General Study Tips
When I bought my study materials for ACE, I was completely overwhelmed. There was so much to learn. At first I kicked myself for buying the bare minimum, which was two main books: ACE Personal Trainer Manual 4th Edition and ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science. I had no study guides, flash cards, or practice quizzes. It was simply me reading the books and learning it for myself.
I can't attest to how helpful the other materials may have been, but obviously having study guides, video lectures, and already made flashcards, etc would have helped. It just depends on how much money you are willing to spend and how organized/focused you think you can be without all of that stuff. I would say if you have the money, definitely get the extra items! It couldn't hurt.
Some general tips about studying:
- Work at your own pace. ACE kept sending me emails about what chapters I should be mastering each week and they stuck to a 12 week timeline. It took me almost a year to learn all the materials. Learning it in 12 weeks seems crazy to me. Ignore the emails if they make you feel pressured.
- After purchasing your materials, you have 6 months to schedule the exam, but the exam can be months away. I scheduled mine four months away, so I ended up having 10 months total to study. I could have had longer, if I wanted.
- Sometimes I need math explained to me. I found this great Fitness Math powerpoint. ACE gives you the 8 main formulas you need, but this powerpoint explains them nicely.
- Take the practice exam that comes in your study bundle. Everyone says if you pass the practice exam, you will pass the real exam. I thought the real exam was much more intense- it's over 3 times longer!
Good luck on your exam! It is worth the hard work and effort!
