- What the Five Domains Are (and Are Not)
- How the 106-Question Exam Is Built
- Domain 1: Biomechanics
- Domain 2: Running Technique
- Domain 3: Gait Analysis
- Domain 4: Injury Prevention
- Domain 5: Movement Retraining
- The Issuer's Four Study Groupings
- Open Book, One Sitting, No Going Back
- Sequencing the Domains in Your Prep
- Eligibility, Fees, Retakes and Renewal
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam has 106 questions (90 scored, 16 unscored), a 90-minute limit, and a 75% passing requirement.
- The five domains reflect the issuer's master-course preparation topics; no percentage weights are published for them.
- The exam is open book, but you must finish in one sitting with no returning to earlier questions.
- Formats include Video Analysis, Basic Drills, matching, and a Running 101 keyword-completion essay.
What the Five Domains Are (and Are Not)
The Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), issued by Romanov Academy of Sports Science (the issuer styles its name "Romanov Academy of Sport Science" publicly), is organized for study purposes around five areas: Biomechanics, Running technique, Gait analysis, Injury prevention, and Movement retraining. Those five headings come from the preparation topics named in the issuer's master-course description, which states that the course prepares candidates for this exact certification.
It is worth being precise about what that means. These five areas are an unweighted preparation curriculum. They are not an official exam blueprint, and the issuer has not published percentage weights for any of them. Anyone telling you that "Domain 3 is 30% of the exam" is inventing a number. If you want the broader context on what the credential is before diving into content areas, start with our explainer on what CRTS-PM certification is.
How the 106-Question Exam Is Built
The verified structure is simple to state: 106 questions in total, of which 90 are scored and 16 are unscored, in a 90-minute window, with a 75% passing requirement. The unscored items are not identified to you while you test, so treat every question as if it counts.
The issuer's published formats and categories include:
- True/false
- Matching
- Multiple choice
- Basic Drills
- Video Analysis
- A Running 101 keyword-completion essay
One caution: the issuer's examination page and candidate handbook both state 106 total questions, but their section numbering is inconsistent and they differ on where the unscored items sit. For that reason, this article does not claim a per-section question count or tell you which positions are unscored. Anyone publishing a neat table of "questions per domain" for this exam is going beyond what the sources support. For a deeper look at the numbers that matter, see our page on the CRTS-PM passing score.
Domain 1: Biomechanics
Biomechanics
This is the conceptual foundation. The issuer's materials open with Pose Method concepts and the role of gravity in running, and nearly everything else in the exam builds on that framing.
- The core Pose Method concepts and vocabulary, including how the method frames running as a skill built on a body falling forward under gravity
- Gravity as the primary driving force rather than muscular push-off
- Muscle-tendon elasticity and how elastic storage and return relates to efficient movement
- Range of motion and how it shapes what a runner can and cannot do technically
What makes this domain tricky is the terminology. Candidates who have only run casually, or who learned running mechanics through another school of thought, often confuse the Pose Method's definitions with mainstream gait vocabulary. In a keyword-completion essay, a near-synonym is not the same as the correct term. Build a personal glossary early and keep it in your notes, which you are allowed to use during the exam.
Domain 2: Running Technique
Running Technique
This domain covers the observable mechanics of how a runner moves, and it is where the issuer's "TECHNIQUE" study grouping lives.
- Cadence: what it is, why it matters, and how it interacts with stride length
- Stride length: how it should be understood as an outcome of other variables rather than something forced
- Overstriding: how to recognize it and why the method treats it as a technique problem
- Muscle-tendon elasticity: how technique choices help or hinder elastic function
- The Pose, Fall and Pull sequence: the method's core movement framework, which you should be able to describe in your own words
Expect this domain to surface in multiple formats at once. A multiple-choice item might ask about cadence conceptually, while a Basic Drills item asks you to match a drill to the technique element it develops. Studying the same idea in both its conceptual and its applied form pays off. Our CRTS-PM study guide walks through how to build that dual understanding.
