Our Personal Training Certifications Methodology

Our comprehensive reviews consist of proprietary testing as well as in-depth research and customer and expert interviews.

During our testing procedures and evaluations, each course is scored in a variety of categories including but not limited to features; comprehensiveness; accreditation; subject matter relevance and customer reviews.

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Experience and authority: We test each course, providing feedback at the beginning, middle and end. Factors may include the clarity of the signup process, subject matter difficulty and usefulness relative to the course, how much time is required to succeed in the course, how clear and informative course materials are, exam difficulty, etc.
2. Accreditation: Is this course accredited and widely accepted as being an authority on the subject matter at hand?
3. Required technology/materials: Do you need to purchase any additional equipment? Is a certain type of computer of software required? What about a book, webcam or other materials?
4. Pass rate: How much prior knowledge is required to succeed in this course? What is the pass rate? If it’s low, is that because of the subject matter speciality, etc.?
5. Value: Evaluating price, experience and potential for further education/real-world application
6. Continuing education: What is required for continuing education? Is this an additional cost? Is the continuing education relevant to your certification?
7. Customer reviews: What are customers saying about each course? Are there common issues/complaints among reviews?
8. Customer service: Can you access customer service via a website? Are they helpful in getting your questions answered? Are the knowledgeable about any subject matter questions you may have?
9. Financing: Are there financing options? Can you access your certification even before you’ve paid off the cost of the course? Is the exam included in the cost?