- What the Seven Domain Headings Actually Are
- How the Exams Are Structured
- Domains 1 and 2: Client Needs and Job Site
- Domains 3 and 4: Components and Pre-Install Preparation
- Domain 5: Install Pump System
- Domain 6: Troubleshoot Existing Pump System
- Domain 7: Perform Administrative Activities
- General vs. K vs. L: Where the Domains Show Up
- Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
- Eligibility, Fees and Maintenance
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The seven domains come from NGWA's 2003 DACUM chart for pump installers, not from a published, weighted exam blueprint.
- The Water systems general exam plus Exam K (under 100 gpm) or Exam L (over 100 gpm) forms the minimum route.
- Each exam has 50 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes and a 70% passing standard, closed-book at PSI centers.
- No percentage weights are published in the retrieved preparation sources, so study all seven duties rather than guessing at emphasis.
What the Seven Domain Headings Actually Are
If you search for the Certified Pump Installer exam domains, you will find a tidy list of seven headings. Before you build a study plan around them, it helps to understand exactly where that list comes from, because it is easy to overstate what it means.
The seven headings are the occupational-duty headings in the National Ground Water Association's DACUM Research Chart for Pump Installers, developed on June 12-13, 2003 and linked from NGWA's current certification-examination page. DACUM is a job-analysis method: working pump installers describe what they actually do, and the result is a chart of duties and tasks. That makes the seven headings a trustworthy description of the job. It does not make them an official exam blueprint with a fixed count, a fixed order or fixed percentages.
The seven duties are:
- Determine Client Needs
- Assess Job Site
- Determine System Component Requirements
- Prepare to Install the Pump
- Install Pump System
- Troubleshoot Existing Pump System
- Perform Administrative Activities
Also note a date wrinkle. The current examination page still carries an examination-category date of November 1, 2009. Neither that date nor the 2003 DACUM date shows that a newly revised 2026 exam exists, so be skeptical of any site claiming a "2026 update" to the content outline. For a broader look at how hard candidates find the test, see How Hard Is the CPI Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
How the Exams Are Structured
The complete Certified Pump Installer route requires the Water systems general exam plus at least one specialty exam. Exam K covers water systems less than 100 gpm. Exam L covers water systems more than 100 gpm. Most candidates choose the specialty that matches the systems they install every day, though you may sit both.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing body | National Ground Water Association (NGWA) |
| Testing provider | PSI Services |
| Required exams | Water systems general, plus Exam K or Exam L |
| Questions per exam | 50, multiple choice |
| Time limit per exam | 60 minutes |
| Passing standard | 70% |
| Minimum route totals | 100 questions and two hours across two separately timed exams |
| Format | Computer-based, closed-book, offered year-round at PSI centers |
| Results | Available immediately |
| Window to pass required exams | One 12-month period |
| Fee | US$75 per exam, members and non-members |
A common misreading is to picture one long 100-question test. It is not. The minimum route is two separate examinations, each with its own 50 questions and its own 60-minute clock. You are not sitting for an uninterrupted two-hour block. The multiple-choice format is also corroborated by the New York State Department of Labor's Water Well Contractor page, though that page's state-specific licensing and fee requirements do not apply to this voluntary credential.
Because the exams are closed-book, the trade knowledge has to live in your head. That changes how you study each domain: you need recall of formulas, definitions, safety rules and troubleshooting logic, not just the ability to look things up. The passing standard is covered in more detail in CPI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Domains 1 and 2: Client Needs and Job Site
The first two domains describe what happens before any equipment is chosen. They are about asking the right questions and observing the property, and they are where experienced installers often feel most at home.
Domain 1: Determine Client Needs
This duty covers translating what a customer wants into a workable system requirement. Candidates should be comfortable with how water demand is established and how the intended use shapes everything downstream.
- Identifying the application: household, irrigation, livestock, light commercial or other uses
- Estimating demand, including peak flow and duration of use
- Understanding pressure expectations and storage preferences
- Recognizing budget, reliability and maintenance preferences that influence design
- Gathering information about any existing system being replaced or upgraded
Domain 2: Assess Job Site
This duty is about what you find when you actually look at the well, the building and the surrounding conditions. A system that is correct on paper can fail on a site that was not properly evaluated.
