| Steps
to Becoming a Fitness Leader
Individuals must complete the following steps to become a
BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader. Prior to taking your initial
step, most Fitness Leader candidates enroll in a Fitness Theory
course. A
list of BCRPA approved courses can be found here.
Step
1 |
Pass the BCRPA
Fitness Theory Examination
($70.00 fee)
Exams can be arranged through BCRPA approved Fitness
Theory course conductors, through the BCRPA office or
through special arrangements with an exam proctor.
For more information about the exam follow
this link.
For more information about exam proctoring follow
this link.
If you pass the BCRPA Fitness Theory Examination you
will have one year from your Fitness Theory exam date
to complete steps 2 and 3. If you do not complete these
steps within this year you will need to rewrite the
BCRPA Fitness Theory Examination and pay the $70.00
exam fee again.
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Step
2 |
Obtain CPR and First Aid Certifications
BCRPA Registered Fitness Leaders and registration candidates
are required to have current CPR and First Aid certifications
at all times. These certifications must come from the
following organizations or from companies who are authorized
to provide these certifications by these organizations:
Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, Canadian Ski
Patrol, the Lifesaving Society or the Heart and Stroke
Foundation.
Note: BCRPA does NOT accept online CPR or First
Aid certifications
Fitness Leaders are required to have a minimum of CPR-A
certification and either Emergency First Aid or Standard
First Aid certification.
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Step
3 |
Submit BCRPA Fitness Leader
– Fitness Theory Registration Form ($95.00 fee)
This form can be found
here. Please read through the form and submit all
required paperwork and payments. This must be completed
within one year of your Fitness Theory exam date and
before you register for any specialty module course.
The $95.00 initial registration fee provides you with
one year of registration with BCRPA. You will be sent
a certificate of registration and a wallet card. These
will both list your registration expiration date which
will be one year from your initial registration date.
You have until that date to complete steps 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 and 9. If you do not complete these steps prior
to your registration expiration date, you will have
to repeat all steps from Step 1 again.
Your registration with BCRPA also provides you with
a number of benefits. For a list of benefits, please
go
here.
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Step
4 |
Choose a Specialty Module
After you have received your Fitness Leader –
Fitness Theory certificate you can then register for
one of the following specialty modules: Group Fitness,
Aquatic Fitness, Yoga Fitness, Pilates Fitness, and
Weight Training (a pre-requisite for Personal Training).
For information on the Scope of Practice for specialty
modules click
here.
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Step
5 |
Register for Chosen Specialty
Module with BCRPA Approved Course Provider
For your convenience, the BCRPA maintains an ongoing
list of approved courses across all specialty modules.
Choose a course provider from the list and contact them
for more information about course length, dates, times,
pre-requisites and fees. Let your course provider know
what your registration expiration date is and make sure
that you are choosing a course that allows you sufficient
time to complete all requirements, including document
processing time at the BCRPA office, before you expire.
To see the current course listings, please go
here.
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Step
6 |
Complete All Pre-Requisites
for Enrollment in Selected Specialty Module
There are pre-requisites for each specialty module and
it is your responsibility to make sure you have met
all pre-requisites before beginning your selected specialty
module. Your BCRPA Approved Course Provider should be
able to answer any questions you may have about the
pre-requisites or you can email
a BCRPA staff member directly.
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Step
7 |
Complete all Course Requirements
for that Specialty Module
Approved courses have both classroom theory components
and practical, hands on components. Depending on the
course and/or the instructor, there are quizzes, exams
and projects that must be completed as well. Check with
your Approved BCRPA Course Provider regarding the requirements
for your chosen course.
You will have 120 days from the completion date of your
course to do Steps 7, 8 and 9. Keep in mind that you
also must complete these steps prior to your registration
expiration date.
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Step
8 |
Complete all practicum and
Instructor Competency Evaluation (ICE) Requirements
for that Specialty Module
Following the completion of your specialty module course,
you are provided with 120 days of temporary insurance
in order to complete the practicum requirements for
your chosen module.
To download your ICE Package, go
here.
Please note: If you do not complete all practicum
components and submit all required documentation to
the BCRPA for registration in your new specialty within
120 days of your course completion date as mentioned
in Step 7, you will have to repeat steps 6, 7, 8 and
9 again. If you do not complete all registration steps
in a Specialty Module before the registration expiration
date on your BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader –
Fitness Theory certificate/wallet card, then you will
have to repeat all steps from Step 1. There are no exceptions
to these time limits because of insurance provider policies.
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Step
9 |
Register with BCRPA in Your
Specialty Module
To become registered in your new specialty module, you
must submit proof (copies, not originals) of the following
to BCRPA before your registration expiration date:
- Current BCRPA Registration Certificate in Fitness
Theory
- Current CPR and First Aid Certificates
- Course Completion Certificate in a specialty module
from your course conductor
- Completed ICE package with instructor/evaluator
signatures and dates
- Any examination scores required for your chosen
specialty module
Provided all documents are in order, you will receive
a new BCRPA registration certificate and wallet card
in the mail as well as instructions on how to maintain
your Registration with BCRPA.
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