What is the difference between Certification, Accreditation, National Boards, and Licensing?
Certification: Certifications are issued to individual fitness professionals by training and certifying organizations which offer education and training programs. Each certification organization offers its own programs, administers its own tests, and issues certifications to individuals in its own name. Certification organizations generally require individual fitness professionals to prepare for and pass its own tests, both written and practical, in order to demonstrate proficiency in various aspects of fitness training. Once issued, a certification from one of these organizations is generally valid for a period of two years and must be maintained by taking continuing education courses. Accreditation: Certification organizations may obtain accreditation of its own policies and procedures from a third-party accrediting agency. Accreditation usually remains in effect for a specified number of years and must be periodically renewed according to the procedures established by the accreditin
