- The Short Answer: What a CRTS-PM Is
- Two Similar Credentials, Two Different Issuers
- Who Issues It and How the Exam Is Delivered
- What the Exam Actually Looks Like
- The Five Preparation Domains and the Study-Material Groupings
- Open Book, One Pass Forward
- Eligibility, Costs and Retakes
- Validity and Recertification
- Who Uses the Credential and What It Does for Income
- Preparing Sensibly: Which Domain to Tackle When
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CRTS-PM here means Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), a 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 must answer in one sitting with no returning to earlier questions.
- Certification lasts five years; the published recertification package is USD 295 and includes required webinars.
The Short Answer: What a CRTS-PM Is
A CRTS-PM is a person who holds the Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method) credential. It is a Level 1 certification built around the Pose Method of running, a technique-focused system that teaches runners how to move, rather than simply how much to train. The issuer publicly abbreviates the credential as CRTS; the "-PM" suffix on this site simply flags the Pose Method lineage and keeps it distinct from other certifications that share similar initials.
In practical terms, a CRTS-PM holder is someone who has demonstrated knowledge of Pose Method concepts, can break down running form from video, and understands the drills used to retrain a runner's technique. If you want the broader terminology angle, our companion pieces on what CRTS-PM stands for and the CRTS-PM meaning cover the naming in more detail.
Two Similar Credentials, Two Different Issuers
The most common source of confusion is that more than one running-technique credential has a similar name. The credential discussed on this page is issued through Romanov Academy of Sports Science (the issuer publicly styles its name "Romanov Academy of Sport Science") and is the Level 1 Pose Method certification. It is not The Running School's similarly named Certified Running Technique Specialist program.
If you are comparing options, the two comparison anchors worth reading side by side are The Running School's certification page and the RRCA coaching certification page, because each takes a different philosophical approach to teaching runners.
Who Issues It and How the Exam Is Delivered
The governing body is Romanov Academy of Sports Science. Testing is issuer-administered on the Romanov Academy online certification portal, which describes both AI and live proctoring on the candidate's own computer. There is no third-party testing center in the picture; you sit the exam from your own setup under remote supervision.
The issuer recommends, but the public materials do not clearly mandate for every candidate, its Pose Method of Running master course. That course carries 20 contact hours. Those hours describe training time, not examination time, which is an easy detail to misread.
What the Exam Actually Looks Like
| Exam Feature | What the Issuer Publishes |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 106 |
| Scored / unscored | 90 scored, 16 unscored |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing requirement | 75% |
| Proctoring | AI and live proctoring on the candidate's computer |
| Book access | Open book (notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet permitted) |
Question formats
The published formats and categories include true/false, matching, multiple choice, Basic Drills, Video Analysis, and a Running 101 keyword-completion essay. That mix matters. This is not a pure recall test: video analysis asks you to look at a runner and reason about what you see, and the keyword-completion essay asks you to produce correct terminology rather than select it from a list. For more on how demanding that blend is, see how hard the CRTS-PM exam is and the passing score breakdown.
About the 106-question total
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. Because of that, this article keeps the verified 106/90/16 total and deliberately does not invent a per-section allocation or claim you can spot which questions are unscored. Treat every question as if it counts.
The Five Preparation Domains and the Study-Material Groupings
This site organizes preparation around five domain headings. These reproduce the preparation topics expressly named in the issuer's current 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 or a count of exam domains. No percentage weights are published for them, so none are claimed here.
Domain 1: Biomechanics
The mechanical foundation of the Pose Method.
- Pose Method concepts and the role of gravity
- Muscle-tendon elasticity
- Range of motion
Domain 2: Running technique
The core technique variables a specialist must be able to explain and coach.
- Cadence
- Stride length
- Overstriding and why it matters
Domain 3: Gait analysis
Reading a runner's movement and describing what you observe.
- Running-assessment examples
- Connecting observed form to technique principles
Domain 4: Injury prevention
Understanding how technique choices relate to load and stress on the body.
- Why technique faults like overstriding are discussed in a risk context
- How elasticity and range of motion factor into safer movement
Domain 5: Movement retraining
Taking a runner from assessment to change.
- Basic drills used to teach and reinforce technique
- Applying corrections after video review
The issuer's separate study-material groupings
The Pose Method study-material page organizes preparation differently, using 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. (which contains the issuer's push-off discussion). These four groups are an alternative way to organize the same material, not a hidden nine-domain exam. Neither list publishes percentage weights, and neither establishes exhaustive exam coverage, so use them as study scaffolding rather than as a guarantee of what appears. Our domains guide goes deeper on each area.
Open Book, One Pass Forward
The current portal expressly permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet, and the issuer's resources page also permits notes and printouts. But "open book" is easy to over-read. Open-book access does not waive proctoring or confidentiality rules.
