department of Labor.
• Provide certifications or credentials that are NCCA-accredited, ISO 17024-compliant, undergoing NCCA accreditation or ISO 17024 compliance review, or require an NCCA-accredited or ISO 17024-compliant certification as a prerequisite.
• USREPS invites all eligible organizations to join the Coalition and encourages others to pursue NCCA accreditation or ISO 17024 compliance and join our efforts.

USREPS believes that meeting recognized standards of excellence is key to gaining recognition for exercise professionals in the U.S. and internationally. NCCA accreditation of certification programs, already recognized by regulators, helps prevent redundant exams and continuing education requirements when regulation is necessary. NCCA also accredits programs for other regulated health professionals, such as dietitians and nurse practitioners. ISO 17024, the international equivalent, supports global portability for professionals.

A key element of The Institute for Credentialing Excellence's mission is to educate stakeholders, including the public, about the significance of credentialing in ensuring competence across various professions and occupations. To support this goal, they have produced a short video titled "What Is Credentialing and Why Is It Important?"

Accreditation is a third-party verification that an organization can perform its claimed function. In the U.S., there are two main types:

Educational Accreditation

• Institutional Accreditation: Verifies an institution can manage and oversee education in various fields.
• Programmatic Accreditation: Verifies a specific program's ability to prepare individuals for a specific career, often requiring an internship or certification exam.

Credentialing Accreditation

• Personnel Certification: Verifies a certification program's ability to assess individual competence for a specific job role, protecting the consumer.

Students are the primary stakeholders in educational accreditation, while the public is the primary stakeholder in personnel certification.