The NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam contains 220 multiple-choice questions on two main subjects: Scientific Foundations and Practial/Applied. These are divided further into:

- Scientific Foundations (95 questions; 1.5 hours): Exercise Science, Nutrition
- Practical/Applied (125 questions, 2.5 hours): Exercise Technique, Program Design, Organization and Administration, Testing and Evaluation

NSCA CSCS Practice Test

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25 Questions

1. Which of the following is not considered appropriate exercise technique for a high plank?

Contract the glutesMaintain a neutral pelvis and spineLook straight aheadPlace wrists underneath shoulders

2. Which of the following movement screens would be most appropriate for determining thoracic mobility?

In-line lungeBilateral overhead raiseOverhead squatSingle leg balance

3. A written and posted emergency response plan covers all of the following, except:

On-site emergency care equipmentInstructions on how to administer CPRTransportation to a medical facilityAccess to medical care givers

4. Which of the following exercises primarily targets the highlighted muscles?

Barbell Push PressDumbbell Romanian deadliftLateral X Band WalksSingle Arm Bent over row

5. A freshman 400-meter sprinter starts the season as a novice in the weight room. After two weeks, however, she's able to increase her five-rep front squat load by 25lbs. Which of the following is the most likely reason for this improvement?

Better nutritionIncreased support from her teammatesMuscular hypertrophyNeural adaptation

6. How could this coach immediately improve the safety of this athlete?

None of the above. This picture represents ideal safety.Move his hands near the wrists instead of the elbows.Change the weight of the dumbbells.Adjust the incline of the bench.

7. A soccer player is preparing for the national championship, and he wants to optimally fuel his performance through 90 minutes. Which of the following represents the best nutritional intervention?

Avocado toast and bacon 20 minutes before kick offChicken and rice 3 hours before the game, electrolyte and carb drink before kick-off and at half timeA protein shake 2 hours before the gameA salad with salmon an hour before the game and a protein shake at halftime

8. During pre-season preparation, you need to test a group of hockey players on their ability to stop on the ice, change direction, and reaccelerate to chase the puck. Which of the following assessments would be best to score this information?

300m shuttle40-yd dashVertical jumpPro-agility

9. During which portion of the athletic season would program design center on maintaining sufficient cardiovascular fitness, injury rehabilitation, low training intensities and improved weak spots?

In-seasonPost-seasonOff-seasonPre-season

10. The ________ phase of sprinting begins when the ball of the lead foot creates forceful contact with the surface and ends when the foot leaves the surface"."

driveaccelerationrecoverydeceleration

11. While coaching a basketball team in the weight room, one of your athletes complains of excruciating pain during a walking overhead lunge. She states the pain began after a fall during the game last night, and resurfaced as soon as she tried to raise a plate over her head. Which of the following would be the best course of action?

Send her to the physio or athletic trainer immediately.Modify her workouts to push-ups instead of overhead lunge.Call her parents to let them know.Have her run sprints instead.

12. After aerobic endurance exercise, athletes should rehydrate with _________ of fluids for every pound of body weight lost.

6-12 oz20-24 oz20-24 L6-12 L

13. In the illustration, the blue plane represents the:

sagittal planetransverse planeLongitudinal axisfrontal plane

14. When ordering upgraded equipment for an indoor/outdoor football strength and conditioning facility, which of the following would be the most appropriate addition?

Isokinetic machinesA sledBattle ropesRings

15. Which of the following describes the best way to spot a hang power snatch?

Do not spot. Instead, teach the athlete to move out of harm's way properly.Gather two or more athletes to help catch the barbell if the lifting athlete struggles.The strength coach should spot from behind, with hands underneath the armpits.Have the athlete perform the exercise within a caged squat rack.

16. During which phase of the General Adaptation Syndrome has an athlete begun to adapt to new stressors and started supercompensation?

Exhaustion StageAlarm StageResistance StageHomeostasis

17. Which of the following represents the most appropriate way to test and retest power in youth populations?

Vertical jump test (contact mat)Wingate anaerobic cycle testTreadmill VO2 Max test1RM bench press

18. Which energy system does an athlete's body primarily rely on during a 3-minute period in a wrestling match?

GlycolyticOxidative/AerobicATP-CP/Phosphagen systemProtein metabolism

19. During an explosive training day, which of the following exercises could logically serve as a main lift?

Dead bugsDumbbell curl to pressBarbell push pressTriceps press down

20. A high school lacrosse team is holding summer practices to prepare for their upcoming season. The team captain wants to hold extra conditioning on Sunday afternoons, even though it's 90 degrees outside. You absolutely cannot be there due to a prior commitment. As a strength coach, which of the following is the best way to proceed?

Suggest an alternative day/time during which both yourself and the athletic trainer can be present.Allow the conditioning to ensue per the captain's creativity and guidance.Notify the head coach of the extra sessions.Send the captain a conditioning program and let the team run on their own.

21. When performing a lower body one-rep maximum testing protocol, about how much should you increase the weight after a 3-5 rep initial warm-up load?

10-20 lbs (5-10%)30-40 lbs (10-20%)5-10 lbs (1-2%)0 lbs (0%)

22. When training for maximum strength, how many reps of an exercise would you program at 85% of 1RM?

1-28-124-82-4

23. In which part of the cell does fatty acid oxidation occur?

CytoplasmMitochondriaRibosomesExtracellular matrix

24. Which of the following aspects is not an increased performance benefit of good warm-up design?

Improved reaction timeImproved muscle strength and powerIncreased blood flow to musclesEnhanced static flexibility

25. When setting up for a barbell hang clean, the bar makes contact with the body at the ___________.

mid-to-upper thighmid-shinkneehip crease