CSEP CPT vs. CEP: Navigating Which One is Right For You

Dear future kinesiology graduate,

Whether you are nearing the end of your undergraduate degree or you’ve already graduated and are out in the working world, I’m sure you have come across the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP) at some point. There are two certifications that CSEP offers, which is the certified personal trainer (CPT) and the clinical exercise physiologist (CEP).

The CPT requires a minimum of 2 years of full time study from a university/college in the field of kinesiology/exercise science/physical education. The CPT can work with apparently healthy populations or those with a stable chronic disease that can exercise independently. For more information on what a CPT is and their scope of practice please visit https://csep.ca/csep-certification/csep-cpt-scope-of-practice/. The CEP requires the completion of an undergraduate degree from a university with courses that meet the 8 CEP core competencies. The CEP can work with apparently healthy populations and those with chronic disease and injury. For more information on what a CEP is and their scope of practice please visit https://csep.ca/csep-certification/csep-professional-standards-program-cep/. Essentially, everything that a CPT can do within their scope of practice, a CEP is able to do more of with a wider scope of practice.

We’ve had lots of questions from those of you wondering which certification to pursue and why. Christine (CPT) and Victoria (CEP) have come together to give you some insight on what the benefits are to either certification and how they have used their certifications in the kinesiology field. We hope you find this information helpful in your kines journey!

Disclaimer: We are in no way affiliated with the CSEP board. The information provided by Christine and Victoria is based on their own personal opinions and experiences. This is not universal to every individual who is CSEP certified and is subject to change with future developments. For the most up-to-date facts about what CSEP offers, please visit https://csep.ca/

What are the benefits to having the certification?

Christine (CPT): There are many benefits to having a CSEP-CPT certification that opens the doors to many opportunities in kinesiology, not just personal training. I got certified as a CSEP-CPT after completing my second year of my kinesiology degree. I found that getting certified early in my degree gave me an advantage.I landed practicum and job opportunities over other students because I was a CSEP-CPT. For example, I landed practicum opportunities with Alberta Health Services and a summer job at Spinal Cord Injury Alberta.

If you’re looking for a competitive advantage to landing practicums and job opportunities as a student, check to see if having a CSEP-CPT will help you. As well, having a CSEP-CPT is well-accepted at many gyms in Canada. I’ve had many friends who have easily landed their first personal training job with the certification. They have also been able to utilize their certification to be a kinesiologist. I even had the opportunity to be an Exercise Physiologist Assistant because I had my CSEP-CPT.

However, I'd suggest checking the job descriptions to see if they require CSEP-CPT or other certifications. I’ve encountered situations where I didn’t need my certification to land a job. Even though the jobs didn’t require a personal training certification, I had insurance via CSEP-CPT that allowed me to train at small local gyms.

Victoria (CEP): I think the biggest benefit to having the CSEP-CEP certification is the broader scope of practice. As a CEP, you are able to work with clients that have more than one chronic condition. I’m very passionate about chronic disease management, and have had the privilege of working with oncology populations, spinal cord injuries, and chronic pain populations (which has only been one chronic condition at a time). However, I love having the option of working with a variety of chronic conditions. CEP positions within chronic disease management usually require more risk (i.e. functional disabilities, exercise modifications, medication considerations, etc) which means that these jobs have a higher pay, but this is dependent on whether you work in a clinic, healthcare center, or university institution.

Other benefits I have reaped from having the CEP certification is a higher success rate with getting interviews for certain jobs (kinesiologist, rehab assistant, research assistant, etc). Keep in mind that these jobs only require a kinesiology undergrad degree or a diploma program, so the CEP certification is an overqualification for some of these jobs. With just my undergrad degree, I found I struggled to be noticed by employers and would rarely get an interview. The CEP certification has increased my confidence in my knowledge and skills in the kinesiology field which has improved my interview skills. CSEP has also provided me with insurance coverage when working with clients, which collectively gave me a higher success rate for being offered jobs in the field.

Mentor’s Tip: If you are thinking of getting either certification, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later. Ideally, shortly after your undergrad/masters while your knowledge and skills are fresh and you have peers and professors to reach out to for guidance if needed.

How can I use it in the kinesiology field?

Christine (CPT): While many think that you can only be a personal trainer as a CSEP-CPT, you also have the opportunity for other job roles and opportunities in the field. Which is great news because you also have the opportunity to make additional income and learn different skills in the field.

To provide better insight, here’s a couple of my own personal experiences.

During my undergraduate degree, I was offered two practicum placements because I had my CSEP-CPT. In one of my practicum placements, I was a Health And Wellness Coordinator Assistant where I helped promote health and wellness for employees in a corporate office. For this practicum placement, they required a CSEP-CPT to conduct group fitness classes after work hours.

For another practicum placement, I was an Exercise Physiologist Assistant with Alberta Health Services. During my undergraduate degree, a practicum with AHS was competitive. I remember competing with 7 other students for this placement. One of the reasons that I was chosen was because I had my CSEP-CPT.

