Is International Sports Sciences Association legit?
International Sports Sciences Association (issaonline.com) has a 4.6 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 203 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Sports and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 92% rating it 4 stars or higher; The business has replied to 45% of negative reviews. Last updated 2026-08-10.
Valuable Course with Opportunities to Improve Assessment Quality
Overall, I found the Corrective Exercise Specialist course to be valuable and informative. It expanded my understanding of biomechanics, movement assessment, pain science, and corrective exercise, and I will apply much of what I learned in practice.
I do, however, have feedback regarding the quizzes and final exam. Throughout the course, I encountered multiple questions that were poorly worded, grammatically incorrect, or did not appear to align with the way the concepts were presented in the instructional material.
For example, one quiz question asked, “When the gluteus medius is weak, which muscle is typically gets strained or injured?” The sentence contains a grammatical error (“is typically gets”), making the question more difficult to interpret than necessary. There were several similar instances where awkward wording or proofreading errors detracted from the assessment experience.
I also encountered exam questions where the wording created ambiguity. One example asked which joint within the shoulder complex “attaches directly to the ribcage.” The exam identified the sternoclavicular joint as the correct answer. However, the wording is imprecise because the scapulothoracic articulation is the interface with the rib cage, while the sternoclavicular joint is the only true bony articulation connecting the upper extremity to the axial skeleton. More precise wording would better assess knowledge and reduce unnecessary confusion.
After completing multiple ISSA certifications, including Personal Training, Nutrition, and now Corrective Exercise Specialist, it has become discouraging to repeatedly encounter these types of issues. Rather than focusing solely on demonstrating my understanding of the material, I often found myself questioning whether I had misunderstood the content or whether the assessment itself was unclear. That takes away from the learning experience and the confidence that a well designed certification should help build.
My concern is not that the exams were challenging. I appreciate rigorous assessments and believe they should be held to a high standard. Rather, I believe certification exams should evaluate a student’s knowledge of the material, not their ability to interpret ambiguous wording or work around grammatical errors.
I would encourage ISSA to review and proofread its quizzes and examinations for grammatical accuracy, anatomical precision, and consistency with the course content. Improving the quality of the assessments would strengthen an already valuable educational program and provide a better experience for future students.
Overall, I appreciate the education ISSA provides and am grateful for what I learned. My feedback is offered with the hope of helping improve the quality and consistency of future courses and assessments.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-10
Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed and constructive feedback regarding your experience with the Corrective Exercise Specialist course. Congratulations on earning this credential and adding it to your Personal Training and Nutrition certifications.
We appreciate you highlighting these specific examples from the quizzes and exams. We will certainly pass your notes directly to our curriculum and quality assurance teams so they can review the material and ensure our assessments are clear, accurate, and aligned with our course content.
Thank you again for sharing your perspective to help us improve our programs for future students. We wish you the absolute best as you apply this knowledge to your training career!
I had a great experience earning my Personal Trainer Certification through ISSA. The course was well organized, easy to follow, and provided a strong balance of theory and practical knowledge that I can confidently apply in real-world training.
The flexibility of the program allowed me to study at my own pace while continuing with my daily responsibilities. The learning materials were clear, comprehensive, and engaging, making even complex topics easy to understand.
Completing this certification has given me more confidence in my abilities as a personal trainer and has motivated me to continue growing in the fitness industry. I truly appreciate the quality of education and support that ISSA provides.
I highly recommend ISSA to anyone who wants to build a successful career in fitness. Thank you for helping me take this important step toward my future!
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-09
Thank you so much for this incredible review!
We're thrilled to hear that our program gave you the perfect balance of theory and practical knowledge to confidently step out into the real world. Balancing your daily responsibilities while tackling complex fitness topics is no easy feat, and you should be incredibly proud of yourself for managing it all so seamlessly.
Hearing that this certification has boosted your confidence and motivated you to keep growing in the industry is exactly why we do what we do.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your dreams, and thank you for the high recommendation. We know you're going to build an amazing, successful career in fitness!
S
SAM · 2 reviews · Verified · Experienced 2026-07-06 ·
★★★★★
ISSA IS THE WAY TO GO
This place is great! The curriculum is perfectly structured simple enough for beginners, but with plenty of depth for advanced lifters. If you want to get certified and break into the fitness industry, ISSA is the best bang for your buck. I highly recommend it.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-09
Thank you so much for the amazing review! We're thrilled to hear that you found the curriculum so perfectly structured for both beginners and advanced lifters.
