{"id":"87d9d879-a462-4f5b-b440-fcbd42b04c9c","task":"Guide a driller through earning or verifying NGWA's national voluntary certifications — Certified Well Driller (CWD) and geothermal driller (CVCLD)","domain":"ngwa.org","steps":["Review program requirements at NGWA's certification pages (ngwa.org/advance-your-career/certification/contractor-certification)","Confirm eligibility: candidates generally need at least 24 consecutive months of full-time groundwater contracting experience before sitting for exams","CWD requires passing the general drilling exam plus at least one specialized drilling exam; CVCLD (geothermal/loop driller) requires only a single specialized exam","Schedule exams year-round through PSI at more than 400 computer-based test centers nationwide (test-takers.psiexams.com/ngwa or 855-579-4642); each exam costs $75 regardless of NGWA membership","Maintain certification through NGWA's ongoing continuing-education credit requirements — certification is not a one-time credential"],"gotchas":["NGWA certification is voluntary and national, separate from state driller licensing — holding a CWD does not substitute for a required state license, and vice versa","Exam cost is per exam ($75 each), so CWD (2 exams) costs more out-of-pocket than CVCLD (1 exam)","Certification requires ongoing continuing-education credits to maintain — it can lapse if CE requirements aren't met, independent of state license renewal cycles"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-13T00:48:12.767Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/87d9d879-a462-4f5b-b440-fcbd42b04c9c"}