- The Certified Grounds Technician exam fee is $150 for PGMS members, $250 for non-members, and $350 to join and apply together.
- A retest costs $50, far less than the original application fee.
- Renewal after five years costs $100, reduced by $20 for each year you were a PGMS member.
- Renewal requires 35 CEUs, with at least 80% from PGMS-approved activities.
The Official CGT Fee Schedule
The Certified Grounds Technician credential is administered by the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), and its pricing is refreshingly simple compared with many professional certifications. There are three entry price points, one retest fee, and a renewal fee that shrinks the longer you stay a member. Every figure below comes from PGMS's published certification materials, so confirm the current numbers on the official PGMS certification page before you pay.
| Fee Type | Amount | Who It Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Exam/application fee (member) | $150 | Current PGMS members |
| Exam/application fee (non-member) | $250 | Applicants who are not PGMS members |
| Join-and-apply bundle | $350 | New applicants joining PGMS at the same time |
| Retest | $50 | Candidates who need another attempt |
| Renewal (every five years) | $100, minus $20 per member year | Certified holders renewing their credential |
Unlike many credentials that route candidates through a third-party testing network, the CGT is an online exam administered by PGMS itself, with an approved proctor and an assigned mentor. That structure matters for cost: there is no separate test-center scheduling fee that we have been able to verify. If you are still deciding whether this credential suits you, our overview What Is CGT Certification? explains what you are actually buying.
Which Fee Applies to You
The member rate: $150
If you already belong to PGMS, you pay the lowest entry price. This is the best deal available and the reason many technicians join through their employer's institutional membership before applying.
The non-member rate: $250
You can apply without joining, but you pay $100 more than a member. For a one-time test taker who never plans to renew or attend PGMS programming, this may be acceptable.
The join-and-apply bundle: $350
This option combines membership with the application. At first glance it looks like the most expensive route, but it includes your membership. If you would have bought a PGMS membership anyway, the bundle is simply the member exam fee plus your dues in one transaction.
Membership also compounds at renewal. Because the renewal fee drops by $20 for every year you were a member, staying a member through the full five-year cycle pays you back at the end. We cover that math in the renewal section below.
What a Retest Costs
If you do not reach the 80% passing threshold, a retest costs $50. That is a fraction of the original fee, which changes how you should think about risk. A failed first attempt is annoying, but it is not financially devastating. PGMS does not publicly disclose a pass rate, so we cannot tell you how many candidates need a second try; our CGT pass rate analysis explains what is and is not known.
The exam itself is 50 questions in 90 minutes, and the passing threshold is 80%. That is a demanding bar, so budgeting a retest is prudent rather than pessimistic. For a deeper look at how demanding it is in practice, read How Hard Is the CGT Exam? and the breakdown of the CGT passing score.
Key Takeaway
Because a retest is only $50, the smartest financial move is to take the exam when you are reasonably prepared rather than delaying for months, while still avoiding a rushed attempt that wastes the first fee. Treat the $50 as insurance, not a plan.
Costs the Fee Schedule Doesn't Show
The published fees cover the application and the exam. They do not capture everything you will spend or sacrifice on the way to certification. Here are the real-world cost categories to anticipate.
Experience and documentation
To qualify, you need a high-school diploma or GED and two years of grounds-maintenance experience, along with education and employment documentation and any applicable sponsor documentation. Gathering transcripts, employer verification, and sponsor paperwork may involve small costs such as records requests or postage, plus your own time. Our guide to CGT requirements walks through the eligibility checklist in detail.
Mentor time
Each candidate is assigned a mentor, and mentor review meetings are part of the process. PGMS describes these meetings but does not set a fixed training-hour prerequisite. The cost here is mostly scheduling and travel time, not a published fee. Plan around your mentor's availability, because the clock matters: you must test within 30 days of mentor assignment and complete the process within one year.
Study materials
PGMS's official handbook is available as a downloadable document, which keeps baseline preparation costs low. Beyond that, optional spending includes practice questions, reference books on turf, trees, and irrigation, and any review courses. Because no external test vendor is verified, you will not find a vendor-branded study bundle to purchase, so your choices are largely independent. Explore our CGT practice tests for exam-style question practice, and see CGT training options for preparation paths.
Proctor and technology
The exam is online with an approved proctor. We have not verified whether a proctor charges a separate fee or what the exact home-proctoring rules are, so ask PGMS and your proctor before exam day. Make sure your computer, internet connection, and testing space meet whatever requirements you are given, since a technical failure can cost you time you cannot easily recover.
