ACE GFI Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: C

Jump squats while holding light dumbbells: Adding external load progresses the exercise and increases landing forces.

Tuck jumps with a softer landing cue: Tuck jumps are a higher-impact progression, not a regression.

Bodyweight squats without the jump: Correct. Removing the jump keeps the squat pattern while eliminating impact, which lowers intensity and joint stress.

Faster jump squats with less depth: Increasing speed raises intensity and does not remove impact.

Regress by reducing impact, load, range of motion, speed or balance demand while keeping the movement pattern; progress by adding them back gradually.

Answer: C

Several minutes of held static stretches for each major muscle group: Long static holds before vigorous work do not raise body temperature and can briefly reduce power output.

Starting immediately with the full-speed combinations from the main set: Jumping straight to peak intensity skips the gradual rise in heart rate and tissue temperature that a warm-up provides.

Rhythmic, lower-intensity rehearsals of the kicks and punches to follow: Correct. A dynamic warm-up that previews the conditioning movements at lower intensity raises core temperature and rehearses the movement patterns.

A seated breathing and relaxation sequence to calm participants first: Relaxation sequences fit a cool-down or mind-body class, not preparation for high-intensity kickboxing.

Warm-ups should be dynamic and specific: gradually raise intensity using movements that rehearse the class's conditioning segment.

Answer: A

132–156 bpm: Correct. HRR = 180 − 60 = 120. 0.60 × 120 + 60 = 132 and 0.80 × 120 + 60 = 156 bpm.

108–144 bpm: This takes 60–80% of maximal heart rate, not of heart-rate reserve.

72–96 bpm: This is 60–80% of HRR without adding back the resting heart rate.

138–164 bpm: This uses an incorrect maximal heart rate of 190 bpm in the HRR calculation.

Karvonen: THR = (HRmax − HRrest) × % intensity + HRrest. Estimated HRmax can be off by 10–12 bpm, so pair heart-rate targets with RPE and the talk test.

Answer: C

Keep the plan but add extra rest at the end of class: Rest only at the end does not offset accumulating heat stress during class.

Encourage participants to push through to build heat tolerance: Pushing intensity under a heat advisory raises the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke; acclimatization is gradual.

Lower intensity, add water breaks, move to shade or indoors: Correct. High heat and humidity limit evaporative cooling; reduce intensity and duration, add hydration breaks, find shade or move indoors, and cancel if conditions are extreme.

Advise participants to wear sweatsuits so they sweat more: Heavy clothing traps heat and impairs cooling, increasing heat-illness risk.

Heat and humidity: adjust intensity and duration, schedule hydration, choose shaded or indoor space, watch for signs of heat illness, and know when to cancel.

Answer: C

Design the meal plan after asking about her medications: Individualized medical nutrition therapy for a disease is outside the GFI scope of practice.

Recommend a low-carbohydrate supplement she can buy: Recommending supplements to manage a medical condition exceeds scope and may be unsafe.

Share general guidance; refer her to a dietitian: Correct. GFIs can share general, evidence-based guidance (e.g., the Dietary Guidelines) but should refer individualized nutrition for medical conditions to a registered dietitian or her physician.

Tell her that nutrition is not related to exercise performance: This is inaccurate and misses the chance to give appropriate general guidance and referral.

Scope of practice: GFIs educate on general health and fitness, while diagnosis, treatment and individualized medical nutrition therapy belong to licensed professionals.

Answer: D

Give him water and help him sit up slowly: An unresponsive person should not be given fluids or moved to sitting; this delays life-saving care.

Finish the song so the other participants stay calm: Delaying response wastes critical minutes in a possible cardiac arrest.

Phone his emergency contact for his medical history: Contacting family is not the priority while he is unresponsive and not breathing.

Activate EMS, start CPR, and get the AED: Correct. Suspected cardiac arrest calls for immediate EMS activation, high-quality CPR and early defibrillation per the emergency action plan.

Unresponsive and not breathing normally: call EMS and activate the EAP, start CPR, and get the AED. Every minute without CPR or defibrillation lowers survival.