- Reviewing well characteristics such as depth, diameter, static and pumping water levels
- Checking electrical service availability and its suitability for the pump motor
- Evaluating pump-house or pit conditions, access, space and freeze exposure
- Noting water quality concerns that affect materials and equipment choices
- Identifying safety hazards before work begins
On a multiple-choice exam, these domains tend to reward practical judgment. Expect scenarios in which you must decide what information is missing or which observation changes the plan. The distinction between the sub-100 gpm and over-100 gpm specialties starts to matter here, since expectations for demand and site conditions differ with system size.
Domains 3 and 4: Components and Pre-Install Preparation
Domains 3 and 4 are where the technical calculations and equipment knowledge concentrate. If you are weaker on the engineering side of the trade, plan extra time here.
Domain 3: Determine System Component Requirements
This duty turns demand and site information into a specification. It is the most calculation-oriented part of the job.
- Matching pump type and size to flow and head requirements
- Understanding total dynamic head and the friction losses that contribute to it
- Selecting motors, controls and electrical protection appropriate to the pump
- Sizing pressure tanks and understanding drawdown and cycling
- Choosing pipe, fittings, wire and other materials suited to the installation
- Reading and interpreting pump performance curves
Domain 4: Prepare to Install the Pump
Preparation covers everything between selecting equipment and putting it in the well. Careless preparation is a leading source of avoidable callbacks.
- Verifying that delivered components match the specification
- Inspecting equipment for damage before it goes in the ground
- Assembling and pre-checking components where appropriate
- Confirming tools, lifting equipment and safety gear are ready
- Planning the sequence of work and coordinating with other trades or utilities
Domain 5: Install Pump System
This is the core hands-on duty, and it is the one most associated with the credential's identity. It covers the physical work of setting the pump and bringing the system online safely and correctly.
Domain 5: Install Pump System
Candidates should understand correct installation practice for the pump types and system sizes covered by the exam they are taking.
- Handling and lowering pump, motor, drop pipe and wire without damage
- Making watertight, secure electrical splices and connections
- Setting the pump at an appropriate depth relative to water levels
- Installing check valves, pressure tanks, relief devices and controls
- Following lockout and electrical safety practice throughout
- Starting the system, verifying rotation, amperage, flow and pressure
- Disinfecting and protecting the well and system as part of completing the job
Questions on installation often test sequence and consequence: what happens if a step is skipped, or which check should come first. Safety questions are fair game in any domain, but they cluster naturally here because the work involves electricity, heavy equipment and confined or elevated conditions.
Domain 6: Troubleshoot Existing Pump System
Troubleshooting is where understanding separates from memorization. A candidate who has only memorized installation steps will struggle, because the questions ask you to reason from symptoms back to causes.
Domain 6: Troubleshoot Existing Pump System
This duty covers diagnosing problems in systems that were already installed, often by someone else.
- Working from symptoms such as no water, low pressure, short cycling or tripped protection
- Using electrical measurements, including voltage and amperage readings, to localize faults
- Distinguishing electrical problems from hydraulic and mechanical ones
- Recognizing the signs of a failing pump, worn components or a changing well
- Evaluating pressure tank and control problems
- Deciding whether to repair, adjust or replace
Think in terms of diagnostic order. A good troubleshooter checks the simple and likely causes before the expensive and unlikely ones, and exam questions frequently reward that discipline. Practicing with scenario-based questions is especially useful here; the CPI practice test is a good way to test whether your diagnostic reasoning holds up under time pressure.
Domain 7: Perform Administrative Activities
The seventh duty is the one candidates most often neglect, partly because it feels less technical. It is worth remembering that the 2019 preparation guide omits it, so confirm what your specific exam emphasizes through NGWA's current preparation materials rather than assuming heavy or light coverage.
Domain 7: Perform Administrative Activities
This duty covers the business and compliance side of pump installation work.
- Documenting the work performed, equipment installed and system settings
- Maintaining records that support warranty, service and liability needs
- Understanding applicable regulations and permit expectations in your jurisdiction
- Communicating with customers about operation and maintenance
- Managing scheduling, estimates and professional conduct
One important distinction: the Certified Pump Installer credential is an individual certification. It is not company certification and it is not a substitute for a state license. Where your state requires licensing or registration, that is a separate obligation, and the exam content on administrative duties will not replace knowing your local rules.
