- What the Letters Spell Out
- Why Two Credentials Share the Acronym
- Who Issues This Credential
- What the Title Implies About Your Skills
- The Five Curriculum Headings Behind the Name
- The Exam Behind the Name
- Eligibility, Fees, and Retakes
- Validity and Renewal
- Using the Title in Practice
- A Short Preparation Plan Tied to the Curriculum
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CRTS-PM here means Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), the Level 1 credential from Romanov Academy of Sports Science.
- The exam has 106 questions (90 scored, 16 unscored), a 90-minute limit, and a 75% passing requirement.
- It is open book, but you move forward only: no returning, changing answers, or flagging items.
- Certification lasts five years; recertification needs active practice, continuing education, and a recertification exam.
What the Letters Spell Out
If you are searching for the CRTS-PM meaning, the answer is short: Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method). Each piece of the name carries information:
- Certified means the title is earned by passing an issuer-administered exam, not self-declared.
- Running Technique Specialist describes the scope: how a person runs, not general fitness programming or race-day strategy.
- (Pose Method) names the specific running-technique system the credential is built on.
The issuer publicly abbreviates this credential as simply "CRTS." The "-PM" suffix on this site and in the domain you are reading is retained exactly as supplied. It signals the Pose Method qualifier, so a reader can tell which technique system sits behind the title.
For a broader overview of the credential itself, see our explainer on what CRTS-PM is, or the companion pages on what CRTS-PM stands for and what CRTS-PM means.
Why Two Credentials Share the Acronym
Running education has more than one credential with a nearly identical name. This is the single most common source of confusion for candidates, so it is worth stating plainly: the credential covered here is not The Running School's similarly named certification. The two come from different organizations, are taught through different materials, and are examined by different bodies.
The same caution applies to the marketing page at posemethod.com/certification, which conflicts with the issuer's formal exam, handbook, and eligibility pages on several points. When a detail differs, the issuer's own exam and handbook pages are the authoritative reference. That includes the formal eligibility rules you will see summarized in our CRTS-PM requirements guide.
Who Issues This Credential
The governing body is the Romanov Academy of Sports Science, which publicly styles its name "Romanov Academy of Sport Science." You may see both spellings on official pages; they refer to the same issuer. The selected credential is the issuer's Level 1 Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method).
Testing is administered by the issuer on the Romanov Academy online certification portal, which describes AI and live proctoring on the candidate's own computer. In other words, you sit the exam at home or in an office, but you are monitored while you do it.
| Element | What it means for CRTS-PM |
|---|---|
| Credential name | Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), Level 1 |
| Issuer | Romanov Academy of Sports Science (also styled Sport Science) |
| Public abbreviation | CRTS (the "-PM" form is retained as supplied) |
| Delivery | Online portal with AI and live proctoring |
| Not to be confused with | The Running School's similarly named credential |
What the Title Implies About Your Skills
A certification title is only useful if it maps to something you can do. The "Running Technique Specialist" part of the name points toward a practitioner who can watch someone run, name what is happening in their mechanics, and coach a change. The curriculum headings and exam formats point the same direction.
That skill set shows up in three practical activities:
- Assessing a runner's form, including from video.
- Explaining Pose Method concepts in plain language.
- Prescribing drills that move the runner toward better technique.
The exam reflects this: published formats include Basic Drills and Video Analysis categories alongside true/false, matching, and multiple choice, plus a Running 101 keyword-completion essay. A candidate who has only memorized definitions will find those formats uncomfortable.
The Five Curriculum Headings Behind the Name
The five domain headings used on this site come from the preparation topics named in the issuer's master-course description, which states that the course prepares candidates for this exact certification. They are an unweighted preparation curriculum, not an official exam blueprint and not an exhaustive list of what can appear on the test. No percentage weights are published for them.
Domain 1: Biomechanics
The foundation of the Pose Method: how the body interacts with gravity and moves.
- Pose Method concepts and the role of gravity
- Muscle-tendon elasticity as a feature of efficient running
Domain 2: Running technique
The measurable elements of how a runner moves.
- Cadence and stride length
- Range of motion
- Overstriding and how it differs from efficient mechanics
Domain 3: Gait analysis
Reading what you observe in a runner.
- Running-assessment examples, including video-based review
- Connecting observed movement to the technique concepts above
Domain 4: Injury prevention
Why technique matters beyond speed.
- Recognizing technique patterns that load the body poorly
- Using technique concepts to explain why a change may help
Domain 5: Movement retraining
Turning analysis into practice.
- Basic drills that build the target movement
- Push-off discussion and related corrective ideas
The issuer's separate public study-material page organizes the same territory differently, under four groupings: FOUNDATION (Pose Method concepts and gravity), TECHNIQUE (cadence, muscle-tendon elasticity, stride length, range of motion, and overstriding), VIDEO ANALYSIS (running-assessment examples), and ETC. (the push-off discussion). Treat the two lists as alternate ways to organize the same material rather than two competing exam structures. Only the public course description and public study materials were reviewed for this article, not the full paid master course, so neither list should be read as complete exam coverage. For a deeper walk-through of the five areas, see our complete guide to the CRTS-PM exam domains.