Providing the "best bang for your buck" while delivering high-quality, deep education is exactly what we strive for. We love knowing we could help you feel ready to confidently break into the fitness industry!
Thank you for choosing ISSA, and we highly recommend you to your future clients! Best of luck out there!
overall the education was amazing but the downside was not having an actual book in hand, yes I understand I can download and print but it's a lot of pages and the amount of ink used is insane. Yes I also wrote lots of notes and ran out of pens a lot. So just having used. books not new ones would be great
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-09
Thank you so much for the feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found the education amazing, but we completely understand your frustration regarding the textbook.
Flipping through hundreds of digital pages isn't the same as holding a physical book, and you are totally right—printing that much text at home can absolutely drain your ink cartridges and empty your wallet. Running through stacks of pens just to keep up with your notes shows incredible dedication, but it definitely shouldn't be that exhausting!
Your suggestion about offering a used or recycled textbook option is a fantastic idea, and we'll absolutely pass that along to our team.
Thank you for pushing through and doing the hard work to learn the material. Your future clients are lucky to have a trainer who puts this much effort into their education!
They resolved my issue, it was a holiday weekend, but still got backto me and fixed my issue.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-09
Thank you so much for the review! We're thrilled to hear that our team was able to get your issue resolved quickly, even over a holiday weekend. We know your time is valuable and fitness goals don't take days off, so we always strive to be there when you need us.
Thank you for choosing ISSA, and we wish you the absolute best on your journey!
Everything else has been excellent. However, the fact that my name was misspelled on my certificate is an error that should never have occurred.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you so much for your feedback, and we're thrilled to hear that everything else during your experience has been excellent!
However, we completely agree with you—your name should absolutely be spelled correctly on your hard-earned certificate. We sincerely apologize for this mistake, and we want to get it fixed for you right away.
Please contact our Student Support team at [email protected], and we'll update your file and send out a corrected certificate immediately. Thank you for choosing ISSA, and congratulations on your achievement!
I like all the system settings, I learned how exercise and science are going through together. To be honest, I love everything.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you so much for the amazing feedback! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that you love everything about your experience with us.
Connecting the dots between exercise and science is exactly where the magic happens—it changes the way you look at movement and gives you the exact tools you need to train people safely and effectively.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your fitness journey, and we wish you the best as you put that science into practice!
i like: that i can take my time and work at my own pace, retake quizzes if i’m not happy with my score although its passing, the depth of knowledge and learning available, reasonable cost and payment plans.
i don’t like: that not one individual from ISSA has checked on me to see how i'm doing, to motivate or encourage me or to check in to see if i have any issues, concerns or needs. I also don’t appreciate the hidden fact that wasn’t shared with me that some gyms & companies don’t accept ISSA certification so I I have to pay extra out of pocket for NCCA-accredited exam, the tests, quizzes and some textbook info is inaccurate causing me to fail the quizzes a few times.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you for your honest feedback. We're so glad you appreciate our flexible, self-paced format, deep course materials, and affordable payment plans! However, we're truly sorry for the frustrations regarding communication, gym accreditation, and quiz technicalities.
While ISSA is highly respected worldwide, some commercial gyms strictly require an NCCA-accredited credential. ISSA does offer a proctored, closed-book NCCA exam option; please reach out to our Support team at [email protected] to see if this voucher is already included in your package or how to transition to it.
Additionally, if you encounter any conflicting quiz questions, please email screenshots to the support email so our content team can review them and correct them as needed.
Finally, while our programs default to an independent learning style, our Student Support team is always here to provide motivation and support whenever you need it. We want to ensure you have everything you need to succeed, so please contact us directly so we can make this right!
Very practical and organized materials. A beneficial course that adds a lot to my knowledge and experience as a trainer.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found the materials practical and organized.
As a trainer, your time is valuable, so we design our courses to skip the fluff and provide actionable knowledge you can use with clients right away. Knowing that this course has added real value to your expertise is the best compliment we could receive.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your ongoing professional development, and best of luck applying these new tools on the gym floor!
I like the videos and sample quizzes after each section. It’s nice to be able to do the work at my own pace, it makes it easier when you’re schedule is full a lot of time but because of the freedom it is possible, thanks again ISSA
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
We're thrilled to hear that the videos and sample quizzes gave you a helpful way to check your knowledge after each section. Balancing a busy schedule is no easy feat, but that's exactly why we built this program to give you total freedom. Being able to study completely at your own pace is what makes reaching your goals possible when life gets full.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your journey, and we are so glad we could be there to help you make it happen!
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-08
Thank you so much for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience and found our training platform so user-friendly.
