EPA Standard
Personal Trainer
Level 3 
£4,000 
15 months
1. What the role entails
The role of a Personal Trainer is to coach clients (on a one-to-one and small group basis) towards their health and fitness goals. Personal Trainers will motivate clients to positively change their behaviour and improve their overall wellbeing through the design and provision of creative and personalised exercise programmes and instruction, nutritional advice, and overall lifestyle management. A Personal Trainer provides specialist, tailored advice within their scope of practice, while always being aware of when to refer clients to relevant appropriate professionals for specialist information and guidance (for example, physiotherapist, registered dietician, medical specialist).
A comprehensive understanding of business, finance, sales and marketing is also essential to enable a Personal Trainer to build and retain a stable client base. Personal Trainers are typically employed by a fitness or leisure centre or, once qualified, can be self-employed and should expect to work hours that may include evenings, weekends and public holidays.
Personal Trainers play an important role in improving the health of the nation, creating opportunities that get more people, more active, more often.
Entry: undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service
process and provide the result.
2. On-programme assessment
Apprentices will typically spend between 15 and 18 months on-programme and undertake the minimum required off-the-job training as per the ESFA funding rules. Apprentices must spend at least 12 months on-programme. Before entering Gateway, the apprentice must complete the following on-programme requirements:
- Level 2 English and maths or equivalent qualifications
- Build a portfolio of clients.
3. Gateway requirements
The decision to take an apprentice through Gateway is made between the employer, Independent Training Provider (ITP) and the apprentice. The apprentice should only enter Gateway once the employer is content that the apprentice is working at or above the level of the occupational standard.
4. End-point assessment
The end-point assessment (EPA) for Personal Trainer contains three methods of assessment. These assessment methods must be completed in the order set out below:
Practical Observation with Questions and Answers
The Practical Observation has a total duration of three hours, followed by 20 minutes of Questions and Answers with the Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA). The Observation will cover a coaching session delivered by the apprentice. The apprentice must be given the opportunity to freely interact with their clients during the Practical Observation.
Grading: Fail, pass or distinction.
Presentation followed by Questions and Answers
The Presentation followed by Questions and Answers has a total duration of 30 minutes. The Presentation will be formal, recorded and will last 15 minutes, followed by a further 15 minutes for Questions and Answers with the IEPA.
The Presentation is designed to give the apprentice the opportunity to showcase their personal training offer. It will follow a basic structure of objectives, clients, planning, delivering, reviewing and evaluating. The Presentation will be completed during the EPA period and presented to the IEPA following the Practical Observation.
Grading: Fail, pass or distinction.
Interview
The Interview duration is 1 hour 30 minutes and is a formal structured interview between the apprentice and the IEPA. The IEPA will ask the apprentice questions in relation to the relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) for this assessment method and personal development and reflection.
Grading: Fail, pass or distinction
5. Grade aggregation table
| Practical Observation | Presentation | Grading | Overall |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Pass | Distinction | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Distinction | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Pass | Distinction | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Distinction | Pass |
| Distinction | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
6. Completion and certification
Once the IEPA verifies the apprentice has successfully completed all EPA methods, NCFE will activate certification. Working with the apprenticeship certificate issuing authority, we will ensure the apprentice receives their certificate.
7. What next?
On successful completion of the Personal Trainer EPA, apprentices will be eligible to become a Personal Trainer Practitioner Member of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). Successful completion of this apprenticeship will enable further experience and training in the fitness industry to support the role into fitness management or a specialist instructor. There are also other apprenticeship standards to progress onto such as Level 4 Sports Coach.
Why NCFE?
We are an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, social care, business, active leisure and digital apprenticeship standards NCFE offers flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.