WQA’s certification exams are offered in an online, video-proctored format and can be taken at the office at the examinee’s convenience. Please review our information on scheduling, pricing and preparing for exams.
Certification Exams
Video Proctoring
Minimum requirements:
- Computer with a video camera and audio
- High-speed, reliable internet connection
- Quiet room without any technical books or water treatment reference materials
Please contact Daniel LeBlanc, WQA’s Professional Certification Coordinator, to set up your session.
Accommodations
WQA is committed to providing accommodations for examinees with learning disabilities or health-related needs. The examinee must provide documentation from an appropriately credentialed professional with the diagnosis of the condition for which accommodations are sought and the type of accommodation requested.
Requests and documentation must be submitted via email to WQA’s Professional Certification & Training department at education@wqa.org at least 30 days prior to the desired exam date.
Scheduling
Unless otherwise indicated, requests for private testing session must be received in WQA office at least three weeks prior to the desired test date. Examinees completing WQA’s instructor-led training may request exams two weeks prior to the desired test date.
Exams must be prepaid and be pre-scheduled.
Pricing
| EXAMS | NON-MEMBER | E-MEMBER | CORE/PREMIER MEMBERS |
| Certified Water Specialist (CWS) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
| Certified Installer (CI) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
| Certified Water Treatment Representative (CWR) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
| Certified Service Technician (CST) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
| Certified Cooler Technician (CCT) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
| Certified Treatment Designer (CTD) | $559 (plus $50 one-time application review fee) | $289 (plus $30 one-time application review fee) | $249 (plus $30 one-time application review fee) |
| Master Water Specialist (MWS) | $559 | $289 | $249 |
A 3% convenience fee will be added at the time of purchase for online orders.
Preparing for the exam
Before scheduling an exam, please review the eligibility requirements for each certification title on the Get Certified page.
Remember, candidates for certification with less than two years of relevant experience must complete prerequisite training courses to be eligible for examination. While the training is structured to provide the certification candidate with a stronger understanding of the concepts and topics covered on the certification exams, completion of training does not guarantee a passing score on the exam.
WQA offers study guides that recommend how to prepare for some of the certification exams. The Knowledge Base articles in these study guides are meant as background information for the more practical questions on the exam:
- Certified Water Specialist (CWS) study guide
- Certified Installer (CI) study guide
- Certified Service Technician (CST) study guide
- Certified Water Treatment Representative (CWR) study guide
- Certified Treatment Designer (CTD) study guide
- Master Water Specialist (MWS) study guide
Questions on the exams? Email us at education@wqa.org.