Our goal is to make learning smooth and straightforward so you can focus entirely on mastering the material and building your skills.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your fitness journey, and we wish you the best with your next steps!
Kat was there to help me when I felt I was having tech issues. I was super happy about that. Once I logged on, I locked in and flew through the lessons and info. I love the library of exercises/machines, got me excited to plan a structured workout regime.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-09
Thank you so much for the wonderful review!
We're so glad Kat was there to save the day and get those tech issues sorted out quickly for you. There's nothing better than that feeling of finally logging on, locking in, and just flying through the material!
It's awesome to hear that the library of exercises and machines already has you inspired and excited to build structured workouts. That practical, real-world application is exactly what makes the learning process so fun.
Keep up that amazing momentum, and enjoy building those workout regimens! Thank you for choosing ISSA!
“Excellent course with quality educational content and a smooth certification process. Highly recommended for fitness professionals.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for the fantastic recommendation! We're thrilled to hear that you found the educational content to be high quality and that the certification process was smooth from start to finish.
Our goal is always to provide a seamless, top-tier experience that respects your time and elevates your expertise. Knowing that we've earned a strong recommendation from a fitness professional means the world to us.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your career, and we wish you continued success with your clients!
What I’ve learned can be applied to exercise and training to improve performance and achieve better results.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback! Hearing that you can directly apply what you've learned to improve performance and drive better results is the ultimate compliment. Our absolute highest priority is ensuring that our education goes beyond theory and translates directly into real-world success on the training floor.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your fitness journey, and we can't wait to see the incredible results you achieve with your knowledge!
I really enjoyed the information I do construction inspection which much of the time calls for long days sitting in truck. I was able to work several hours a day on my certification and that being said I would and would pay extra for recorded reading of the text books to where I didn't strain my eyes reading on screen so much, But that's just me be boucee
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We love hearing how you turned those long hours in your truck into productive study time—that is exactly the kind of flexibility we aim to provide.
You're definitely not being "boujee" at all! Staring at a screen after a long day of inspection work can cause serious eye strain. We actually do have audio options available for our core courses to help students study on the go or give their eyes a break. If you take future courses with us, please reach out to our student support team at [email protected] so we can help you find and use those audio features.
Thank you for choosing ISSA, and stay safe out there on the job!
I am very happy to have purchased this product; I know it will improve my lifestyle and change the lives of many people.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for the incredible feedback! We're absolutely thrilled to hear how passionate you are about your purchase and the positive impact it's going to have.
There's nothing more rewarding than knowing our programs are helping you improve your own lifestyle while giving you the tools to truly transform the lives of others. That powerful mission is exactly what the fitness community is all about.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your journey, and we can't wait to see all the amazing success stories you create!
Customer Service was fantastic from the email correspondence to the live Customer Service representative I spoke with.
They were timely on replies and inquiries providing me with information that helped me through the entire enrollment process!
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback! We know that the enrollment process can feel like a lot to navigate, so we're thrilled to hear that both our email team and live representatives provided the timely, clear information you needed to feel supported every step of the way.
Delivering top-notch student support is a massive priority for us, and hearing that our team hit the mark for you is incredibly rewarding. Thank you for choosing ISSA, and we're so excited to have you on board!
really easy to sign up and get started.
the content was good , relevant and modernised.
i would use ISSA again for further study
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found the signup process seamless and the content modern, relevant, and easy to navigate. Keeping our curriculum up-to-date with current industry standards is a huge priority for us, so it’s wonderful to know it hit the mark.
Knowing that you would choose ISSA again for your future studies is the ultimate compliment. We can't wait to welcome you back whenever you're ready to take that next step in your fitness career!
I appreciate them working with me to get my credentials renewed.
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! We know how hard you work to maintain your professional standards, so keeping your credentials current and active is a huge priority. Our team is fully committed to making the renewal process as smooth, supportive, and stress-free as possible so you can focus on what you do best.
Thank you for choosing ISSA to back your career, and congratulations on successfully renewing your credentials!
Get experience, it’s gotten a lot better since I did the cpt in 2014
Reply from International Sports Sciences Association2026-07-07
Thank you so much for sharing that! It's incredibly rewarding to hear from an alumnus who has seen our growth firsthand.
Since 2014, we've poured a massive amount of work into updating our curriculum, upgrading our digital platform, and adding more interactive resources like videos and study guides. Fitness science and online learning have changed a lot over the last decade, and we're fully committed to evolving right along with them.
Welcome back, and thank you for choosing ISSA to support your continued education!