Domain 3: Gait Analysis
Gait analysis maps most directly to the Video Analysis format and to the issuer's "VIDEO ANALYSIS" study grouping, which is described as running-assessment examples. This is the domain where memorization alone fails, because you are asked to look at running and make a judgment.
Gait Analysis
Skills the Video Analysis format rewards:
- Identifying where in the stride cycle a frame or clip sits
- Spotting overstriding and other technique faults from visual cues
- Linking an observed fault back to the underlying Pose Method principle
- Describing what you see using the method's terminology rather than generic language
Domain 4: Injury Prevention
Injury prevention connects technique to consequences. In the Pose Method framing, many overuse problems are treated as downstream effects of how the runner moves, so this domain is less about a catalog of injuries and more about reasoning from mechanics to risk.
Injury Prevention
Topics to be able to reason through:
- How overstriding and poor load handling relate to stress on the body
- Why range of motion limitations can force compensations
- How technique changes are introduced gradually rather than all at once
- The boundary of your role: a technique specialist is not a medical provider, and recognizing when to refer out is part of professional standards
That last point matters. The candidate agreement and professional standards you accept as part of eligibility set expectations for how credential holders behave, so expect the exam's framing to emphasize responsible scope rather than clinical diagnosis. If you are weighing whether this credential suits your career plans, our ROI analysis of the CRTS-PM covers that decision without inventing earnings figures.
Domain 5: Movement Retraining
Movement retraining is where knowledge becomes coaching. This domain lines up with the Basic Drills format: knowing which drill develops which element of technique, and how to progress a runner from a flawed pattern toward a better one.
Movement Retraining
What candidates should be able to do:
- Match drills to the specific technique element each one targets
- Sequence drills sensibly from simple to complex
- Connect a gait-analysis finding to an appropriate corrective drill
- Explain the purpose of a drill, not only its mechanics
A useful self-test: pick any technique fault from Domain 2 or 3, then write down the drill you would assign, the principle it trains, and what you would look for to confirm improvement. If you can do that fluently across several faults, you are covering Domains 2, 3 and 5 together, which is exactly how the exam tends to blend them.
The Issuer's Four Study Groupings
Separate from the five-domain framing, the issuer's public study-material page organizes preparation into four groupings. They are an alternative way to slice the same territory, not a hidden second exam blueprint, and they do not add up to a nine-domain structure.
| Study Grouping | What It Contains | Closest Domain Fit |
|---|---|---|
| FOUNDATION | Pose Method concepts and gravity | Biomechanics |
| TECHNIQUE | Cadence, muscle-tendon elasticity, stride length, range of motion, overstriding | Running technique; overlaps Biomechanics and Injury prevention |
| VIDEO ANALYSIS | Running-assessment examples | Gait analysis |
| ETC. | The issuer's push-off discussion | Cuts across Technique and Movement retraining |
Note that the mapping above is an editorial convenience for organizing your own notes. The issuer does not publish a crosswalk between its groupings and the five domains, and neither list is confirmed as exhaustive of exam coverage. Only the public course description and public study materials were reviewed for this guide, not the full paid master course, so use them as a floor for your preparation rather than a ceiling.
Open Book, One Sitting, No Going Back
The exam is open book. The certification portal expressly permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet, and the issuer's resources page also permits notes and printouts. That sounds like a gift, but two features of the format blunt it.
- Proctoring still applies. The portal describes AI and live proctoring on your computer. Open-book access does not waive proctoring or confidentiality rules.
- Navigation is one-way. You complete the exam in a single sitting and cannot return to earlier questions, change previous answers, or skip or flag items for later review.
Key Takeaway
Open book helps you look up a definition, not rescue a rushed answer. With 106 questions in 90 minutes and no backtracking, organize your notes by topic so you can find an answer in seconds, and commit to each answer before moving on.
