ACSM-EP Sample Questions & Answers
Prescribing and implementing exercise programs carries the most weight, just ahead of assessing health and fitness, with smaller shares for counseling clients toward behavior change and handling risk-management duties.
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- Question 1IntermediateSelect 3
Health and Fitness Assessment · Anthropometric and Body Composition Assessments
An Exercise Physiologist is preparing to conduct a 3-site skinfold assessment on a 28-year-old female client to estimate body density using the Jackson-Pollock generalized equations. Which of the following anatomical sites MUST be measured for this specific protocol? (Select THREE)
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Correct answers: A, B, E
The Jackson-Pollock 3-site skinfold formula for women utilizes the Triceps, Suprailiac, and Thigh sites.
The Jackson-Pollock 3-site skinfold formula for women utilizes the Triceps, Suprailiac, and Thigh sites.
The Jackson-Pollock 3-site skinfold formula for women utilizes the Triceps, Suprailiac, and Thigh sites. For men, the 3-site formula uses the Chest, Abdomen, and Thigh.
- Question 2Beginner
Health and Fitness Assessment · Assessments of Flexibility, Muscular Fitness, and Neuromotor Skills
During a functional movement assessment, a client performs a lateral lunge. Which anatomical plane does the primary joint movement (hip abduction and adduction) occur in during this exercise?
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Correct answer: B
The frontal plane (also called coronal plane) divides the body into anterior and posterior sections. Movements occurring within the frontal plane involve side-to-side displacement, including hip abduction and adduction—the primary movements in a lateral lunge. By contrast, the sagittal plane accommodates forward-and-backward movements like flexion and extension, while the transverse plane enables rotational movements about the body's vertical axis.
- Question 3Intermediate
Health and Fitness Assessment · Determine and Select Physical Fitness Assessments
A client with medically controlled hypertension is taking a prescribed beta-blocker medication. How will this specific class of medication alter the expected physiological response during a submaximal treadmill exercise test?
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Correct answer: D
Beta-blockers antagonize beta-adrenergic receptors on cardiac tissue, preventing catecholamine binding and effectively blunting the heart rate response to both resting conditions and exercise stimuli. This attenuated HR response occurs at all exercise intensities. Consequently, standard age-predicted maximal heart rate formulas will significantly overestimate the client's true maximal heart rate, potentially leading to inaccurate exercise intensity prescriptions.
- Question 4Intermediate
Health and Fitness Assessment · Client Readiness Determination
A 55-year-old male provides his recent fasting lipid panel results prior to beginning an exercise program: Total Cholesterol = 215 mg/dL, LDL-C = 145 mg/dL, HDL-C = 35 mg/dL, Triglycerides = 180 mg/dL. Based on the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATP guidelines, how should the Exercise Physiologist classify this client's lipid profile?
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Correct answer: D
According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATP III guidelines, LDL-C of 130–159 mg/dL is classified as borderline high (this client's 145 mg/dL fits this category). An HDL-C below 40 mg/dL is considered low and represents a major independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Triglycerides of 150–199 mg/dL fall into the borderline high category, placing this client at elevated cardiovascular risk requiring intervention.
- Question 5Beginner
Health and Fitness Assessment · Assessments of Flexibility, Muscular Fitness, and Neuromotor Skills
An Exercise Physiologist is estimating a client's 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) for the barbell back squat using a submaximal repetition testing protocol. The client successfully completes exactly 5 repetitions with 185 lbs but fails on the 6th attempt. Using standard prediction principles (where 5 reps is approximately 87% of 1-RM), what is the client's estimated 1-RM?
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Correct answer: D
To estimate a 1-repetition maximum from submaximal repetition testing, divide the weight lifted by the decimal percentage of 1-RM corresponding to the number of repetitions performed. Since 5 repetitions approximately equals 87% of maximum strength, the calculation is 185 lbs ÷ 0.87 = 212.6 lbs. The standard weight increment closest to this calculated value is 210 lbs, which represents the estimated 1-RM.
- Question 6Beginner
Health and Fitness Assessment · Determine and Select Physical Fitness Assessments
When administering a comprehensive health-related physical fitness assessment to a new client in a single session, which of the following sequences is most appropriate to ensure data validity?
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Correct answer: C
The optimal testing sequence ensures that earlier tests do not artificially alter the physiological variables measured in later tests. Resting measurements (HR, BP) must be taken first. Body composition should be assessed before any exercise causes sweating or fluid shifts. Cardiorespiratory testing serves as an excellent warm-up for muscular fitness tests, and flexibility should be assessed last when the muscles and joints are fully warmed up.
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