My AFAA Primary Group Exercise Certification Experience + Tips & Tricks

Finally Got My Certificates & Results In The Mail

AFAA Group Exercise Instructor Certification I.D. Card 

AFAA Group Exercise Instructor Certification Certificate

I Passed & Got An A!

AFAA Group Exercise Textbook

Don't Sweat It

AFAA Group Exercise Manual

This Study Guide Is A Must Have To Pass

Very Helpful To Get Back Into Test Taking

Download The Quizlet App

Quizlet Helps So Much

Flashcards Are An Awesome Way To Study & Memorize

Study On The Go

Praise God I Passed! I Got An "A" On It Too!

This blog post is for anyone who is about to take the AFAA Group Exercise Certification Exam or if you just wanted to know more about it! I want to help you guys to the best of my ability and tell you all about what to expect the day of the exam, as well as some key things to know in order to pass this bad boy! Feel free to share this with anyone and everyone! Also, if you have any questions feel free to comment below or contact me! Disclaimer: This was my experience and how I passed the exam, so that is just something to keep in mind. Everyone is different! I cannot guarantee that you will pass your exam! Be responsible for yourself because you know yourself better than I do! Getting certified seems daunting, and not to mention a pretty big investment too, but do not worry! It's not as bad as you think, I promise! This is pretty much in chronological order of how my day went. I really hope this helps! Good luck and God bless! :)

Prior To The Exam

1. Register!
   Go to www.afaa.com to sign up for the Primary Group Exercise Certification! This is going to cost $299, but they also have what they call APEX events throughout the end and beginning of the year where they offer it for $99! You can save a lot of money, so depending on when you really need this certification, it's up to you! I wanted mine sooner because I didn't want to wait til the end of the year to achieve it, so I went along and paid the $299! No matter what price you pay, the fee is going to include the following:

• Primary Group Exercise Certification Study Guide
  You can also easily find this online and print it out: http://www.e-afaa.com/pdf1/pgeosg.pdf & here is also a link to my Quizlet flashcards of everything on the study guide to help you study: https://quizlet.com/_1b6cbx
• AFAA Certified Instructor Certificate and I.D. CardUpon successful completion of both examinations
• One Year AFAA MembershipOr Membership Extension to current members and a print or digital subscription to American Fitness Magazine
• Certification ExaminationsWritten and Practical
• Full One Day Certification Review

Additional Study Materials

1. Buy Them Ahead Of Time!
   AFAA offers a study package for $109 that includes the following:

• Fitness: Theory & Practice Textbook
  I think this would be really awesome and useful to have! What I can say is that you can probably find this textbook used online somewhere for cheaper, so definitely look into that!
• Primary Group Exercise Certification Study Guide
  Super awesome. Literally went over everything you need to know on test. Complete this study guide front to back, cover to cover. If there was anything you needed to know about passing, the answer is this study guide!
• Exercise Standards & Guidelines Reference Manual
  I honestly didn't even end up touching this manual. The study guide, textbook, and practice exam is what really helped me.
• The Practical Way DVD
  Oldschool DVD looked like this was made ages ago lol. Still pretty helpful though for more of those visual and auditory learners. Mostly went over what you would do during the practical exam.
• Practice Test For Primary Certification
  Great practice in test taking! I think this really helped me put myself back in that test taking environment! Although, I have to say these practice questions were a bit more easier than the ones on the test, so don't depend on them! You still really need to study!

Prerequisites

1. CPR/AED Certification!
   Get it if you haven't already! You need this in order to receive your certificate and I.D. They will hold it until you do! Plenty of ways to get certified! Check Groupon, Churches, etc. for a good price!
   
   
2. Study Ahead Of Time!
   Make sure to register for the day you want ahead of time, so that your study materials come in and you have a good amount of time before the exam to study! Like I said everyone is different, people have different schedules, some take longer to study than others! For me, I'm 19 years old, I teach Zumba full time, and I have some prior knowledge of the science and fitness world, so I wasn't going in empty handed. With that being said it took me a full 2 weeks to study for this and I passed and got an A! However, I know people who needed to study for a month or more, so it really depends on the person! Really make sure to finish your entire study guide before the day of the exam. There were some that didn't finish or do the study guide at all. Not a good idea! Be prepared! 

What To Bring The Day Of

• AFAA Group Exercise Study Guide
• AFAA Group Exercise Textbook
• AFAA Group Exercise Practice Test
• #2 Pencils For Written Exam
• Erasers
• Comfortable Workout Clothes - Look Good, Feel Good!
• Jacket - It Gets A Little Chilly!
• GPS - Don't Get Lost!
• Water Bottle
• Workout Towel
• Healthy Lunch
• Healthy Snacks
• License
• CPR/AED Card
• Cell Phone
• Phone Charger

Arrival

1. You've Made A Step In The Door!
   Not only did you literally take a step into the door of your certification, but you've made an awesome step in your life to get certified! Don't forget to celebrate your successes and thank God! During my test day, there was only me, 3 other women, and the instructor, so it was a very small group! I was actually very thankful for that because it was way more intimate. It was a blast and I know you'll have fun too! Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for questions because they'll be glad to help!
   
2. Review Of Anatomy, Physiology, Proper Alignment, & Practical Exam
   Yes, you do review and go over material before both the practical and written exam, but it is highly recommended you study beforehand. Being prepared ensures that everything that the instructor will over will just be a review for you. Make sure to pay real good attention to everything that the instructor will go over with you! You are literally doing the entire practical exam for practice with the instructor helping you, but when it's time for the real practical exam, you're on your own. Fix any mistakes during the practice, so you are ready for the real thing!

