- Identity Check: Which CGT This Sheet Covers
- The Numbers at a Glance
- Eligibility and Registration Mechanics
- The Seven Content Categories, One Line Each
- What to Memorize by Category
- What Is Not Published (and How to Plan Around It)
- A Category-Driven Review Sequence
- After You Pass: Renewal Math
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam is 50 questions in 90 minutes, and the passing threshold is 80%.
- Fees: $150 PGMS member, $250 non-member, $350 join-and-apply; retest costs $50.
- Test within 30 days of mentor assignment and finish the process within one year.
- Seven content categories exist, but PGMS does not publish any percentage weights.
Identity Check: Which CGT This Sheet Covers
"CGT" is shared by several unrelated credentials. This cheat sheet covers exactly one: the Certified Grounds Technician, offered by the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). If you arrived looking for a different credential that happens to share the acronym, none of the figures below will apply to it. For background on the name itself, see What Does CGT Stand For? and What Is CGT Certification?.
The credential is aimed at working grounds-maintenance professionals: the people who prune the trees, manage the turf, calibrate the irrigation, and keep the shrub beds healthy on campuses, corporate properties, municipal parks, and similar sites. Everything on this page is organized so you can scan it in a few minutes, then dive deeper through the linked guides.
The Numbers at a Glance
| Item | Certified Grounds Technician Fact |
|---|---|
| Administering body | Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) |
| Delivery | Online exam with an approved proctor and an assigned mentor |
| Number of questions | 50 |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing threshold | 80% |
| Fee (PGMS member) | $150 |
| Fee (non-member) | $250 |
| Fee (join PGMS and apply together) | $350 |
| Retest fee | $50 |
| Testing window | Within 30 days of mentor assignment; process completed within one year |
| Certification validity | Five years |
| Renewal | 35 CEUs, at least 80% PGMS-approved; fee $100 less $20 per member year |
Two quick observations. First, an 80% threshold on 50 questions leaves a thin margin for error, so broad coverage matters more than deep specialization in one area. Second, the fee ladder makes membership math simple: if you are not already a member, the $350 join-and-apply option is the cleanest path, since the $100 difference over the non-member fee buys you the membership as well. Detailed pricing logic lives in CGT Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and the scoring bar is unpacked in CGT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Eligibility and Registration Mechanics
Prerequisites
- A high-school diploma or GED.
- Two years of grounds-maintenance experience.
- Education and employment documentation supporting the above.
- Applicable sponsor documentation.
The official materials describe mentor review meetings as part of the process, but they do not set a fixed number of required training hours. If you see a forum post claiming a specific hour count, treat it with suspicion. The full eligibility walkthrough is in CGT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The Process Clock
- Submit your application, fee, and supporting documentation.
- Receive an assigned mentor.
- Take the exam within 30 days of mentor assignment, using an approved proctor.
- Complete the entire certification process within one year.
That 30-day clock is the single most schedule-sensitive fact on this sheet. Do not request a mentor assignment until your review is mostly finished. Scheduling specifics are covered in CGT Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
The Seven Content Categories, One Line Each
PGMS organizes the exam into seven content categories. Percentage weights for every category are unpublished, and no category is verified as the heaviest. That means you should not skip any of them on the assumption that it counts for less. For a fuller treatment of each area, read CGT Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
| # | Category | One-Line Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Plant Care | Fundamentals of keeping landscape plants healthy and growing |
| 2 | Shade Trees | Selection, care, and maintenance of trees in the landscape |
| 3 | Turf Management | Establishing and maintaining lawn and athletic turf |
| 4 | Shrub and Flower Care | Ornamental beds, shrubs, and seasonal plantings |
| 5 | Pest and Disease Control | Recognizing and managing problems affecting plants and turf |
| 6 | Irrigation | Delivering water efficiently and keeping systems working |
| 7 | Safety | Protecting yourself, coworkers, and the public on the job |
What to Memorize by Category
The lists below describe the kinds of working knowledge a grounds technician is expected to carry into each category. They are framed as study targets, not as a leaked question bank. Use the handbook and your mentor to confirm the depth required.
Basic Plant Care
This is the foundation the other six categories build on. Expect to reason from plant biology to maintenance decisions.
- How plants take up water and nutrients, and what deficiency or excess looks like
- Soil basics: texture, structure, drainage, and how they influence plant health
- Fertilization concepts and why timing and rate matter
- Proper planting depth and mulching practice
Shade Trees
Tree work is where small technique errors cause long-term damage, so expect practical, cause-and-effect questions.
- Pruning objectives and the logic behind proper cuts
- Right-tree-right-place thinking when evaluating a site
- Common stress signs in established trees
- Protecting root zones from compaction and construction damage
Turf Management
Turf is the most visible part of most properties, and the cultural practices are interconnected.
