What Is CWD?

What CWD Means in Groundwater Contracting

In the water well industry, CWD stands for Certified Well Driller. It is a professional credential offered through the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) as part of its voluntary contractor certification program. It signals that a driller has documented field experience and has demonstrated knowledge on proctored, closed-book examinations covering both general drilling practice and a specific drilling method.

This site is about that credential only. If you are looking for the broader terminology, our pages on what CWD stands for, CWD meaning, and what CWD certification is cover the naming in more depth. This article gives you the working overview: what the credential is, how the exams are built, what it takes to qualify, and where it fits alongside state licensing.

The Two-Exam Pathway to the Credential

The structure of CWD is what separates it from a single-test credential. A candidate must pass two kinds of examination:

1. General Drilling, the foundation exam that applies regardless of the rig you run.
2. At least one drilling-method specialty, which tests knowledge tied to a particular way of constructing wells.

Both must be passed within the same 12-month period, and each requires a score of at least 70%. That 70% is the required examination score on each test. It is not a pass rate, and no current aggregate pass rate has been verified; for what is and is not known, see our discussion of the CWD pass rate. The scoring rules are laid out further in CWD passing score.

Inside the General Drilling Exam: Six Objectives

The General Drilling exam is organized around six formal objectives. The published item allocations total the 50 scored questions and show where the exam concentrates its weight. These are item counts, not percentage weights, so treat them as a guide to emphasis rather than a precise formula. For a deeper walk-through, see our complete guide to all six CWD content areas.

Question style you should expect

Every General Drilling item is multiple-choice, and the exam is closed-book. That means you cannot lean on reference tables during the test; you need working recall of drilling concepts and the judgment to pick the best answer among plausible options. A nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator without an alphabetical keypad is permitted, and the scratch paper provided at the center is collected when you finish. Candidates who are strong in the field but rusty on terminology often benefit most from scenario-style practice, which you can find on the CWD practice test site.

Choosing a Drilling-Method Specialty

The specialty half of the pathway is where the credential becomes personal to your work. Specialty examinations normally contain 50 questions, with the exception of Exam M, Augering and monitoring, which has 75. Choose a specialty that matches the method you actually use, because the questions assume hands-on familiarity with that method's equipment and procedures.

A few practical considerations when selecting:

• Match your daily work. The method you run most often is the one where your field instincts will carry you.
• Mind the length. Exam M carries 75 questions versus the typical 50, so budget your pacing accordingly if you choose it.
• Do not assume the General Drilling guide covers it. The six General Drilling objectives are not a complete blueprint for the specialty you add, so plan separate preparation for the method itself.
• Confirm the current list. The set of available specialty exams is maintained by NGWA, so verify it on the official examination page before you commit.

Our overview of how hard the CWD exam is discusses how candidates tend to experience the foundation exam versus the specialty.

Who Qualifies to Sit for the Exams

NGWA sets clear prerequisites. To pursue the credential you generally need:

• To be age 20 or older
• 24 consecutive months of full-time drilling or pump-installation experience
• Two written professional references from people not affiliated with your current employer
• The required agreement signed
• A current-year affidavit

Application materials must arrive within 12 months of the qualifying examination session, which ties the paperwork timeline directly to your testing window. The reference rule is easy to overlook: because references cannot come from your current employer, start lining up former supervisors, project owners, or industry peers early. For the full checklist, see our guide to CWD requirements and eligibility, and for scheduling considerations, CWD exam dates and deadlines.

Fees and Registration Mechanics

Examinations are administered by PSI Services at proctored testing centers. The published examination fee is $75 per examination, the same for members and nonmembers. Because the pathway requires at least two exams, a candidate sitting for General Drilling and one specialty on a first attempt should plan on at least $150 in examination fees.

Voluntary NGWA Certification vs. State Licensing

One of the most common points of confusion is how CWD relates to state licensing. They are separate things. CWD is a voluntary professional credential issued through NGWA; a state license is a legal authorization to operate that is governed by each state's own rules. Holding one does not automatically satisfy the other.

• Licensing determines whether you may legally drill in a given jurisdiction, and requirements vary by state.
• CWD demonstrates a nationally recognized standard of knowledge and experience beyond the legal minimum.
• Renewal intersects with licensing: maintaining CWD requires compliance with licensing requirements, so the two are linked in practice even though they are administered separately.

Check your own state's rules directly. Whether the credential helps you win work, satisfies a bid specification, or simply raises your professional profile depends on your market. We examine that trade-off in is the CWD certification worth it.

Keeping the Credential Active

Earning CWD is not a one-time event. Renewal is annual and requires:

• Seven continuing education points (CEPs)
• An affidavit
• Applicable fees
• Compliance with licensing requirements

The stated renewal due date is December 31. The currently linked 2027 renewal form lists $50 for members and $150 for nonmembers; these are renewal fees, not examination fees.

Who Values the Credential

CWD is relevant to people whose work revolves around constructing and maintaining water wells. That includes working drillers, rig operators advancing toward lead roles, owners of drilling and pump-installation businesses who want a documented standard for their crews, and contractors who bid on projects where demonstrated qualifications matter. Water well contractors, pump installers, and groundwater service companies are the typical environments where the credential comes up.

Because the credential is voluntary, its value is driven by your market and employer. Some employers favor certified staff; others rely primarily on state licensing and field record. For earnings context, avoid hunting for a single headline number, since compensation depends heavily on region, employer type, and experience; our CWD salary guide and CWD jobs overview discuss how to evaluate that qualitatively.

A Domain-Ordered Preparation Sequence

Rather than a generic study calendar, sequence your preparation by the General Drilling objectives, giving the most time to the heaviest allocations. NGWA's General Drilling Exam Study Guide maps its preparation references to the same six headings, which makes it a natural spine for this plan. For a fuller approach, see our CWD study guide, and keep our CWD cheat sheet handy for last-minute review.

If you want a primer before diving into drills, our pages on what CWD certification is and CWD training frame the options for building knowledge before you test.

Frequently Asked Questions