Lunch

1. 1 Hour Lunch
   I brought my own lunch, so that I didn't have to waste time going out to get some! I suggest bringing your own, so you have time to go over your exams! Don't be shy to talk to the other people there, you can help each other put in some extra studying! 

Final Review

1. Review Of Written Exam
   This will be the last time you review anything before you officially start your practical and written exams! This time you'll go over material on the written exam! You go over the study guide together, but like I said by no means are you answering every single question bit by bit. Can't say this enough, but not only fill out your entire study guide, know it by heart! When you go over it as a group, it will be a breeze and it will save you time! 

Practical Exam Pt. 1 - Group Cardio

1. Warm-Up
   Remember that you have 3 minutes! The instructor will cue you when to start doing your warm-up. Don't forget to always keep moving throughout the whole entire time and keep up with the beat of the music. Keep it simple! Come up with 3 really easy moves!
   I did: Marching, Grapevine, and Jump Rope!
   
2. High-Intensity5 minutes! By now, the instructor would have instructed you to increase your intensity. Now all you have to do here is to increase the intensity! Again 3 easy moves! You can even use the same moves you did in the warm-up, but this time with more intensity!
   I did: Running, Grapevine With A Hop, Jumping Jacks
   
3. Cool Down
   1 minute! Easiest part of this demo! All you have to do here is bring your heart rate down! You have done the warm-up and cardio and now your left with this last full minute.
   I did: Marching

Practical Exam Pt. 2 - Strength & Flexibility

1. 2 Exercises & 1 Stretch
   For this part of the practical exam the instructor will be yelling out 10 muscle groups with 2 minutes for each and you demonstrate 2 proper exercises for that muscle group, then 1 stretch. It is very important to know them because when your instructor yells out the muscle gorup you need to know where they are! Again, remember that you are only given 2 minutes per muscle group, so make sure to demonstrate 1 exercise for about 30 seconds, then onto your 2nd exercise for another 30 seconds and then our instructor will then yell out and say to demonstrate the stretch for that same muscle group! I highly suggest practicing and knowing what you will do for this part of the exam, so that you will be ready! I'm here to help! You can Youtube the examples I provide to know how to demonstrate them properly. Below are the examples of 2 exercises and 1 stretch for each muscle group that you will be demonstrating:

• Pectorals
  Exercises: Chest Fly, Push Up
  Stretch: Clasp Your Hands Behind Your Back & Pull
• Trapezius, Rhomboids, Latissimus Dorsi
  Exercises: Reverse Fly, Bent Over Row
  Stretch: Clasp Hands Out In Front OF You & Pull
• Deltoids
  Exercises: Shoulder Press, Lateral Raises
  Stretch: Arm Across Chest
• Biceps, Triceps
  Exercises: Bicep Curl, Tricep Extension
  Stretch: Arm Over Head With Hand Behind Back
• Hip Adductors, Hip Abductors
  Exercises: Single Leg Squat, Side Laying Leg Lift
  Stretch: Butterfly
• Gluteus Maximus
  Exercises: Plie Squat, Lunge
  Stretch: Laying On Back Pull 1 Leg Into Chest
• Quadriceps, Tibialis Anterior
  Exercises: Squats, Toe Lifts
  Stretch: Standing Quad Stretch
• Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus
  Exercises: Lunge, Calf Raises
  Stretch: Standing Hamstring Stretch
• Rectus Abbdominis, Obliques
  Exercises: Crunch, Bicycle Crunch
  Stretch: Modified Cobra
• Erector Spinae
  Exercises: Plank, Face Down With Alternating Leg Lifts
  Stretch: Child's Pose

Practical Exam Pt. 3 - Individual Presentation

1. Speak Loud & Clear
   You are at the last part of the final exam! It is up to you what type of exercise you want to demonstrate! Either a Cardio, Strength, or Flexibility. Being a Zumba Instructor, I chose to demonstrate a grapvine because that was what was the easiest to me!
   
   Here Are Some Key Things To Remember:

• Speak Loud & Clear
• Introduce Yourself
• Very Important To Say To Stand Tall And Breathe Throughout The Exercise
• Explain The Exercise & Muscle It Will Benefit/Stretngthen
• Make Sure To Distinguish Between The 3 Different Variations Using Proper Cueing
• Cue & Demonstrate Proper Form & Alignment
  
  Below Is An Example Of What I Said And Did:
  
• Hello! My name is Cherlyn Del Pilar and welcome to my Zumba class! Today I am going to show you 3 levels of a grapevine which is a cardio based exercise! Now let's remember to stand tall and maintain a good breathing throughout the exercise. Let's begin!
  For Level 1, let's go ahead and grapevine to the right and now to the left. Good job! Now you can keep it here if you want, but if you want a little bit more of intensity let's take it up to a Level 2.
  For Level 2, let's add some arm variations and a hamstring curl. Great! Now again, you can keep it here if you want, but if you want to keep going follow me!
  For Level 3, let's now do a jump! Awesome! 
• By then your instructor will tell you "Thank You" and that's it!

Written Exam

1. Multiple Choice/Matching
   The written exam portion is 100 questions and you need to answer 80 correctly out of the 100 to pass! You have exactly an hour to finish it! Some people finish early some people use up the whole hour! If you are stuck on a question don't take too long on it because you want to make sure you have enough time to finish the exam! Also, please ask your instructor to give you time alerts, for example, like "15 minutes left" because my instructor didn't and it would've helped! Anyways, if you do finish early you can leave! You've made it to the end! Your test results will come in the mail in 4-6 weeks and if you passed they will send your certificate and I.D as well! I wish you the best of luck!