NSCA CSCS Athlete Assessment and Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete demonstrates asymmetrical hip drop during a single-leg squat assessment. This finding most likely indicates weakness in which muscle group?
- Ipsilateral quadriceps
- Contralateral hip abductors (Correct answer)
- Ipsilateral hip flexors
- Contralateral plantar flexors
Correct answer: Contralateral hip abductors
Contralateral hip drop during a single-leg squat typically indicates weakness of the stance-leg hip abductors (primarily gluteus medius).
Question 2: When using heart rate to prescribe aerobic training intensity, what is the target heart rate range for an athlete training at 70–80% of heart rate reserve (HRR) if resting HR = 60 bpm and max HR = 200 bpm?
- 138–152 bpm
- 140–160 bpm
- 158–172 bpm (Correct answer)
- 120–140 bpm
Correct answer: 158–172 bpm
Using the Karvonen formula: THR = [(HRmax − HRrest) × intensity] + HRrest = [(200−60) × 0.70–0.80] + 60 = 158–172 bpm.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a needs analysis in the assessment process?
- Identifying the athlete's current 1RM for all major lifts
- Evaluating the physiological and biomechanical demands of the sport and the athlete's current status (Correct answer)
- Determining the athlete's psychological readiness for competition
- Measuring body composition to set weight loss targets
Correct answer: Evaluating the physiological and biomechanical demands of the sport and the athlete's current status
A needs analysis examines the sport's physiological and biomechanical demands alongside the athlete's current fitness levels to guide program design.
Question 4: The T-test is commonly used to assess which physical quality in athletes?
- Maximal aerobic capacity
- Lower-body maximal strength
- Agility and change of direction speed (Correct answer)
- Upper-body muscular endurance
Correct answer: Agility and change of direction speed
The T-test measures agility and change of direction speed by requiring athletes to sprint and shuffle in a T-shaped pattern.
Question 5: A coach wants to assess lower-body power using a field test that does not require equipment. Which test is most appropriate?
- Broad (standing long) jump (Correct answer)
- 3RM leg press
- Margaria-Kalamen stair run
- Illinois agility run
Correct answer: Broad (standing long) jump
The standing broad jump is a simple, equipment-free field test that effectively estimates lower-body explosive power.
Question 6: When measuring grip strength with a hand dynamometer, which wrist position produces the highest and most reliable readings?
- Full wrist flexion
- Neutral wrist position (Correct answer)
- Full wrist extension
- Ulnar deviation
Correct answer: Neutral wrist position
A neutral wrist position with slight extension maximizes grip strength output and produces the most reliable dynamometer readings.
Question 7: An athlete's testing data shows high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC > 0.90) across sessions. This indicates the testing protocol has excellent:
- Construct validity
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Concurrent validity
- Content validity
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
ICC values above 0.90 indicate excellent test-retest reliability, meaning the protocol produces consistent results when repeated.
NSCA CSCS Athlete Assessment and Evaluation 3
An athlete demonstrates asymmetrical hip drop during a single-leg squat assessment.
This finding most likely indicates weakness in which muscle group?