ASCA Certification FAQ

Coaches may take ASCA courses in any order they choose, however, to be ASCA Certified, you must complete the prior Certification Levels as prerequisites in order to proceed to the higher levels.

Certifications are applied for on your member profile and then purchased through the ASCA Coaches HQ Store. Active ASCA membership is required to apply and purchase Certification courses.

Certification courses are currently $79 for Level 1 and $70 per course for Levels 2 – 5. Level 3 requires two courses, while Levels 4 and 5 each require six courses selected from the Advanced & Elite Coach Course Catalog.

Yes. Members can access and complete ASCA Certification courses through the ASCA Coaches HQ App, making it easier to continue learning wherever coaching takes you.

Each Level combines specific education requirements with coaching experience and, at the advanced Levels, additional professional development. Visit the Certification Pathway page for the complete Levels 1-5 requirements.

Coaching experience is cumulative. You do not restart the experience clock at each Level: Level 2 requires 6 months, Level 3 requires 12 months, Level 4 requires 24 months, and Level 5 requires 36 months of cumulative coaching experience.

Coaches will self-attest to their coaching experience as part of the Certification process. ASCA may update the verification process as the new member-system workflow continues to develop.

Level 4 requires Levels 1 –  3 Certification, six courses of your choosing from the Advanced & Elite Coach Course Catalog, three ASCA Live sessions completed as part of the Level 4 pathway, and 24 months of cumulative coaching experience. The ASCA Lives must be completed after the application is approved to earn credit for each Level.

Level 5 requires Levels 1 – 4 Certification, six additional courses of your choosing from the Advanced & Elite Coach Course Catalog, three additional ASCA Live sessions, one qualifying in-person ASCA clinic or event, and 36 months of cumulative coaching experience. The ASCA Lives must be completed after the application is approved to earn credit for each Level.

No. Level 5 requires six additional Advanced & Elite Coach courses. Coaches completing both Levels will complete 12 advanced courses in total.

No. Each advanced Level requires three new ASCA Live sessions completed as part of that Level’s pathway. The three sessions used for Level 4 cannot also be used toward Level 5.

ASCA Live sessions must be attended live to receive Certification credit. If the scheduled dates or times make live attendance difficult based on your location/time zone, please contact the ASCA Education team at education@swimmingcoach.org. We’ll work with you to develop a plan that fits your schedule.

Level 5 requires participation in one qualifying in-person ASCA clinic or event. Additional details about qualifying opportunities will be provided as needed.

No. Levels 1-5 no longer require ACEs and will not be tracked beginning November 2026. ACEs that were earned prior to October 1, 2026 will be tracked in your profile as legacy Education Credits.

It is ASCA’s growing library of approved advanced education for Level 4 and Level 5 coaches. Topics may include physiology, planning, writing and managing age group & novice workouts, advanced strength and conditioning, stroke analysis, mental and emotional preparation, leadership, communication, club management, program development, nutrition, technology and data, career development, marketing and promotion, and other specialized coaching topics. More topics are in development.

Yes. Coaches choose six approved courses for Level 4 and six additional approved courses for Level 5, allowing advanced education to better reflect their coaching responsibilities, interests, and professional goals.

Yes. ASCA will continue expanding the Course Catalog to provide coaches with more choices and new professional-development opportunities.

No. ASCA Professional Certification recognizes your education, coaching experience, and continued professional development. Athlete performance is recognized separately through ASCA’s Performance-Based Coaching Excellence Recognition Program, where eligible coaches can earn 3-Star, 4-Star, and 5-Star recognition.

Professional Certification and athlete-performance recognition are now separate pathways. Visit the Performance-Based Coaching Excellence page to learn how coaching performance and athlete achievement are recognized.

Once all required education, coaching experience, and professional-development requirements for a Level are complete, your ASCA Certification is awarded.

Yes. When your Certification is awarded, you will receive a downloadable certificate and digital Certification badge.

The digital badge provides a visible way to represent the ASCA Certification Level you have earned. Your Certification badge will also appear with your profile in the ASCA Public Member Directory.

Yes. The ASCA Public Member Directory allows employers, clubs, organizations, athletes, families, and others to view member Certification information.

Yes. Active ASCA Membership is required to maintain ASCA Certification. Your ASCA Certification certificates will be downloadable from your member profile.

Yes. ASCA is developing a two-year recertification framework centered on continued professional development. Complete requirements, timelines, activity values, and tracking details will be published as the process is finalized.

Yes. ASCA is a worldwide coaching community, and international coaches can progress through the ASCA Professional Certification pathway.

No. International and U.S. coaches follow the same education Certification pathway and receive the same ASCA Certification upon completion.

Some countries and regions have established ASCA partnership pathways for membership, clinics, or coach education. Visit the International Coaches page for partnership information and guidance specific to your location.

Yes. ASCA offers specialty education and Certification opportunities beyond the core Professional Certification pathway. Current offerings include Strength & Conditioning and Swimming Performance Analyst.

The ASCA Classroom is part of the ASCA Coaches HQ, and where coaches complete Certification and professional education courses, from their desktop or from the Coaches HQ mobile app.

The ASCA Coaches HQ App is the mobile home of the ASCA member experience, bringing education, coaching resources, and community together on your phone.

Members can access ASCA Classroom courses, the Technique Video Library, Performance & Data Library, ASCA Live recordings, the ASCA Coaches HQ Podcast, Blog, Archived Articles, the Coaching Deck Online Community, Workout Exchange, and other member resources.

Yes. Members can access and complete ASCA Classroom courses from their phone, see what they have completed, and easily pick up where they left off.

Contact the ASCA Education team at education@swimmingcoach.org for help.