CSCS
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CSCS is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Test Treasure Publication or TTP Prep.
10 sample questions for the CSCS, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.
Sections covered on the exam: Scientific Foundations, Exercise Sciences, Program Design, Nutrition, Program Implementation, Sportpsychology, Practical/Applied, Programdesign, Exercise Technique, Programimplementation, Organizationandadministration, Organization and Administration.
Question 1 · Scientific Foundations
Late in a set of repeated 30-second sprints, a cyclist's power output falls even though motor neurons are still firing. Accumulating hydrogen ions reduce force production mainly by interfering with which step of excitation–contraction coupling?
Answer: B. Binding of calcium to troponin on the thin filament
Hydrogen ions from fast glycolysis compete with calcium for binding sites on troponin, so fewer tropomyosin molecules shift off actin's binding sites and fewer cross-bridges form. Acetylcholine release and axonal conduction are not the primary sites of this metabolic fatigue, and the ATP-dependent detachment step is not what acidosis mainly blocks.
Question 2 · Exercise Sciences
A 72-year-old woman has difficulty rising from a chair and has had two near-falls this year. After establishing a base of strength, which resistance training emphasis would best address her functional limitations?
Answer: A. Light-to-moderate loads lifted with fast concentric intent, plus balance training
Muscular power declines faster than strength with age and is closely tied to functional tasks such as rising from a chair and recovering from a trip; power training with light-to-moderate loads moved quickly, combined with balance work, is recommended once a strength base exists. Slow heavy lifting improves strength but not rate of force development as effectively, and walking or stretching alone does not address power.
Question 3 · Nutrition
A 90-kg (198-lb) lineman wants to use creatine monohydrate to support his off-season strength program. Which protocol is supported by evidence?
Answer: C. About 27 g per day in divided doses for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g per day
A typical loading protocol is 0.3 g/kg/day (about 27 g/day for 90 kg, in divided doses) for 5–7 days, followed by 3–5 g/day for maintenance; creatine improves repeated high-intensity efforts and gains in strength and lean mass. Creatine works by raising muscle stores over days, not as an acute pre-game dose, and grossly excessive or trivial doses are not supported.
Question 4 · Programdesign
A collegiate swimmer has 2 weeks until the conference championship after a high-volume training block. Which taper strategy is most appropriate?
Answer: C. Reduce volume by about 40–60% while maintaining training intensity
An effective taper reduces training volume substantially (about 40–60%) while maintaining intensity and most of the training frequency, which dissipates fatigue while preserving fitness. Cutting intensity loses sharpness, complete rest leads to detraining, and adding volume increases fatigue before competition.
Question 5 · Programimplementation
A coach has been cueing "extend your hips" during countermovement jumps. Which cue converts this into an external focus of attention?
Answer: C. "Push the floor away and touch the target above you"
An external cue directs attention to the movement's effect on the environment (the floor, a target) rather than to body parts, and it generally improves performance and learning. The other cues all direct attention to specific muscles or joints, which is an internal focus.
Question 6 · Scientific Foundations
During a heavy back squat, the rectus abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae co-contract to hold the trunk rigid while the hips and knees extend. In this lift, these trunk muscles are acting primarily as:
Answer: B. Stabilizers
A stabilizer contracts (largely isometrically) to fix a body segment so the prime movers can act; the trunk musculature holds the spine in a neutral position while the gluteals and quadriceps extend the hips and knees. The agonists are the hip and knee extensors, not the trunk. A neutralizer cancels an unwanted secondary action of an agonist, and an antagonist opposes the joint action being performed, neither of which describes bracing the trunk.
Question 7 · Exercise Sciences
During a set of heavy leg presses, an athlete's heart rate is 140 beats/min and blood pressure is 180/100 mmHg. What are the approximate mean arterial pressure (MAP) and rate–pressure product (RPP)?
Answer: A. MAP 127 mmHg; RPP 25,200
MAP ≈ DBP + ⅓(SBP − DBP) = 100 + ⅓(80) ≈ 127 mmHg, and RPP = HR × SBP = 140 × 180 = 25,200. The 140 mmHg value is a simple average of systolic and diastolic pressure, which overstates MAP because diastole lasts longer. An RPP of 14,000 multiplies heart rate by diastolic pressure; RPP uses systolic pressure as the index of myocardial oxygen demand.
Question 8 · Nutrition
An 80-kg (176-lb) cyclist wants to use caffeine to improve performance in a time trial. Which dosing plan is consistent with evidence-based guidelines?
Answer: D. 240–480 mg about 60 minutes before the start
The effective caffeine dose is about 3–6 mg/kg taken about 60 minutes before exercise, which is 80 × 3 = 240 mg to 80 × 6 = 480 mg for this athlete. The 24–48 mg range reflects a decimal error (0.3–0.6 mg/kg), and 800–1,200 mg (10–15 mg/kg) adds side effects such as anxiety, tachycardia, and gastrointestinal upset without additional benefit. Taking it the evening before misses the timing of peak blood levels and can disrupt sleep.
Question 9 · Programdesign
An intermediate-level basketball player is starting an off- season plyometric program. Which prescription follows NSCA guidelines for volume and recovery?
Answer: C. 100–120 foot contacts per session, with 48–72 hours between sessions
Off-season plyometric volume guidelines are about 80–100 foot contacts for beginners, 100–120 for intermediates, and 120–140 for advanced athletes, with 48–72 hours of recovery between sessions for the same body region. Daily sessions or only 24 hours between sessions do not allow sufficient recovery. Contacts of 150–200 per session exceed recommended volumes even for advanced athletes.
Question 10 · Programimplementation
An athlete in the cognitive stage of learning is being taught the hang clean for the first time. Which coaching approach best fits this stage?
Answer: C. Use a demonstration, one or two simple cues, and frequent feedback
Athletes in the cognitive stage are working out what to do, so they benefit from clear demonstrations, a small number of simple, preferably external cues, light loads, and relatively frequent feedback. Too many instructions at once overload working memory. Minimal feedback with heavy loads and reliance on self-correction suit the associative and autonomous stages, when the athlete can detect and correct errors independently.
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