You'll find plenty of resources to assist you in preparing for the Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist certification exam, from published materials to your own practical experiences. Following are some resources you will find helpful, as well as a four-step preparation plan.

Preparing for the Certification Exam

Basic resources

Several resources are available to assist you in preparing for the ACSM/NSPAPPH Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist (PAPHS) certification exam, including:

• Websites to familiarize you with tools and resources
• Online articles or guides
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities
• Comprehensive books/tools on physical activity in public health promotion

Preparing to study

Step One:

• Visit the National Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health (NSPAPPH) or American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) websites.
• Visit the www.nspapph.org certification site and research the PAPHS certification fast facts (or access them here).
  Visit the Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist page on the ACSM website.

Step Two:
Look at the Exam Content Outline to identify the areas in which you feel competent, and use it to guide you through additional study needs. This document can be found here.

Step Three:
Now that you know the competency areas and the weighting on the exam, how competent are you in those areas? Take a free practice exam with 15 questions at: www.acsmlearning.org. This diagnostic assessment lets you know the competency area(s) on which you need to spend more time in preparation and study.

Step Four:
Some study materials are available at no cost on the websites below. Additional study materials are under development and will be released in spring 2012.

Study Tools

Guides

• Task Force on Community Preventive Services. (2005). The Community Guide to Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health. Available at here.
• US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Evaluation Handbook. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2002. Available here

Websites

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
• National Physical Activity Plan
• 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
• Healthy People 2020

Books

• David R. Brown, Gregory W. Heath, and Sarah Levin Martin, editors. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Promoting Physical Activity: A Guide for Community Action. 2010. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 2009. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Coming Soon: Harold Kohl III and Tinker Murray, Foundations of Physical Activity and Public Health. Available April 2012 from Human Kinetics.
• Online Study Course: Under development by Human Kinetics – Available April 2012