Frequently asked questions

You do not have to start at Level 1 and work your way up. Where you begin on the pathway is up to you, based on your current skills and expertise. This section of our website explains this in more detail - Develop your S&C Career / Getting into S&C

No. Anyone with an interest in strength and conditioning can join the UKSCA as an Associate member and anyone who successfully demonstrates their competence though our assessment process can become an Accredited member. The aim of the UKSCA is not to standardise routes into the profession or dictate which courses you must take - we are aware that practitioners come from a variety of educational and experience backgrounds and assessing individuals ensures that all Accredited Members have met the required standards of practice. See this section of our website for more information - Develop your S&C Career / Becoming an Accredited S&C Coach.

The UKSCA has developed a 2 day workshop specifically to introduce some key S&C skills to participants. The Foundation Workshop is highly practical and is aimed at anyone looking to enter the profession and wanting a clear and progressive development pathway. Also to anyone wishing to add best practice strength and conditioning to their existing roles e.g. PE teachers, sports specific coaches, personal trainers, undergraduate students etc.

The Foundation/Level 1 workshop is particularly aimed at personal trainers, recent sport science graduates, PE teachers and anyone looking to start a Strength and Conditioning career. It focuses on key practical coaching skills, giving you the ability to add essential strength and conditioning skills to your current coaching practice. Certification is gained after successfully completing the Level 1 workshop (2 days) which includes an assessment on day 2.

No. The educational map has been designed to offer a clear career development path for anyone involved in strength and conditioning, at all levels. If becoming an Accredited S&C Coach is your ultimate aim, then you should start by self-assessing your existing skills and knowledge against the UKSCA Competency Document, as well as reading the guidelines for the assessment day. If you identify any gaps you have, then you can look at the workshops we offer (as well as training and education from 3rd parties), that will help you develop in these areas. See the ‘Develop your S&C Career’ section of our website for more information.

On successful completion of the assessment process, you will be able to register as an Accredited Member of the UKSCA and use the letters ASCC (Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach) after your name. It is not a qualification, but a professional standard of practice, that employers and the industry use when employing and developing their staff.

From professional clubs and teams, Institutes of Sport as well as sports companies and training providers all recognise ‘Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coaches’ (ASCC). The UKSCA was originally formed in 2004 by key employers in sport as they recognised the need for professional standards in this developing profession.

The UKSCA does not recommend any degree or masters programmes. Some of the new S&C degrees will cover topics relating to the UKSCA assessment and they may help you prepare for your assessment during your degree. There are also a number of courses advertising that they will help you meet the UKSCA standards. We haven’t assessed any 3rd party courses, so if they claim to help you through the UKSCA Accreditation or profess to meet our standards, the most important question to ask is whether the lecturers/coaching staff on a course are UKSCA Accredited themselves and also which areas of the curriculum support which areas of the UKSCA Competency Document. The detailed answers you get to these questions should help you determine which course is best for you and your needs.

No, as we run a competency based assessment of S&C coaches, having a degree does not make you exempt from completing the UKSCA’s accreditation process but of course the knowledge and skills you have obtained should support you in your assessment.

There are many S&C coaches in the UK who do not have a degree. Each employer will look for different qualities from the coach but as the profession is growing and becoming increasingly competitive, employers have a wider choice of candidates when advertising jobs and will therefore, over time, increase the level of criteria in their job specifications. Employers will value certain attributes higher than others so we advise you to look at the jobs on offer and that you aspire to and determine whether the skills, qualifications and experience you have are valued and what areas you need to develop in.

Associate and Accredited members benefit from a number of benefits. Pleas see the membership/ New Members page of our website for the latest information.

The UKSCA has worked with leading insurance broker LFC Graybrook to create the UK's only professional liability insurance scheme for Strength & Conditioning Coaches. The policy is open to both Accredited and Associate members and extra activities/therapies can be added, including your work as a tutor. It is underwritten by AXA insurance. Please contact the office for more information or visit LFC Graybrook's website.

As a registered Associate member of the UKSCA, you are entitled to apply for our insurance through the leading insurance broker LFC Graybook. As part of your insurance application form, you will need to supply a letter of support from an Accredited member of the UKSCA, who ratifies your ability as an Associate member of the UKSCA under his/her guidance. The supporting Accredited member will be responsible for ensuring you, as the Associate, are aware of the UKSCA code of practice and will also be responsible for viewing any programmes you develop for clients. In addition, they must be available to answer questions and to provide advice. Please note, 'supervision' does not mean that the supervisor has to be present while you, as the practitioner, are working. The UKSCA is not responsible for finding you an Accredited member to support your insurance application, you will need to make the contact with the Accredited member directly.

The MCQ element of the assessment covers certain topic areas of underpinning knowledge required to practice as an independent S&C coach. As with all the areas identified in the UKSCA Competency Document, each candidate will need to self-assess to determine the areas of knowledge and skill in which they feel they need more training/education. To help members prepare, we now offer sample MCQ papers (go to the Shop / Books and Resources section of our website) which, along with the UKSCA Competency Document, will not only give you a feel for the types of questions covered, but also to what level of detail in these subject areas your knowledge will be tested. For example, there are 4 questions per paper, (out of 50), on section A1.4 of the UKSCA Competency Document - Skeletal structure responses to training stimuli. If this is an area you feel you need more knowledge in, or you simply need to brush up your knowledge, then you can pinpoint texts/education opportunities to help you prepare for this. There are a whole host of text books available that cover areas of knowledge required for the UKSCA assessment process however, at this point in time, we cannot recommend one book that comprehensively covers everything you need to know.