Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sport, Fitness and Personal Training

If your goals are to work in gyms and health club settings, be self-employed with private clients, or aspire to be the next big fitness influencer like Joe Wicks, this qualification will get you closer to your goals.

The BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, Fitness and Personal Training is a two-year course that is equivalent to three A levels which carries associated UCAS points for university entrance; the programme is aimed at students who wish to progress into a career in personal training and the wider sports and fitness industry at the conclusion of their studies.

This is a career-focused qualification with industry endorsement and accreditation. It enables studentsto develop underpinning knowledge and technical skills and to gain experience. It is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), which has confirmed that the qualification is fully mapped to its professional standards.

The course is 100% internally assessed through coursework-based units over the two years which aim to provide learners with opportunities to sample a wide range of specialist areas within both personal training and general sports science topics. This will allow you to develop the knowledge and practical skills that will help you to progress into employment in personal training and the wider sports industry or progress on to several higher education courses related to the sports industry.

Each unit is split into several assignments which aim to assess your understanding of a variety of criteria, and are graded as pass, merit, or distinction. After completing each unit, each grade is added to a total which will give you your final grade profile.

The mandatory content (listed below) allows students to develop their technical skills, supported by underpinning knowledge, and gives students the opportunity to relate this to realistic work situations. This prepares learners to act independently as instructors and gives them the skills, expertise and confidence to lead exercise sessions.

Students will complete optional units which will allow learners to increase their breadth of understanding of working in the sports industry. For example, how to deal with sports injuries and nutrition to support the mental health and progress of participants, fitness testing to assess the fitness of participants, and technical skills to develop participants’ techniques.

More than just a course: This is a career-focused qualification with industry endorsement and accreditation. Students will have the opportunity to visit leading industry establishments such as Pure Gym, guest speaker visits including Gym Managers, Nutritionists, employment agencies specific to Personal Training and Fitness, online providers, local sports coaching companies and fitness and training providers such as Les Mills.

It enables students to develop an underpinning knowledge, technical skills and to gain experience in order to secure employment as a Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, exercise class instructor, Sports Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy, Strength and Conditioning Coach with a range of different sports clubs, Physical Training Instructor with the military or into teaching and education.