- What "24 Domains" Actually Means for This Certification
- Exam Format, Fees, and Deadlines That Shape Your Study Plan
- Domains 1-7: The Science Foundation
- Domains 8-10: Assessment and Program Design
- Domains 11-17: Exercise Selection and Technique
- Domains 18-20: Periodization, Cardio, and Recovery
- Domains 21-24: Nutrition, Supplements, Psychology, Practice
- Sequencing the 24 Domains Across Your Study Weeks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The 24 domains mirror the 24 chapters of ISSA's Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition (2020) course text.
- These are unweighted curriculum chapters, not published exam objectives, so study all 24 rather than guessing at percentages.
- The final is online, open-book, and open-note, with two free attempts and a USD 99 fee per attempt after that.
- Verify the passing threshold displayed in your own enrolled final; ISSA sources cite 75% per section, but course-level confirmation is required.
What "24 Domains" Actually Means for This Certification
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) credential on this site corresponds to the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) strength and conditioning specialization, which ISSA currently markets as its Strength and Conditioning Certification. The 24 content areas in this guide come from the complete table of contents of the course's official text, Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition (copyright 2020), which ISSA's public sample identifies as the official course text. ISSA's bookstore still lists that second edition.
Be precise about what these 24 areas are. They are curriculum chapters. ISSA has not published an official exam-domain count, percentage weights, or a statement that the final exam covers the chapters exhaustively or in proportion. Any study resource that assigns percentages to these areas is guessing. The honest approach is to treat all 24 as testable and to let the course's own quizzes show you where your gaps are. For the broader picture of what the credential is, see What Is CSCC Certification?
Exam Format, Fees, and Deadlines That Shape Your Study Plan
Before diving into the chapters, understand the format, because it changes how you should study. The CSCC final is delivered online, at home, and is open-book and open-note. That sounds easy, but open-book exams reward a different skill than memorization: you must know the material well enough to find and apply the right concept quickly, and to reason through scenario-style questions rather than recite definitions.
| Item | What the Sources Say |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Online, at home, open-book and open-note |
| Gate to the final | All course quizzes must be completed and passed first |
| Time limit | None on saving and resuming; the average completion estimate is not a timer |
| Attempts | Two free attempts during enrollment |
| Additional attempts | USD 99 each; immediate retakes allowed |
| Passing score | ISSA's FAQ and terms cite at least 75% in each section; confirm the requirement displayed in your own final |
| Course completion period | FAQ cites eight months for specialization courses; check your portal deadline |
| Package price | USD 639 one-time, including course and final; a 5% administrative and technology fee and tax may apply |
| Question count / pass rate | Not verified for this specialization |
Two details deserve emphasis. First, the "75% in each section" language matters: if the threshold applies per section, a strong score in one area will not rescue a weak one. That is a reason to study evenly across all 24 areas. Second, the course-completion window is a deadline for finishing the course, not a countdown on the exam itself. For a deeper treatment of scoring, read CSCC Passing Score 2026, and for the full cost picture, see CSCC Certification Cost 2026.
Domains 1-7: The Science Foundation
The first seven domains build the scientific vocabulary the rest of the course assumes. ISSA's product summary highlights sports science and biomechanics as a pillar of the curriculum, and these chapters are where that lives. Candidates who rush through them tend to struggle later when programming questions quietly depend on physiology.
Domain 1: Introduction to Strength and Conditioning
Frames the profession, its goals, and the vocabulary used throughout the text.
- Learn the terminology precisely; later chapters reuse it without redefining it
- Understand the role of the coach versus other fitness professionals
Domain 2: Nervous System
How the body recruits muscle and adapts to training stress.
- Motor unit recruitment and why early strength gains are often neural
- Proprioception and how it links to movement quality and injury risk
Domain 3: Muscular System
Muscle structure, fiber characteristics, and contraction mechanics.
- Fiber type differences and how they relate to power versus endurance work
- Contraction types and how they appear in exercise selection
Domain 4: Skeletal System and Joint Actions
Bones, joints, and the movements each joint can produce.
