What Is CRTS-PM?

What the Acronym Actually Means Here

On this site, CRTS-PM refers to exactly one credential: the Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method). The issuer publicly abbreviates it as CRTS, and the "-PM" suffix and the domain name are retained as supplied. If you have searched for the acronym and landed on unrelated certifications that happen to share similar letters, set those aside. Their exam fees, dates, domain lists and pass data do not apply to this credential.

This particular credential is specifically the issuer's Level 1 certification. It evaluates whether a candidate understands the Pose Method of running well enough to teach it, analyze running form on video, and prescribe basic drills. For a quick-reference version of the vocabulary, see our breakdown of what CRTS-PM stands for and the longer overview of the certification.

Who Issues the Credential

The governing body is Romanov Academy of Sports Science, which publicly styles its own name as Romanov Academy of Sport Science. The Pose Method itself is the running technique system associated with the academy, and the training organization behind the master course and study materials is Pose Method. That split matters for candidates because the preparation content, the exam portal and the handbook live on different official websites:

• Romanov Academy hosts the certification exam page, the candidate handbook, the eligibility criteria, the resources page and recertification information.
• Pose Method hosts the "Pose Method of Running" master course and the public study materials for Running Technique Specialist Level 1.
• Military Running operates a seminar-linked online exam route aimed at military program participants.

One caution: the general marketing page at posemethod.com/certification conflicts with the issuer's exam and handbook pages on some details. When sources disagree, the Romanov Academy exam page, handbook and eligibility page are the ones to treat as authoritative, and where they disagree with each other, you should confirm directly with the issuer before paying for anything.

Exam Format and Question Types

The certification exam contains 106 questions, of which 90 are scored and 16 are unscored. You have 90 minutes, and the passing requirement is 75%. The unscored items are not identifiable by position, and the issuer's examination page and handbook differ on where they sit, so do not try to guess which questions "don't count." Treat every question as if it does.

The published formats and categories are:

• True/false
• Matching
• Multiple choice
• Basic Drills
• Video Analysis
• A Running 101 keyword-completion essay

The issuer's own pages contain inconsistent section numbering, so this article does not claim a per-section question count. What you can plan around is the total, the time limit and the mix of formats. Roughly 90 minutes across 106 items leaves under a minute per question on average, and the video analysis and essay-style items will consume more than their share. That arithmetic is the real pressure point of the exam, even though the content is open book. For a candid look at difficulty, read how hard the CRTS-PM exam is, and for scoring detail see the passing score guide.

Open Book, But Not Open-Ended

The current certification portal expressly permits personal notes, printed or handwritten materials, and the Internet. The issuer's resources page also permits notes and printouts. Many candidates read "open book" and relax, which is a mistake for three reasons:

1. Proctoring still applies. The portal describes AI and live proctoring on the candidate's computer. Open-book access does not waive proctoring or confidentiality rules, so you cannot share or capture exam content.
2. It is a single sitting. You cannot return to earlier questions, change previous answers, or skip and flag items for later review. Every answer is final the moment you move on.
3. Time is the constraint. Searching a reference during a 90-minute exam with 106 items works only if you already know where things are. Looking up everything is not viable.

Our one-page cheat sheet is a good starting point for building that kind of reference.

What the Exam Covers

The five preparation areas below mirror the topics 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, and no percentage weights are published for them. Only the public course description and public study materials were reviewed, not the full paid master course, so treat this list as a guide to what to learn rather than a guarantee of exam coverage.

The separate issuer 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. (the push-off discussion). These are two different ways of organizing the same material, not two competing exam blueprints. For a deeper treatment, see the complete guide to the exam's content areas.

Eligibility and Identification

The formal eligibility page requires that candidates:

• Are 18 years of age or older
• Hold a high-school diploma or equivalent secondary education
• Provide two forms of identification
• Accept the candidate agreement and professional standards

Some marketing materials say "Prerequisites: None." That phrase does not override the formal eligibility requirements above. There is also a documented inconsistency worth knowing about: the current certification portal asks for one valid ID, while the formal eligibility page requires two. This article does not resolve that conflict. Bring two forms of identification and confirm the requirement with the issuer before exam day. The full picture is in our requirements guide.

The issuer also recommends, but does not make a universal prerequisite, its Pose Method of Running master course. That course carries 20 contact hours, and those hours describe training time, not examination time.

Costs, Retakes and Windows

Candidates frequently conflate training costs, the initial exam fee, retake fees and renewal costs. Keeping them apart avoids budgeting mistakes.

Two cautions. First, the USD 890 figure belongs to the seminar-linked route and should not be read as a general price or as a requirement for everyone. Second, the USD 125 figure applies only to an extra attempt after all three have been used. It is not the initial exam fee or the third-attempt fee. The handbook's one-year application and attempt window and the seminar route's 30-day deadline are separate rules from separate sources, and no single universal deadline should be inferred from them. The full pricing picture is in the certification cost breakdown, and timing details are in the exam dates and scheduling guide.

Five-Year 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 costs USD 295 and includes the required webinars.

Plan for renewal from day one: keep records of the coaching you do, because "active practice" is part of the requirement. Searches for CRTS recertification are common because many holders only think about renewal near the deadline.

Who Uses It and What It Does for a Career

The credential is aimed at people who teach or assess running technique: running coaches, personal trainers adding gait work, physical-training leaders in military settings, and clinicians or educators who want a structured technique framework. Military Running's seminar-linked exam route and the interest in ArmyIgnitED-related funding suggest a real audience in military fitness programs, though funding eligibility must be verified individually.

On earnings, be careful. No certification-specific salary premium is established for this credential, and this article does not claim one. A credential can help you win clients, justify a technique-focused service or qualify for certain program roles, but income depends on your market, your existing credentials, your client base and how you price. For more on that analysis, see the earnings analysis, the ROI discussion and the page on CRTS-PM jobs.

Candidates also compare this credential with other coaching certifications, such as the RRCA coaching certification, which is a different program with a different philosophy and structure. The Pose Method credential is narrower and technique-focused, so it typically complements a broader coaching certification rather than replacing one.

Sequencing Your Preparation

Because the exam mixes recall, drill selection and visual judgment, order your study by skill rather than by chapter. One workable sequence ties each stretch to a specific exam component:

Video analysis comes after the technique variables on purpose: you cannot diagnose what you cannot name. Our study guide expands on this approach, and you can test yourself with the CRTS-PM practice tests. Original practice on video analysis, drills and keyword completion is more useful than flashcards alone, since those are formats flashcards handle poorly.

On difficulty and results, no certification-wide pass rate is published or asserted here. Read the pass rate discussion for what can and cannot be said.

Frequently Asked Questions