The bigger constraint is navigation. Candidates complete the exam in one sitting and cannot return to earlier questions, change previous answers, or skip or flag items for later review. Each answer is final the moment you move on. That changes how you should use your notes: a well-organized one-page reference beats a stack of printouts you have to hunt through, because 90 minutes across 106 questions leaves little room for searching. A condensed reference like our CRTS-PM cheat sheet is the kind of material that works under those conditions.
Key Takeaway
Prepare as if the exam were closed book for the concepts, and use open-book access only to confirm precise terminology, especially for the keyword-completion essay. Rummaging for basics mid-exam will cost you time you cannot get back.
Eligibility, Costs and Retakes
Formal eligibility
The formal eligibility page requires candidates to be 18 or older, hold a high-school diploma or equivalent secondary education, present two forms of identification, and accept the candidate agreement and professional standards. Marketing copy that says "Prerequisites None" does not override those formal requirements. One wrinkle: the current certification portal requests one valid ID, while the eligibility page requires two. That conflict is flagged here rather than quietly resolved, so confirm the current requirement with the issuer before exam day. Full detail lives in our requirements guide.
What costs are actually verified
Be careful with price figures. The USD 890 examination fee 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, and it is not a universal prerequisite. Keep these deadlines separate too: the handbook describes a one-year application/attempt window, while the seminar route has its own 30-day deadline. No single universal deadline should be inferred from the two. See exam dates and deadlines and the full cost breakdown for how to separate training, exam, retake and renewal spending.
| Scenario | What the Sources Say |
|---|---|
| First failed attempt | An immediate second attempt is free |
| Two failed attempts | Candidate must wait 30 days before the third attempt |
| Three unsuccessful attempts | Another attempt available for USD 125 within the stated one-year application window |
| Military Running seminar route | USD 890 exam fee; seminar plus exam within 30 days |
Note that USD 125 is the fee for an additional attempt after three unsuccessful ones. It is not presented as the initial exam fee or as the third-attempt fee.
Military and funded routes
Military-related pathways, including ArmyIgnitED-style funding discussions, depend heavily on the candidate's branch, program and approved start date. No universal funding entitlement, reimbursement amount or promotion-point award can be assumed. Verify with your education office and the Military Running program pages before committing.
Validity and Recertification
Certification is valid for five years. Recertification requires active practice, the required continuing education and a recertification exam. Candidates may renew before expiration or within 30 days afterward. The published recertification package is USD 295 and includes the required webinars. Planning for that renewal cost from the start helps when you are weighing the credential's long-term value; our ROI analysis walks through that thinking.
One more precision point: the candidate handbook identifies Level 1 but does not supply a dated revision, so there is no basis for labeling this a "2026 exam version." Treat any claim of a year-stamped version with caution.
Who Uses the Credential and What It Does for Income
The natural audience is people who teach, coach or assess running: running coaches, personal trainers who work with runners, physical-training leaders, and military or tactical-fitness personnel who engage with the Military Running pathway. For a view of the kinds of roles that fit, see our CRTS-PM jobs overview.
On earnings, honesty matters more than optimism. No certification-wide salary premium is asserted, and no pass rate is published that would support a claim about how selective the credential is. A technique credential can differentiate a coach, support a niche in gait or video analysis, and add credibility with clients, but whether that converts into higher pay depends on your market, client base and how you deliver coaching. If income is your main question, the salary analysis treats it qualitatively rather than inventing figures, and the pass-rate discussion explains why no number is quoted.
Preparing Sensibly: Which Domain to Tackle When
You do not need an elaborate system here. Sequence the material by dependency, because later topics lean on earlier ones:
Biomechanics foundation
- Pose Method concepts and gravity
- Muscle-tendon elasticity and range of motion
Running technique variables
- Cadence, stride length and overstriding
- Build your one-page terminology reference for the keyword-completion essay
Gait analysis and video practice
- Work through running-assessment examples
- Practice describing what you see in precise language
Injury prevention, retraining and timed rehearsal
- Review basic drills and how they map to faults
- Run a full-length timed practice with no going back
The reason for this order is that video analysis only makes sense once you can name the technique variables, and drills only make sense once you can diagnose the fault they correct. For a fuller plan, see the CRTS-PM study guide, and when you want timed repetition under realistic conditions, use the CRTS-PM practice test. Practicing in a single uninterrupted pass helps you get used to the one-way format before the real thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
It refers to the Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), a Level 1 credential issued through Romanov Academy of Sports Science. It is not The Running School's similarly named credential.
The exam has 106 questions, of which 90 are scored and 16 are unscored, with a 90-minute limit. You need 75% to pass. The sources do not identify which questions are unscored.
Yes. The portal permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet. However, proctoring and confidentiality rules still apply, and you cannot go back to earlier questions, change answers, or skip and flag items.
After a first failure, an immediate second attempt is free. After two failures you must wait 30 days before the third attempt. After three unsuccessful attempts, another attempt is available for USD 125 within the one-year application window.
Five years. Recertification requires active practice, required continuing education and a recertification exam, and can be done before expiration or within 30 days afterward. The published recertification package is USD 295 and includes required webinars.