4 Learning Styles: How to Study for the CPT Exam Your Way

To become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), you must first pass the certification exam. This test ensures that you understand anatomy, physiology, and exercise science. It also confirms that you know how to create an effective workout program. 

ISSA offers a complete study guide to help you prepare. But knowing your learning style is also important to CPT exam success. Here’s why. We also share a few tips for each style to maximize your learning experience.

Importance of Learning Style When Studying for the CPT Exam

Each of us has a preferred learning style. This style tells us how we naturally take in and digest new information. It also gives us insight into how to best study.

Study according to your learning style and it maximizes your ability to learn. You work with your natural strengths versus fighting against them. 

It’s similar to knowing your strengths in a particular sport. If you have a strong throwing arm and good body control, for instance, you might be best suited for the position of pitcher in baseball. If you’re left-handed and have good fielding skills, protecting first base might be a better fit.

Identifying your learning style preference provides the same benefit. You can use this preferred learning method to boost your ability to retain the information that will be reviewed on the CPT test.

4 Learning Styles

There is no real consensus as to the true number of different learning styles. Some feel that there are just a few; others suggest that there could be seven, eight, or more. 

According to VARK learning styles, there are four. They are:

1. Visual learners: Visual learning involves using your eyes to take in and retain data. Do you like to look at pictures and charts when learning? Or maybe you prefer to watch videos. If this is you, you likely have a visual learning style.

2. Auditory learners: Auditory learning means you learn better by listening. You rely on your sense of hearing to take in new information. You may have a preference for listening to lectures over reading materials, for instance. Auditory learners are also known as aural learners. 

3. Reading-writing learners: Do you like to read course materials and take notes when studying? If so, you may be a reading-writing learner. 

4. Kinesthetic learners: Kinesthetic learning uses the sense of touch. If this is you, you learn best by doing. Your brain retains information when you’re physically engaged in the learning process. Sometimes this style is spelled in a different way and referred to as a kinaesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners might also be called tactile learners.

If you’re unsure of your learning style, you can complete the VARK questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of just 16 questions. Choose the answers that best describe your preferences when performing common tasks. Based on your responses, you’ll be given your preferred learning style.

Study Tips for the Visual Learner

Pictures and tables are valuable study tools for visual learners. When studying for the CPT exam, pay special attention to charts, graphs, and images. Pictures of exercisers in action can help you learn proper form. Charts help you compare and contrast different concepts or exercise styles. Graphs are a good way to remember trends or see how separate parts contribute to the whole.

Videos are another helpful tool for visual learners. ISSA’s Certified Personal Trainer course includes a video lecture in each week of the guided study. Watch this media to see certain concepts in action.

If certain visuals aren’t included in the materials provided, create them yourself. Make your own graphs and charts. Look for additional videos to better understand a specific topic.

It can also be helpful to color code the study materials. Highlight main ideas in yellow and supporting data in pink. This makes it easier to identify which is which. It also helps you organize the information provided without writing it out.

Study Tips for the Auditory Learner

If you learn best by listening, lectures are a good study tool. If your CPT course is online, take the time to listen to video lectures. If the course allows, you may even have the option of using an auditory textbook. This enables you to learn while engaged in other activities, such as driving or when out on a walk or run.

People with this learning preference also benefit from certain mnemonic devices. Rhyming mnemonics is one option. An example would be coming up with a rhyme that includes both “biceps” and “triceps” for remembering the muscles of the upper arms. 

Another mnemonic device could involve the use of music. Sing the information using the rhythm of the ABC song. This will help commit it to memory.

Study Tips for the Kinesthetic Learner

Someone with a kinesthetic learning style benefits from being hands-on. If you’re learning an exercise, for instance, stand up and do it. Or grab a family member or friend and ask them to act as your client. Practice doing an assessment or getting them into proper form.

Flashcards are also good CPT study tools for a kinesthetic learner because they involve taking action. And you can use them anywhere. Have a few minutes before a meeting? Get out your flashcards and test your memory of personal training information. 

Taking a practice exam is also beneficial for this learning style. Practice exams give physical learners a feel for what the CPT test is all about. This can help reduce your anxiety because you have a better idea of what to expect.

Study Tips for the Reading-Writing Learner

How does a reading-writing learner best prepare for the CPT exam? Re-reading the textbook is one option. Writing out your own notes is another. Keep a notebook to record the most important terms and concepts. Download the workbook and study guide and answer the questions in it.

Making lists is a good strategy for this type of learner. So too is creating bullet points. Both help you organize and retain the information in each lesson. Also, print any included handouts. Read through them, writing any additional notes in the margins.

When watching training videos, write down the main points presented. You can also reduce images and charts into words. Write out what you see to help you recall the data during the CPT exam.

More Tips to Maximize CPT Exam Success

It’s important to note that many people don’t have just one style. You might use one style of learning in one situation and a different learning style in another. Implementing strategies for each learning style can help in these cases. 

Here are a few additional tips for greater CPT exam success:

• Study all of the materials provided. If you’re a reading-writing learner, you may not be fond of watching videos when learning. However, these videos contain valuable information. Skipping them would deny you this data. Or maybe you’re an auditory learner and don’t like to read. The same concerns apply. Even if some of the materials don’t match your learning style, they are all important. Use each type to bolster your knowledge of this fitness role.

• Modify materials to your learning style. You can also take certain materials and modify them to your preferred style. Kinaesthetic learners might use written materials to create their own videos. Visual learners could turn auditory lessons into charts or images. Transform the information provided into the medium that you retain best.

• Give yourself adequate study time. Repetition is key to information recall. So, give yourself a few weeks after completing the training course to fully prepare for the exam. Review the materials a few times to make them easier to remember. This is not an exam that you want to study for just once and then take the test. The more time you give yourself to study, the higher your chances of passing the CPT exam.

• Consider other learning styles. We’ve covered four different learning styles. But some people contend that there are more. You might be a verbal learner, for example. Saying the information out loud would be a good study method. Social learners would benefit from joining a study group. Conversely, solitary learners retain information best when studying alone.

ISSA’s Personal Trainer Certification course includes materials suited for each learning style. Complete the course, pass the exam, and you are guaranteed a job—or you’ll get your money back!