CSCS Professional Standards & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete discloses a personal health condition and asks the CSCS to keep it confidential. What is the CSCS's primary obligation?
- Share the information with all coaching staff immediately
- Maintain confidentiality unless disclosure is required for safety (Correct answer)
- Document it publicly in team records
- Refer the athlete to another trainer without explanation
Correct answer: Maintain confidentiality unless disclosure is required for safety
The CSCS must protect athlete confidentiality except when safety or legal mandates require disclosure.
Question 2: A CSCS is offered free supplements by a company in exchange for publicly endorsing their product. What is the most ethical response?
- Accept and immediately promote the product to clients
- Decline unless a thorough review confirms the product's safety and efficacy (Correct answer)
- Accept because endorsements are a recognized income stream
- Report the company to NSCA without further investigation
Correct answer: Decline unless a thorough review confirms the product's safety and efficacy
Endorsing products without verifying their safety and efficacy violates the CSCS's duty to client welfare.
Question 3: Which action best demonstrates a CSCS maintaining professional competence?
- Relying solely on knowledge from their initial certification exam
- Attending CEU courses and reviewing current peer-reviewed research (Correct answer)
- Delegating all program design to less-credentialed assistants
- Avoiding new techniques to reduce liability
Correct answer: Attending CEU courses and reviewing current peer-reviewed research
Ongoing continuing education and literature review are hallmarks of maintaining professional competence.
Question 4: A CSCS discovers a colleague is training athletes using methods that pose a significant injury risk. What should the CSCS do first?
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Address the concern directly with the colleague or report it to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Publicly post about it on social media
- Quit the organization immediately
Correct answer: Address the concern directly with the colleague or report it to a supervisor
Addressing unsafe practices directly or escalating to a supervisor protects athlete welfare and upholds professional standards.
Question 5: Under the NSCA Code of Ethics, a CSCS must avoid which of the following?
- Designing individualized programs
- Discriminating against clients based on protected characteristics (Correct answer)
- Recommending qualified medical referrals
- Documenting client progress
Correct answer: Discriminating against clients based on protected characteristics
The NSCA Code of Ethics prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or other protected characteristics.
Question 6: A client asks a CSCS to sign a document certifying the client is physically cleared for competition, a task outside the CSCS's scope of practice. What should the CSCS do?
- Sign the document to maintain the client relationship
- Explain that medical clearance requires a licensed physician and refer accordingly (Correct answer)
- Create a modified clearance form using fitness testing data
- Advise the client to forge a physician's signature
Correct answer: Explain that medical clearance requires a licensed physician and refer accordingly
Medical clearance is outside the CSCS's scope of practice and must be issued by a licensed healthcare provider.
Question 7: Which best describes 'informed consent' in the context of CSCS practice?
- The athlete's verbal agreement to attend sessions
- A documented process where the client understands risks, benefits, and alternatives before participating (Correct answer)
- Coach approval for training program changes
- A standard liability waiver signed at first session without explanation
Correct answer: A documented process where the client understands risks, benefits, and alternatives before participating
Informed consent requires that clients comprehend and voluntarily agree to participation after being fully informed of risks and alternatives.
CSCS Professional Standards & Ethics 2
An athlete discloses a personal health condition and asks the CSCS to keep it confidential.
What is the CSCS's primary obligation?