General vs. K vs. L: Where the Domains Show Up
The seven duties describe the whole trade, while the three exams split that trade by scope. The general exam addresses water-system fundamentals common to the work. Exam K narrows to systems under 100 gpm, and Exam L to systems over 100 gpm. The sources do not provide a uniform allocation of duties across these exams, and they do not publish percentage weights, so any site giving you exact domain percentages for each exam is going beyond what the retrieved preparation sources support.
What you can do is use the seven duties as a coverage checklist and let the exam you are taking guide the depth:
- If you install mostly residential and small agricultural systems: expect the under-100 gpm context of Exam K to mirror your daily work, and spend extra effort on the component-sizing logic of Domain 3 and the diagnostic reasoning of Domain 6.
- If you work on larger systems: Exam L's context will push you toward higher flows, larger equipment and different electrical and hydraulic considerations. Domains 3 and 5 deserve more attention in that setting.
- For the general exam: prioritize breadth across all seven duties, since it is the foundation both specialties build on.
Key Takeaway
Because no weights are published in the retrieved sources, the safest strategy is balanced coverage of all seven duties, with extra repetition on whichever domain your daily work exposes you to least. Experienced installers usually need more time on Domains 3 and 7 than on Domain 5.
Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
Since the exams are closed-book and fact-heavy, a short domain-ordered plan beats an undirected review. The sequence below follows the natural workflow of a job, which also helps you remember how the duties connect. For a fuller preparation framework, see the CPI Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Domains 1 and 2
- Review demand estimation and site assessment logic
- Work through well measurements and electrical service considerations
Domain 3
- Drill head, flow, friction loss and tank sizing until you can do them from memory
- Practice reading performance curves
Domains 4 and 5
- Walk through preparation checks and installation sequence
- Review splices, safety practice and start-up verification
Domains 6 and 7
- Practice symptom-to-cause troubleshooting scenarios
- Cover documentation and compliance basics, then take timed practice sets
Timed practice matters because each exam allows 60 minutes for 50 questions. Use the main CPI practice test site to rehearse that pacing, and keep the 70% passing standard in mind when you review results. If you want a compact refresher near exam day, the CPI Cheat Sheet 2026 condenses the must-know facts.
Eligibility, Fees and Maintenance
Passing the exams is only part of becoming certified. NGWA's eligibility requirements apply to the credential itself, and they are worth confirming before you pay for an exam. Applicants must be at least 20 years old and have 24 consecutive months of full-time drilling and/or pump-installation experience. You must also provide two written professional references unaffiliated with your current employer, complete the application, sign the certification agreement and provide the required affidavit of legal standing. NGWA membership is not required. Details are covered in CPI Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
On timing, you must pass the required examinations within a single 12-month period, and certification enrollment must be completed within 12 months of passing the qualifying examination. The exams are offered year-round, so scheduling is flexible; see CPI Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for planning guidance.
On cost, the examination fee is US$75 per exam for members and non-members, so the minimum-route examination fees come to US$150. That is not an all-in certification price, and the current examination-specific tariff takes precedence over generic member-discount wording in older application or FAQ material. The full picture is in CPI Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
If you are weighing the investment, Is the CPI Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 walks through how to think about it for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not as an official exam blueprint. The seven headings are the occupational-duty headings in NGWA's 2003 DACUM Research Chart for Pump Installers. They describe the job and are useful for preparation, but they are not a published, weighted domain count for the General, K and L exams.
No percentage weights appear in the retrieved NGWA preparation sources. Plan for balanced coverage of all seven duties rather than relying on any third-party weighting you cannot trace to NGWA.
You need the Water systems general exam plus at least one specialty: Exam K for systems less than 100 gpm or Exam L for systems more than 100 gpm. Each has 50 questions, a 60-minute limit and a 70% passing standard, and the required exams must be passed within one 12-month period.
No. The minimum route totals 100 questions and two hours, but across two separately timed 50-question examinations, not a single combined test or an uninterrupted sitting.
No. CPI is an individual voluntary certification, not company certification and not a substitute for a state license. Check your state's licensing and registration requirements separately.
To go further, explore CPI Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows for what is and is not known about outcomes, then put your domain knowledge to work on the CPI practice test.