- Mowing height and frequency, and why scalping harms turf
- Aeration, dethatching, and overseeding purposes
- Differences between cool-season and warm-season grasses
- Fertility and watering practices that support dense, resilient turf
Shrub and Flower Care
Ornamental plantings reward seasonal awareness: what to do, and when.
- Pruning timing differences for spring-flowering versus summer-flowering shrubs
- Bed preparation, spacing, and mulch management
- Deadheading, dividing, and seasonal replacement of annuals and perennials
- Matching plant selection to light, soil, and moisture conditions
Pest and Disease Control
Diagnosis comes before treatment. Questions in this area tend to reward candidates who identify the cause before reaching for a product.
- Integrated pest management concepts: monitoring, thresholds, and layered controls
- Distinguishing insect, disease, and environmental or cultural problems
- Safe, legal handling of pesticides, including label reading
- Cultural practices that prevent problems before they start
Irrigation
Water management connects directly to plant health, turf quality, and cost control.
- Common sprinkler types and when each is appropriate
- Scheduling concepts: matching run times to soil, plant needs, and weather
- Basic troubleshooting of coverage problems, leaks, and pressure issues
- Water conservation practices and seasonal system start-up and shutdown
Safety
Safety is a category in its own right, not an afterthought, and it is the one most candidates underestimate because it feels like common sense.
- Personal protective equipment for mowers, trimmers, saws, and chemical handling
- Safe operation and maintenance of power equipment
- Heat, sun, and ergonomic hazards in outdoor work
- Protecting the public, and communication on active job sites
Key Takeaway
Because all seven categories are weighted without public disclosure, the safest strategy is balance. Aim to be competent in every category rather than excellent in four and weak in three. With an 80% bar, a blank spot in even one category is hard to offset.
What Is Not Published (and How to Plan Around It)
A good cheat sheet is honest about its gaps. Here is what you will not find in PGMS's public materials, and what to do about each:
- Category weights: unpublished for all seven. Plan for even coverage.
- Pass rate: not publicly disclosed. Any specific percentage you see quoted online should be treated as unverified. Our own CGT Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows walks through what can and cannot be said.
- Scored versus unscored items: the split is not published, so treat every question as if it counts.
- Home-proctoring flexibility: the exam uses an approved proctor, but whether unrestricted home proctoring is allowed is not verified. Ask before assuming.
- Calculator and open-book rules: not verified. Do not plan around having either.
A Category-Driven Review Sequence
You have a tight window once a mentor is assigned, so sequence your review before you apply. The order below follows how the material builds on itself: biology first, then the living systems, then the problem-solving and operational layers, and safety last so it stays fresh. Adjust the pacing to your own experience; a veteran turf manager may need far less time on Week 3 than a technician who mostly handles trees.
Basic Plant Care and Shade Trees
- Review plant biology, soils, and fertility, since later categories lean on them
- Cover pruning logic and tree stress diagnosis
Turf Management and Shrub and Flower Care
- Walk through the seasonal calendar for turf cultural practices
- Review pruning timing and bed management for ornamentals
Pest and Disease Control and Irrigation
- Practice diagnosis-first reasoning using IPM concepts
- Review sprinkler types, scheduling, and troubleshooting
Safety, then full-length timed practice
- Review PPE, equipment, and chemical-handling safety
- Take timed 50-question sets in 90 minutes and revisit weak categories
For a fuller plan and resource list, see the CGT Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and use the CGT practice tests to rehearse the pacing of 50 questions against a 90-minute clock. That works out to under two minutes per question, which is comfortable if you do not stall on any single item.
After You Pass: Renewal Math
Certification is valid for five years. To renew, you need 35 continuing education units (CEUs), with at least 80% of them PGMS-approved. The renewal fee is $100, reduced by $20 for each year you have been a PGMS member, so a long-standing member pays considerably less than someone who joined just before renewing. Spread your CEUs across the five years instead of cramming them into the final months; the official page on maintaining certification is the authority for what qualifies.
Whether that ongoing investment pays off depends on your career goals. Our analysis in Is the CGT Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the CGT Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis weigh the costs against career outcomes, and CGT Jobs covers the kinds of employers that value the credential.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 50 questions and a 90-minute time limit. PGMS does not publish how many of those are scored versus unscored, so answer every question as though it counts.
The passing threshold is 80%. The pass rate itself is not publicly disclosed, so avoid trusting any specific figure you find elsewhere online.
The fee is $150 for PGMS members, $250 for non-members, or $350 if you join PGMS and apply at the same time. A retest costs $50.
That is not known. The seven categories are Basic Plant Care, Shade Trees, Turf Management, Shrub and Flower Care, Pest and Disease Control, Irrigation, and Safety, and PGMS has not published weights for any of them. Prepare evenly across all seven.
It is valid for five years. Renewal requires 35 CEUs, with at least 80% from PGMS-approved activities, plus a fee of $100 less $20 for each year of PGMS membership.