- Joint actions by plane of motion
- Matching a movement to the joint actions and muscles that drive it
Domain 5: Cardio Respiratory and Support Systems
Heart, lungs, and circulation as the delivery system for training.
- Acute responses versus chronic adaptations to training
- How support systems limit or enable performance
Domain 6: Bioenergetics
How the body produces ATP across different effort durations.
- Energy system contributions by intensity and duration
- Why work-to-rest ratios depend on which system you are targeting
Domain 7: Biomechanics
The mechanical principles behind efficient and safe movement.
- Levers, force, and torque as they apply to lifting
- How technique changes alter joint loading
A common mistake is treating Domains 2 through 7 as memorization hurdles. Questions derived from them usually test application: given an athlete and a goal, which energy system, joint action, or mechanical principle explains or solves the situation? Practice linking each concept to a training decision.
Domains 8-10: Assessment and Program Design
These three domains are the hinge of the course. They convert scientific knowledge into what a coach actually does: evaluate an athlete, then design a plan from the results. Because later chapters (exercises, periodization, recovery) all assume you can do this, mastery here pays compounding returns.
Domain 8: General Assessments
Screening and baseline evaluation before programming begins.
- What each assessment measures and what its results should change in a program
- Functional movement screening ties directly to ISSA's injury-prevention emphasis
Domain 9: Performance Assessments
Testing athletic qualities such as strength, power, speed, and agility.
- Choosing an appropriate test for the quality you want to measure
- Using results to track progress, which connects to the curriculum's performance-tracking theme
Domain 10: Principles of Program Design
The rules that govern how training variables are manipulated.
- Specificity, overload, progression, and individualization
- Manipulating volume, intensity, frequency, and rest to reach a defined goal
Key Takeaway
Domain 10 is the most reusable chapter in the course. If you can explain why a program is built the way it is, you can reason through nearly any scenario question in Domains 11 through 20, even when the specific exercise is unfamiliar.
Domains 11-17: Exercise Selection and Technique
This block is the largest by sheer content volume: seven domains spanning flexibility, plyometrics, core, lower body, upper body, Olympic-style lifting, and resistance training systems. Expect questions that ask you to select, modify, or sequence exercises for a stated goal or limitation.
Mobility and Explosive Work
Domain 11: Flexibility
Methods for improving and maintaining range of motion.
- Distinguish static, dynamic, and other stretching approaches and when each fits
- Know which methods suit a warm-up versus recovery
Domain 12: Plyometric Exercises
Reactive, high-force movements that develop power.
- Progressing from low-impact to high-impact drills safely
- Prerequisite strength and landing mechanics before advanced jumps
Region-Specific and Technical Lifting
Domain 13: Core Exercises
Trunk stability and force transfer.
- Stability versus movement-based core training
Domains 14 and 15: Lower-Body and Upper-Body Exercises
Exercise technique, muscle emphasis, and progressions for each region.
- Cues, common faults, and regressions
- Matching variations to goals and athlete limitations
Domain 16: Power and Olympic-Style Weight Lifting
Technically demanding lifts used to build explosive power.
- Phases of the major lifts and common technique errors
- When to teach, regress, or substitute these lifts
Domain 17: Resistance Training Systems
Organized methods for structuring sets, reps, and loading.
- Understand what each system emphasizes and the trade-offs involved
- Match a system to a training goal and experience level
Because the exam is open-book, you will not be penalized for needing to look up a specific cue. You will be penalized for not recognizing which chapter holds the answer. Build a mental index: when a question mentions landing mechanics, you should know to go to Domain 12; when it mentions bar path, Domain 16.
Domains 18-20: Periodization, Cardio, and Recovery
These domains cover long-term planning and the physiological counterweight to hard training. ISSA's product page names periodization and performance tracking, speed, agility, and recovery programming, and injury prevention as core outcomes, and this is where the curriculum delivers them.
Domain 18: Applying Periodization
Organizing training across time to peak performance and manage fatigue.
- Macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles and how they nest
- How to change variables across phases to avoid plateaus
Domain 19: Cardiorespiratory Programming
Designing conditioning work that fits the athlete's sport and goals.
- Steady-state versus interval approaches
- Balancing conditioning with strength work to limit interference
Domain 20: Recovery and Injury Prevention
Managing fatigue and reducing risk.
- Recovery strategies and how to schedule them
- Recognizing overtraining and adjusting load
Domains 21-24: Nutrition, Supplements, Psychology, Practice
The final four domains round out the coach as a professional. They are easy to underestimate because they feel less technical, but if the 75%-per-section language applies to your final, a neglected section can sink an otherwise strong attempt.
Domain 21: Nutrition
Fueling training, recovery, and body-composition goals.
- Macronutrient roles in performance and recovery
- The coach's scope: what guidance is appropriate versus what requires a dietitian
Domain 22: Supplementation
Evaluating supplements critically.
- Evidence quality, safety concerns, and regulatory limits
- Staying within scope when clients ask about products
Domain 23: Performance Psychology
Mental factors that influence training and competition.
- Motivation, goal setting, focus, and arousal regulation
- Applying psychological strategies in coaching conversations
Domain 24: Professional Practice
Ethics, scope, and running a coaching practice.
- Professional boundaries and when to refer out
- Documentation, communication, and client relationships
Professional Practice also connects to what comes after the exam. If you are weighing the career side, see CSCC Jobs and Is the CSCC Certification Worth It?
Sequencing the 24 Domains Across Your Study Weeks
Rather than reading chapters in order and hoping retention holds, sequence them by dependency. Domain 10 (program design) is the keystone, so front-load the science that supports it and the assessments that feed it, then attach exercise content once the logic is secure. The timeline below assumes the course quizzes are completed along the way, since they must be passed before the final unlocks.
Science Foundation (Domains 1-7)
- Pair each system with a training implication
- Pass the related chapter quizzes before moving on
Assess and Design (Domains 8-10)
- Practice writing a program from a sample assessment profile
Exercise Content (Domains 11-17)
- Build a chapter index so you can locate answers quickly in open-book conditions
Long-Term Planning and Recovery (Domains 18-20)
- Draft a full periodized plan for one athlete
Professional Domains (Domains 21-24)
- Review scope-of-practice boundaries carefully
Adjust the pacing to your enrollment window, and check your portal for the actual deadline. For a fuller strategy, read the CSCC Study Guide 2026, keep the CSCC Cheat Sheet handy for last-minute review, and use the practice tests to find weak domains early. Candidates who want realistic expectations can also read How Hard Is the CSCC Exam? and CSCC Pass Rate 2026, which explains why no program-specific pass rate has been verified.
Key Takeaway
Open-book does not mean no-study. Because there is no verified question count or weighting, the safest plan is even coverage of all 24 domains, with extra repetition on Domains 10 and 18, where reasoning matters more than recall. Test yourself with timed practice questions before you open the final.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They are the 24 chapters of ISSA's Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition (2020) course text. ISSA has not published an exam-domain count, percentage weights, or a statement that the final covers every chapter exhaustively, so study all 24 evenly.
Yes. The product is described as an online, at-home, open-book, open-note final. You must first complete and pass all course quizzes, and you can save and resume without a time limit. Knowing where concepts live in the text still matters for scenario questions.
Enrollment includes two free attempts. Retakes are available immediately, and each attempt beyond the two included costs USD 99. See the CSCC Exam Dates guide for scheduling and deadline details.
ISSA's FAQ and general terms cite at least 75% in each section of specialization exams. However, the Help Center directs students to the requirement displayed in their own final, so confirm the operative threshold inside your enrolled course.
With no published weights, avoid skipping any area, since a per-section threshold could penalize a weak one. If you must prioritize depth, start with Domain 10 (Principles of Program Design) and Domain 18 (Applying Periodization), because they support reasoning across many other chapters.