Because Video Analysis and keyword-completion items cannot be searched the way a definition can, the people who struggle most are those who treat open book as a substitute for preparation. For a frank look at how the format affects difficulty, read how hard the CRTS-PM exam really is.
Sequencing the Domains in Your Prep
The five domains build on each other, so the order you study them matters more than any generic technique. A sensible progression:
Biomechanics
- Learn Pose Method concepts and gravity
- Start your glossary of exact terminology
- Study muscle-tendon elasticity and range of motion
Running technique
- Cadence, stride length and overstriding
- Practice explaining the Pose, Fall and Pull sequence aloud
- Review the push-off discussion from the ETC. grouping
Gait analysis and injury prevention
- Narrate silent running footage using method vocabulary
- Trace faults to injury risk and scope-of-practice limits
Movement retraining and full-length practice
- Match drills to technique elements
- Take timed practice runs on the CRTS-PM practice test site with no backtracking
- Rehearse writing keyword-completion answers
The timeline is a suggestion, not an issuer requirement. Adjust it to your background: a runner new to the Pose Method may need extra time on Week 1, while an experienced coach may compress it. The reasoning behind the order is what counts, since Domain 3 video questions are far easier once Domains 1 and 2 give you the vocabulary to describe what you see. Our CRTS-PM cheat sheet is a handy companion for compiling the notes you will bring into the exam.
Eligibility, Fees, Retakes and Renewal
Who Can Sit the Exam
Formal eligibility requires being 18 or older, holding a high-school diploma or equivalent, providing two forms of identification, and accepting the candidate agreement and professional standards. Marketing copy that says "Prerequisites None" does not override those requirements. There is also an unresolved discrepancy worth knowing about: the current certification portal asks for one valid ID, while the formal eligibility page requires two. Plan for two to avoid a problem on exam day. The full picture is in our CRTS-PM requirements guide.
What the Verified Numbers Are
| Item | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Master-course training | Recommended; its 20 contact hours describe training time, not exam time |
| Military Running seminar route | USD 890, requiring a two-day seminar and the exam within 30 days afterward |
| Retake after first failure | Immediate second attempt is free |
| Retake after two failures | 30-day wait before the third attempt |
| Attempt after three unsuccessful tries | USD 125, within the one-year application window |
| Certification validity | Five years |
| Recertification package | USD 295, including required webinars |
Military candidates should check funding against their own branch, program and approved start date; no universal funding entitlement or reimbursement amount is established here. For the full cost picture, see the CRTS-PM certification cost breakdown, and for timing questions, the exam dates and deadlines guide.
Renewal
Recertification requires active practice, the required continuing education, and a recertification exam. You may renew before expiration or within 30 days afterward. The handbook identifies Level 1 but does not supply a dated revision, so there is no basis for calling this a "2026 exam version"; the year in our headline reflects when this guide was verified (October 5, 2026), not an exam edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The five domains reproduce preparation topics from the issuer's master-course description and are unweighted. Neither the course description nor the study-material page publishes percentage weights, and neither is confirmed as an exhaustive exam blueprint.
There are 106 questions in total: 90 scored and 16 unscored. You have 90 minutes and need 75% to pass. The unscored questions are not identified for you, so answer every item carefully.
Yes, the portal permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet. However, proctoring and confidentiality rules still apply, and you cannot return to earlier questions, change prior answers, or flag items for review.
After a first failure, an immediate second attempt is free. After two failures, you wait 30 days before the third attempt. After three unsuccessful attempts, another attempt costs USD 125 within the stated one-year application window.
No certification-wide pass rate or certification-specific salary premium has been published or verified, so none is claimed here. For a realistic view of coaching income without invented numbers, see our earnings analysis and the pass-rate discussion.
The strongest preparation treats the five domains as one connected skill: understand the mechanics, recognize them in motion, spot the faults, assess the risk, and prescribe the retraining. When you are ready to test that integration under timed conditions, work through the practice questions at the CRTS-PM Exam Prep home page.