- The full route is the Water systems general exam plus Exam K (under 100 gpm) or Exam L (over 100 gpm).
- Each exam has 50 questions, a 60-minute limit and a 70% passing standard, taken closed-book on computer.
- Required exams must be passed within one 12-month period; exam fees are US$75 each, US$150 minimum.
- NGWA's seven pump-installer duty headings are preparation competencies, not a published weighted blueprint.
What You Are Actually Studying For
The Certified Pump Installer credential is a voluntary, individual certification administered by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), with exams delivered through PSI Services. It is not a company certification, and it does not replace a state license. If you are searching for the meaning of the acronym or the basics of the credential first, start with What Is CPI Certification? and then return here for the preparation plan.
This guide is built around a simple premise: pump installation knowledge is practical, and the exam rewards candidates who can reason through real field situations, not those who memorize isolated trivia. Because the exams are closed-book, you need the working knowledge in your head. The sections below map that knowledge to the way NGWA organizes the occupation.
The Exam Route and Format
The route has a fixed core and a choice. Every candidate takes the Water systems general exam. Then you add at least one specialty exam based on the kind of systems you work on:
| Component | Scope | Questions | Time | Passing standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water systems general | Required for every candidate | 50 | 60 minutes | 70% |
| Exam K | Water systems less than 100 gpm | 50 | 60 minutes | 70% |
| Exam L | Water systems more than 100 gpm | 50 | 60 minutes | 70% |
On the minimum two-exam route, that adds up to 100 questions and two hours of testing, but these are two separately timed exams, not one combined 100-question exam and not one uninterrupted two-hour sitting. You pass or fail each one on its own 70% standard. For a deeper look at how that threshold plays out, see CPI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Testing is computer-based and closed-book, offered year-round at PSI centers, and results are available immediately. The format is multiple-choice. Because there is no fixed annual testing window, your scheduling decision is driven by readiness and by the 12-month clock described below; CPI Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling covers the logistics in more detail.
Choosing between K and L
Pick the specialty that matches the systems you actually install. If your daily work is residential and light-commercial wells and small pressure systems, Exam K (under 100 gpm) aligns with your experience. If you work on larger municipal, agricultural or industrial systems, Exam L (over 100 gpm) is the natural fit. Taking both is allowed but is not required, and each additional exam carries its own US$75 fee.
The Seven Duty Areas to Master
NGWA's DACUM Research Chart for Pump Installers, developed June 12-13, 2003, lays out the occupation in seven duty headings. These are the clearest issuer-linked map of what a competent pump installer does, and they are the best organizing frame for your study. Treat them as preparation competencies rather than an official exam-domain count; the chart is unweighted, and NGWA's own Exam Preparation Success Guide (May 2019) groups its references into six preparation categories and omits the administrative duty. For a duty-by-duty companion piece, see CPI Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
1. Determine Client Needs
Everything starts with understanding what the customer actually requires from the water system.
- Intended use of the water: household, irrigation, livestock, commercial
- Required flow rate and pressure, and how peak demand differs from average demand
- Existing equipment, budget constraints and expectations about reliability
- Translating a vague complaint or request into measurable performance targets
2. Assess Job Site
Site conditions drive every later equipment decision.
- Well characteristics: depth, diameter, static and pumping water levels, yield
- Power availability, voltage, phase and distance from the service entrance
- Access, space, freezing exposure and flood or contamination risks
- Safety hazards and the regulatory conditions that apply to the location
3. Determine System Component Requirements
This is where calculation skills matter most, because you size and select the components.
- Pump selection using flow, total dynamic head and the pump performance curve
- Motor sizing, drive type and electrical protection and control components
- Pressure tanks, drawdown and cycling considerations
- Pipe, fittings, wire and cable sizing, including friction loss
- Material compatibility and appropriate use of check valves and relief devices
4. Prepare to Install the Pump
Good installers lose fewer hours and avoid more failures through preparation.
- Verifying components against the design before arriving on site
- Tools, lifting equipment and safe handling of pumps, motors and drop pipe
- Pre-installation checks of the well, the electrical supply and the existing system
- Lockout and tagout, and general jobsite safety practices
5. Install Pump System
The hands-on core of the occupation, and a likely source of scenario-style questions.
- Setting pump depth appropriately relative to water levels and the well bottom
- Making and protecting splices, wiring connections and grounding
- Assembling and supporting drop pipe, safety rope and sealing the wellhead
- Installing controls, pressure switches, tanks and protective devices
- Start-up procedures, checking rotation, amperage, pressure and flow, and system disinfection
6. Troubleshoot Existing Pump System
Diagnostic reasoning separates experienced installers from beginners.
- Working from symptoms such as no water, low pressure, short cycling or tripped protection
- Using electrical measurements to separate motor, wiring and control faults
- Recognizing hydraulic problems: worn components, air or sand entrainment, restricted intake
- Deciding between repair, adjustment and replacement
7. Perform Administrative Activities
The least glamorous duty is still part of the occupation's official job map.
- Documentation, record keeping and job reports
- Estimating, ordering and communicating with clients
- Awareness of licensing and regulatory responsibilities
A caution on scope: NGWA's preparation guide omits the administrative duty and indicates that reference coverage varies by examination. Nothing retrieved establishes that all seven duties appear on every component exam. Study the first six deeply, and give the seventh lighter but real attention.