Renewal Costs After Five Years
The CGT is valid for five years. To renew, you need 35 continuing education units (CEUs), with at least 80% of them coming from PGMS-approved activities. The renewal fee is $100, reduced by $20 for each year you held PGMS membership.
| Years as PGMS Member During Cycle | Renewal Fee |
|---|---|
| 0 years | $100 |
| 1 year | $80 |
| 2 years | $60 |
| 3 years | $40 |
| 4 years | $20 |
| 5 years | $0 |
Based on the published formula, a technician who stays a member for the entire five-year cycle would owe nothing at renewal, while a non-member pays the full $100. Always verify the current formula on the PGMS maintaining-certification page, since renewal rules can change.
The real renewal expense is the CEUs. Earning 35 units, with at least 80% from PGMS-approved offerings, means attending approved workshops, conferences, or courses over five years. Those registration and travel costs are not in the fee schedule, so spread them out across the cycle rather than scrambling in year five. For an assessment of whether that ongoing commitment pays off, see Is the CGT Certification Worth It?
Building a Realistic Budget
Here are three sample paths using only the published fees. They exclude optional study materials, proctor charges, and travel, since those vary.
| Scenario | Entry Cost | Retest (if needed) | Total Published Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing PGMS member, passes first time | $150 | $0 | $150 |
| Non-member, passes first time | $250 | $0 | $250 |
| Join-and-apply, needs one retest | $350 | $50 | $400 |
Even the most expensive scenario in the table stays modest compared with many professional credentials. What you invest in the exam fees is small next to the time you will spend preparing, so most of your real budgeting should focus on study hours and mentor scheduling. For a view of what the credential can mean for your paycheck, see the CGT salary guide and browse CGT jobs to see which employers value it.
Spending Study Time Where It Counts
Money is only half the cost; the other half is hours. Because the passing threshold is 80% and PGMS publishes no percentage weights for its seven content categories, you cannot safely skip any area. Treat all seven as fair game and sequence them so you never leave a domain cold. Since you must test within 30 days of mentor assignment, a compact plan is essential.
Foundations and Safety
- Basic Plant Care: plant identification, growth requirements, and care fundamentals
- Safety: equipment handling and jobsite hazards, which carry real-world consequences and are easy to underestimate
Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers
- Shade Trees: selection, planting, and maintenance practices
- Shrub and Flower Care: seasonal care and landscape bed upkeep
Turf, Pests, and Water
- Turf Management: cultural practices and common turf problems
- Pest and Disease Control: diagnosis before treatment
- Irrigation: system components and efficient watering
Review and Timed Practice
- Take timed 50-question sets to simulate the 90-minute window
- Revisit your weakest domain before test day
This sequence front-loads the topics that underpin everything else, then closes with timed practice. For a detailed look at each content area, read CGT Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas, and keep the CGT cheat sheet handy for last-minute review. A broader plan lives in the CGT study guide. Preparing efficiently is the best way to avoid paying that $50 retest fee.
Getting Your Employer to Pay
Many grounds technicians never pay out of pocket because employers, universities, municipalities, and campus facilities departments often support professional development. The application also involves sponsor documentation where applicable, which signals that employer involvement is a normal part of the process.
How to make the case
- Frame the credential as documented, standardized competence across plant care, turf, trees, pests, irrigation, and safety.
- Point to the low total cost: the published fees for a first-time pass are modest.
- Propose an institutional PGMS membership, which can lower the exam fee for several staff at once and reduce renewal costs over time.
- Offer to share what you learn with the crew, turning one person's certification into team value.
If you are new to the credential and want the basics before pitching it, our explainers on what CGT is and what CGT stands for give you the vocabulary to describe it accurately to a supervisor. Remember that in this context CGT means Certified Grounds Technician, the PGMS credential, and nothing else.
Frequently Asked Questions
PGMS lists $150 for members, $250 for non-members, and $350 to join PGMS and apply together. A retest is $50. Confirm current pricing on the official PGMS certification page, since the handbook carries 2022 annotations and no dated 2026 revision has been published.
Yes, if you plan to stay involved. Members pay $150 versus $250 for non-members, and membership years also reduce your renewal fee by $20 each. The $350 join-and-apply bundle lets you do both at once.
A retest costs $50. Remember the exam has a passing threshold of 80%, so reviewing your weakest domains before a second attempt is worth the effort.
The certification lasts five years. Renewal requires 35 CEUs, at least 80% from PGMS-approved activities, plus a $100 fee reduced by $20 for each year you were a PGMS member. Your total expense will depend largely on how you earn those CEUs.
Possibly. Budget for documentation, study materials, and any proctor or technology requirements. We have not verified a separate proctor fee, so ask PGMS and your approved proctor directly before scheduling. For timing details, see our guide to CGT exam dates and scheduling, and visit the main practice test site to start preparing.