[Lisa~]

I took the ACE exam a few years before I got my CSCS. In comparing the two, it struck me that the ACE exam is structured to help you pass, to encourage the number of newly certified trainers in the industry. It's multiple choice answers are easy to narrow down to the right answer. Even when you're not sure, you can usually rule out two or three of the four possible answers. The test was easy for this reason. I also agree that the content of the exam isn't really focused on anatomy and biomechanics, as stated above. The questions I missed were all about insurance.

The CSCS, on the other hand, is designed to exclude. You have to really know the answer to a question, because several of the multiple choice possibilities could be right. This is one of the reasons the ACE is not as well respected as a certification.