How to Become
a Certified Nutrition Coach

As one of the most trusted sources of fitness training certifications in the world, NASM is a distinguished name that will stand out to fitness employers. Joining the NASM community grants you access to a job guarantee program for select programs, your top choice of gyms to work for, access to world-class fitness experts, and much more.

• • Peer-Reviewed Content from the Brightest Minds in the Industry

• • State-of-the-Art Digital Learning Platform

• • Programs Designed to Meet Multiple Learning Styles

• • 35+ Years Of Experience Training Fitness Professionals

• • 1.5M+ Professionals Trained

• • 100+ Countries with NASM and Coach Professionals

• • Partnerships with Fitness Facilities, Professional Sports, and Academic Institutions

You can complete your Certified Nutrition Coach Certification in as few as 4 weeks. In addition to its interactive multimedia-rich content, learning tools, resources, and comprehensive study-planning guide, you can also receive assistance from NASM experts when questions arise.

Absolutely! You can complete the NASM Certified Nutrition Coach program while also working full-time. The study material is 100% online and self-paced, and can be accessed on a computer, or a mobile device such as a phone or tablet.

NASM CNC is approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the following organizations:

• 

  1.9 CEUs

• 

  15 CEUs

• 

  3.0 CECs

• 

  10 CIMPSA Endorsed CPD Points

• 

  10 Learning Hours

A Nutritionist is different from a Nutrition Coach. With the foundational knowledge you’ll gain as a Certified Nutrition Coach, you’ll have the expertise needed to help clients make smarter nutrition choices and create sustainable change in their lives.

When you sign up to become a Certified Nutrition Coach through NASM, you’ll learn how to assess your client’s nutritional needs and ensure they’re met through three unique yet equally important modules:

• • Nutrition Science: From proteins to fats, energy balance to counting macros, get a comprehensive look at the scope of your practice as a nutrition leader.




• • Behavior Change: Learn how to use motivation and communication to enhance the psychology behind how we eat.




• • Nutrition Coaching: Put everything together to create a personalized course of action for your clients. Whether it’s weight loss or weight gain, bulking up or maintaining where they’re at, you now have the keys to nutritional success.

A Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) works with a more general clientele to develop strategies that address issues like obesity, body composition, aging, and lifestyle approaches to disease management.

A Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (CSNC) digs a little deeper, working specifically with athletes to educate and provide coaching around performance nutrition within sports.

While these two roles differ in the audience they serve, they do work hand in hand to provide a well-rounded understanding of nutrition. To that end, our CNC program sets down an effective foundation in nutrition to build from, helping through a fundamental understanding of how to serve clients’ nutrition needs.

From there, our CSNC program takes what you learn throughout CNC and builds upon it to target a specific client base to focus on strategies that impact performance and recovery.

The final exam is administered online within your student portal. There are 100 multiple-choice questions and you'll have 90 minutes to complete it. A score of 70% or better is required to pass.

You have 365 days from the date of purchase to complete your final exam. If you need an extension or a retest, you can purchase one by calling Member Services at 1-800-460-6276.

You will have 3 attempts to pass your final exam. If needed, you can purchase additional retests by calling Member Services at 1-800-460-6276.

Renewal of the Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) is required every two years through completion of the CNC Renewal Exam. The CNC Renewal Exam will offer three exam attempts and will have an enrollment duration of 365 days. The CNC Renewal Exam will recertify the credential for another two years from the new completion date.