Right after I finished my undergraduate degree, I applied for a job to be a summer student as an Exercise Physiology assistant at Spinal Cord injury Alberta. One of the main reasons I got the job was because I had my CSEP-CPT.

Also, I was an assistant powerlifting coach for a powerlifting team. While I wasn’t a certified strength and conditioning coach at the time, I was able to help out and gain experience from having my CSEP-CPT.

These are just a couple of examples of the amazing opportunities that you can gain from having a CSEP-CPT. Don’t narrow down your options to just personal training. 😊

Mentor’s tip: If you become a certified CSEP-CPT while in your undergrad, some of your 3rd and 4th year courses can count towards your professional development credits. Click HERE to learn more.

Victoria (CEP): There are a wide variety of CEP jobs depending on your interests and where you live in Canada. Generally speaking, CEP’s can work in a general population setting, clinical setting, occupational setting, and a sport performance setting. Chantelle does an excellent job of breaking down what these settings might look like in her blog post, What Can You Do with A Kinesiology Degree? Here are some examples of jobs/organizations within Alberta:

General Setting:

• University Level Teaching (Job title: lecture/lab instructor)
• Ex: University of Calgary, Mount Royal University

Clinical Setting:

• Hospital or Healthcare Centre (Job titles: kinesiologist, exercise physiologist, rehabilitation assistant)
• Ex: Alberta Health Services, Hay River Health & Social Services Authority
• Outpatient Clinic (Job titles: kinesiologist, exercise physiologist)
• Ex: Primary Care Network, Live Well Exercise Clinic, Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, Telus Healthcare Centre
• University based research (Job titles: exercise physiologist, research assistant, research coordinator)
• Ex: University of Calgary research labs: Health & Wellness Lab, Sports Injury Prevention Lab, etc

Occupational Setting:

• City of Calgary Fire/Police (Job title: exercise physiologist)
• Military Forces (Job title: exercise physiologist)
• Ex: Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services

Sport Performance Setting:

• Training facility (Job title: exercise physiologist/sport physiologist)
• Ex: Canadian Sport Institute
• Sports team/club (Job title: exercise physiologist/sport physiologist)
• Ex: Calgary Flames, U of C Dinos

Mentors Tip: When looking for CEP jobs, it is important to know that some organizations use the term “kinesiologist” and “exercise physiologist” interchangeably. For example, you may see a job posting for a kinesiologist with the Primary Care Network but when you look at the requirements, it states that you need your CEP certification. Pay attention to the job qualifications and keep your job notifications on for any kinesiologist, exercise physiologist, and/or exercise specialist jobs that pop up!

Based on my own experiences so far, I’m confident that my CEP certification was helpful for achieving entry level positions (previously a kinesiologist with CBI Health, currently a rehab assistant with Hay River HSSA). Neither of these jobs require the CEP certification, but have been great starting positions to gain experience in the kinesiology field. The entry level experience is an important qualification for the higher paying CEP jobs out there. Sometimes getting jobs in the kinesiology field can be about the connections you have with professors, other students, or community members. I’ve had two CEP job offers from connections I have on Linked In (Live Well Exercise Clinic and University of Calgary Research Lab), but I had already moved away from Calgary at that point so these positions did not work out for me. Between myself, Kim, and Chantelle who all hold our CEP certifications, it is clear that we have all taken different career paths but have still gained success from our experiences. For more details on our current work experience, please visit our biographies at https://www.yourkinesmentor.com/about.

Mentors Tip: Take the time to track job postings over time for kinesiologists and exercise physiologists. You can do this by searching weekly or turning on job notifications on Linked In or Indeed. When you see a job posting you like, save them so that you can reference them later. That way you have an idea of how often these jobs come available, you are prepared for the certifications/experience that is required, and you know the salary expectations for when you are qualified/ready to apply.

What certification should you apply for?

As we wrap up this blog, you’re probably still wondering which certification would be best for you.

It depends! Like you saw above, one certification isn’t necessarily better than the other. However, one certification might be better for your current situation (i.e. interests, goals, job requirements). As you saw above, we both are MKin graduates but have two different certifications.

From our experiences, we would suggest that if you’re passionate about working with chronic disease populations, CSEP-CEP might be a better choice. (If you’re looking to study for the CSEP-CEP, check out our other articles on Beginners Guide to the CSEP-CEP Certification Process and 6 Top Study Tips for the CSEP-CEP Exams).

If you’ve finished all the course requirements for the first two years of kinesiology, CSEP-CPT might be a great stepping stone before transitioning to CSEP-CEP. As well, CSEP-CPT is also a great stand alone certification if you’re looking to get job experience in not just personal training but other positions in the field such as an exercise physiology assistant and physiotherapy assistant. In addition, you can also apply for the CSEP High Performance Specialization after you become a CSEP-CPT.

Unfortunately, we can’t provide a one size fits all answer. However, we hope with this blog, we can provide some guidance from our personal experience. Feel free to email Victoria and Christine and we’d be happy to jump on a call to share our experiences to provide you with more insights.

Sincerely,

Your Kines Mentors