Which Sources to Trust
Your first stop should be the materials NGWA itself links from its certification examination page: the DACUM Research Chart for Pump Installers and the Exam Preparation Success Guide. The success guide includes a reference matrix showing which resources support which preparation categories and which exams, and it states the closed-book policy. Use that matrix to decide what to read for the general exam versus the specialty exam you chose.
Beyond NGWA's documents, your own field experience is the other essential input. Because eligibility already requires 24 consecutive months of full-time drilling and/or pump-installation work, most candidates arrive with strong practical knowledge in some duty areas and gaps in others. The efficient approach is to find the gaps honestly. Candidates who do only residential work often have thin knowledge of large-capacity systems, and vice versa. If you want to calibrate expectations about difficulty before committing study time, read How Hard Is the CPI Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Sequencing Your Prep Around the Duty Areas
If you use any structured schedule at all, make it a sequence that follows the logic of a real job, because the duty areas build on each other. An installer who cannot size components cannot install them correctly, and one who cannot install correctly cannot reliably diagnose failures. The timeline below is a suggestion for a candidate with working experience, not an official requirement.
Client needs and job site
- Review flow, pressure and demand concepts
- Practice reading well data: static level, pumping level, yield
- Refresh electrical supply basics: voltage, phase, load
Component requirements
- Work pump-curve and total dynamic head problems by hand
- Practice motor, wire, pipe and pressure tank sizing
- Spend extra time here, since this duty rewards calculation fluency
Preparation and installation
- Walk through an installation from wellhead to start-up in sequence
- Review safety, lockout and electrical connection practices
- Review start-up checks and disinfection
Troubleshooting and administration
- Drill symptom-to-cause reasoning
- Skim administrative and regulatory responsibilities
- Take a full-length closed-book practice set for the general exam
Specialty exam focus
- Concentrate on K (under 100 gpm) or L (over 100 gpm) material
- Revisit your weakest duty area from the practice results
- Schedule your exam
Because the general exam and the specialty exam must both be passed within one 12-month period, you do not need to cram them into the same week. But do not drift: building your schedule backward from that 12-month window keeps you honest. When you are ready to test yourself under realistic conditions, the CPI Exam Prep practice tests give you closed-book, timed question sets that mirror the 50-question, 60-minute structure.
Close the loop with quick-reference review
In the final days, condense formulas, sizing rules of thumb and safety reminders onto a single page. Our CPI Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is a useful template for what belongs on that page. Remember that the real exam is closed-book, so the cheat sheet is a study aid, not something you can bring into the testing center.
Eligibility, Fees and Scheduling Mechanics
Passing the exams is only one part of becoming certified. NGWA also sets experience and documentation requirements, and these affect your timeline.
| Item | What NGWA requires |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 20 years old |
| Experience | 24 consecutive months of full-time drilling and/or pump-installation experience |
| References | Two written professional references, unaffiliated with your current employer |
| Paperwork | Completed application, signed certification agreement and affidavit of legal standing |
| Exam fee | US$75 per exam for members and non-members alike |
| NGWA membership | Not required |
The minimum two-exam route therefore costs US$150 in examination fees. That is not an all-in certification price, because it does not include renewal fees or any retakes. Where older application or FAQ material mentions member discounts, the current examination-specific tariff takes precedence. For the full financial picture, see CPI Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for the eligibility details in depth, see CPI Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
After You Pass: Enrollment and Renewal
Passing the qualifying exam starts another clock: certification enrollment must be completed within 12 months of passing. Missing that window is an avoidable mistake, so gather your references and affidavit before test day instead of afterward.
How maintenance works
Annual maintenance requires seven continuing education points (CEPs), a renewal fee and an affidavit addressing professional standing and required licensure. CEPs are points, not a specific count of classroom hours, so do not assume one hour in a room equals one point. The initial certificate expires December 31 of the year following certification, and newly certified individuals earn and report their first CEPs in that following year. Renewal requirements are due December 31.
Whether the effort and ongoing costs pay off depends on your career goals and local market. For a frank cost-benefit discussion, see Is the CPI Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and for earnings context see the CPI Salary Guide 2026. If your primary question is who hires certified installers, CPI Jobs is the place to start.
To recap the path: confirm eligibility, choose K or L, study the seven duty areas with extra weight on component sizing and installation, practice closed-book, schedule both exams within 12 months, then complete enrollment promptly. Timed practice is the single best way to find out where you stand, and the practice test site is built for exactly that. This article is also part of a wider series; if you landed here directly, the canonical overview is CPI Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
At minimum, two: the Water systems general exam plus one specialty exam, either Exam K (water systems less than 100 gpm) or Exam L (water 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 exams are closed-book and computer-based, delivered at PSI centers. Plan to internalize formulas, sizing logic and safety practices instead of relying on lookup during the test.
No. NGWA membership is not required, and the examination fee is US$75 per exam for both members and non-members. Total exam fees on the minimum two-exam route are US$150, which excludes renewal costs and any retakes.
Not in the NGWA preparation sources reviewed for this guide. The seven duty headings come from an unweighted occupational chart, so they guide what to learn, not how many questions each area carries. Prepare broadly rather than trusting an unofficial weighting.
You must complete certification enrollment within 12 months of passing the qualifying exam. After that, maintain the credential annually with seven CEPs, a renewal fee and an affidavit. The initial certificate expires December 31 of the year following certification, so confirm current renewal deadlines and late-fee rules with NGWA.