The Exam Behind the Name
The credential is earned by passing one exam with these verified parameters:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 106 |
| Scored / unscored | 90 scored, 16 unscored |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing requirement | 75% |
| Question formats | True/false, matching, multiple choice, Basic Drills, Video Analysis, Running 101 keyword-completion essay |
| Reference materials | Open book: personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet are permitted |
| Navigation | One sitting; no returning to earlier questions, changing answers, skipping, or flagging |
The 106 total is what the issuer's exam page and handbook agree on. Those documents contain inconsistent section numbering and differ on where the unscored items sit, so this article does not reproduce a per-section question count and does not claim you can identify the 16 unscored items by position. You will not know which questions are unscored while you test, so answer every item as though it counts.
Because you cannot revisit answers, pacing matters. Our guides on how hard the CRTS-PM exam is and the CRTS-PM passing score go further into what the 75% requirement means in practice. No certification-wide pass rate is published, so we do not assert one; the CRTS-PM pass rate article explains what can and cannot be said.
Eligibility, Fees, and Retakes
Formal eligibility
The issuer's eligibility page requires that candidates be 18 or older, hold a high-school diploma or equivalent, provide two forms of identification, and accept the candidate agreement and professional standards. You may see the phrase "Prerequisites None" in marketing copy; it does not override these formal requirements.
One detail is genuinely unresolved in the sources: the current certification portal asks for one valid ID, while the formal eligibility page requires two. Rather than guess, plan to have two forms of identification ready and confirm with the issuer before your sitting.
Training versus examination cost
It helps to keep four different costs separate, because they are often blended together in forum posts:
- Training: The issuer recommends its Pose Method of Running master course. Its 20 contact hours describe training time, not exam time.
- Initial exam fee: The USD 890 figure is verified only for the Military Running seminar-linked route, which requires its two-day seminar and the examination within 30 days afterward. It is not a verified universal price for every public candidate.
- Retakes: 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.
- Renewal: The published recertification package is USD 295 and includes required webinars.
Military candidates should note that funding depends on branch, program, and approved start date. No universal funding entitlement, reimbursement amount, or promotion-point award can be assumed. For the full cost picture, see our CRTS-PM certification cost breakdown and the scheduling notes in CRTS-PM exam dates.
Validity and Renewal
Once earned, the certification is valid for five years. Renewal is not automatic. Recertification requires active practice, the required continuing education, and a recertification exam. You may renew before expiration or within 30 days afterward.
That structure tells you something about how the issuer thinks of the title: it is meant to reflect ongoing practice, not a one-time achievement. If you plan to coach, build the renewal timeline into your calendar from the day you pass.
Using the Title in Practice
The credential suits people who work directly with runners: running coaches, personal trainers who add running instruction, physical education teachers, and those in military fitness programs where the seminar-linked route exists. The issuer's military-program pathway is a real feature of how this credential is delivered, though eligibility for any funding must be checked individually.
On income, be careful. There is no verified certification-specific salary premium for this credential, and we do not claim one. A technique credential may help you differentiate your coaching, but earnings depend on your clients, location, and business model. If you are weighing that decision, our analyses of CRTS-PM salary expectations, whether the certification is worth it, and CRTS-PM jobs take a qualitative approach.
If you are comparing credentials, keep the comparison honest: the Pose Method certification is a technique-focused credential, while organizations such as the RRCA offer coaching certification with a different emphasis. They are not interchangeable, and the right choice depends on what you want to teach.
A Short Preparation Plan Tied to the Curriculum
Because the exam is forward-only and time-limited, a plan that mirrors the curriculum order works well. This is one possible sequence; adjust to your background.
Biomechanics foundation
- Learn Pose Method concepts and the role of gravity first, since later topics build on them.
- Draft a one-page note sheet of definitions you can scan quickly during the open-book exam.
Running technique
- Work through cadence, stride length, range of motion, and overstriding.
- Practice explaining each term in your own words.
Gait analysis and video
- Review assessment examples and practice describing what you see before naming the cause.
- Rehearse the Running 101 keyword-completion style by writing short responses from memory.
Injury prevention, retraining, and a timed run-through
- Cover drills and push-off discussion, then take a full timed practice set at roughly the 106-question, 90-minute pace.
- Practice committing to answers without going back.
For a fuller method, read the CRTS-PM study guide, keep the CRTS-PM cheat sheet handy for last-minute review, and use our CRTS-PM practice tests to rehearse the forward-only format under time pressure. If you want a quick overview before diving in, the pages on CRTS-PM certification and CRTS-PM training are good starting points.
Key Takeaway
Practice answering in a single forward pass. Since you cannot flag, skip, or change answers, build the habit of deciding quickly and moving on, using your notes only to confirm details you already half-know.
Frequently Asked Questions
On this site, CRTS-PM stands for Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), the Level 1 credential from Romanov Academy of Sports Science. The issuer publicly abbreviates it as CRTS; the "-PM" form is retained as supplied.
No. The Running School offers a similarly named credential, but it is a different certification from a different organization. Confirm the issuer and the Pose Method connection before buying study materials or registering.
The exam has 106 questions, of which 90 are scored and 16 are unscored, with a 90-minute limit. The passing requirement is 75%. You cannot tell which questions are unscored while testing.
Yes, the portal expressly permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet. However, the exam is still proctored, confidentiality rules apply, and you must answer in one sitting without returning to earlier questions or changing answers.
It is valid for five years. Recertification requires active practice, required continuing education, and a recertification exam, and you may renew before expiration or within 30 days afterward. The published recertification package is USD 295.