So, you have googled “best personal training courses UK” and you have found some providers that look great! Maybe some are marketed as “the best” and others as “the cheapest” – and let’s face it – pretty much every provider markets themselves as the “leading” provider nowadays! But seeing past all this marketing and sales talk, leads us to something much more important – who is the awarding organisation and is it CIMSPA approved!

So, what is an awarding organisation, what is CIMSPA – and why should you care? Well, it’s actually very important, so please do read on!

Awarding organisations and CIMSPA

When it comes to starting your journey in the fitness industry, especially if you're considering becoming a personal trainer, choosing the right course is crucial. But with all the industry jargon and organisations involved, it's easy to get confused — especially when it comes to understanding the roles of an awarding organisation versus CIMSPA.

Let’s break it down clearly so you know exactly what to look for and why it matters.

What Is an Awarding Organisation?

This is a question that at Which Personal Trainer Course, we get asked many times. Read on to find out the answer! An awarding organisation is an organisation that develops, monitors, and maintains the quality of qualifications. In the fitness education sector, these are the organisations responsible for creating and overseeing the certifications and qualifications you'll receive when you complete your personal trainer course.

Key Roles of an Awarding Organisation:

• Develop course syllabus, learning outcomes and assessment criteria
• Ensure the qualification meets professional standards
• Certify learners who pass assessments and achieve their qualification
• Maintain quality assurance across training providers

Why Is This Important?

Choosing a course that’s accredited by a reputable awarding organisation is essential because:

• It ensures the qualification is recognised across the UK (and often internationally).
• It gives employers confidence in the quality and consistency of your training.
• It helps you access insurance and professional memberships after qualifying.

Reputable Awarding Organisations in the Fitness Industry

Now you know what an awarding organsisation is, your next question is probably “Who are the Reputable Awarding Organisations in the Fitness Industry?”. When shopping around for personal trainer courses, check that they are certified by one of the following reputable awarding organisations:

• Active IQ – One of the UK’s most recognised and respected fitness and wellness specialist awarding organisations, which operates in the UK and internationally.
• YMCA Awards – Established and widely accepted, especially in gym and health club settings.
• Focus Awards – Offers a wide range of fitness qualifications, often used by newer or online providers.
• Transcend Awards – A newer awarding organisation with a growing reputation in the fitness education space.
• Innovate Awarding – Focused on delivering high-quality vocational qualifications.
• VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable Trust) – Offers qualifications in both fitness and beauty, known for rigorous quality standards.

All the above are CIMSPA partner awarding organisations, all of whom award qualifications that follow the CIMSPA professional standards.

If you are unsure if an awarding organisation is recognized, please check this directly with CIMSPA. Do not proceed just because you may simply see the CIMSPA logo (as there are reports of illicit use of the CIMSPA logo out there, so please do be careful).

What Is CIMSPA?

Another question we get asked regularly is “What is CIMSPA?” or you may be wondering what the importance of CIMSPA is. Well, let us explain more. CIMSPA stands for the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. Unlike awarding organisations, CIMSPA doesn’t award qualifications.

Instead, CIMSPA is the professional development organisation for the UK fitness and sport sector. Its job is to set the professional standards that qualifications and training providers should meet.

The awarding organisation then takes these standards and packages them into a qualification. This qualification is then delivered by training providers.

Key Roles of CIMSPA:

• Sets industry-recognised professional standards
• Endorses qualifications and training providers that meet those standards
• Supports ongoing professional development in the sector
• Maintains a register of qualified fitness professionals

Awarding Organisation vs CIMSPA: What’s the Difference?

Below is a helpful table to summarise the difference.

In essence:

• Awarding organisations create and manage the qualifications and make them available for training providers to deliver.
• CIMSPA creates and manages the standards that those qualifications must meet.

Why Both Matter When Choosing a Personal Trainer Course

When selecting a personal training course, it’s essential to make sure:

• The qualification is issued by a CIMSPA partner awarding organisation e.g. Active IQ or YMCA.
• The qualification is CIMSPA-endorsed, meaning it meets the national professional standard.
• The Training Provider is a CIMSPA endorsed Training Provider Partner.

If your course ticks all three boxes, you’ll graduate with a qualification that’s:

• Respected by employers
• Fully insurable
• Recognised by CIMSPA
• A strong foundation for further career development

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right fitness qualification isn’t just about price or how fast you can complete it. Understanding the difference between an awarding organisation and CIMSPA ensures you don’t waste time or money on courses that won’t take your career where you want it to go.

Look for a course that is certified by a reputable, CIMSPA-partnered awarding organisation (like Active IQ, YMCA Awards) and leads to a CIMSPA endorsed qualification — and you’ll be on your way to a respected, rewarding career in the fitness industry.

So, in a nutshell, make a check list to make sure that the course you choose is properly accredited, it can make all the difference!

All training providers that work with WPTC are partnered with reputable awarding organisations and endorsed by CIMSPSA – this ensures that any course you see listed meets the necessary industry quality standards.

To start comparing personal trainer courses please see our compare page. Armed with the knowledge above, you have all the tools to choose the best PT course provider for you!