CRD Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Why No Official CRD Pass Rate Exists

If you searched for a CRD pass rate expecting a clean percentage, here is the honest answer: the Certified Residential Geothermal Designer credential, administered by the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), does not have a verified, publicly documented pass rate. Not for 2026, and not for earlier years in any source we could confirm.

That matters because the internet is full of confident-sounding numbers attached to certifications. When a credential's governing body does not publish outcomes, those numbers usually come from forum anecdotes, recycled content from unrelated exams, or outright invention. This article takes a different approach. It lays out what the data does show, explains why the pass rate question is more complicated for this particular credential, and gives you a framework for deciding how much any number should matter to your plans.

What the Verified Data Actually Shows

Rather than speculate, it helps to separate what is documented from what is not.

Notice the pattern. The things that can be verified are about renewal and curriculum. The things a pass rate depends on, such as the question count, the cut score and the candidate pool, are exactly the items with no current documentation. A pass rate is a ratio, and without a verified denominator or a verified scoring standard, any percentage is guesswork. For more on that gap, see our breakdown of the CRD passing score.

The Legacy Status That Reshapes "Pass Rate"

The single most important fact for anyone researching CRD outcomes is the credential's legacy status. IGSHPA's White Paper 251229 (revision 260114, dated January 14, 2026) addresses the sunsetting of IGSHPA legacy training courses and certifications, and it documents CRD by its full name. The paper reports that normal legacy training was replaced by the end of 2025.

This changes how you should think about pass rate in three ways:

• The candidate pool is shrinking. With normal legacy training replaced, new test-takers are limited to those in special circumstances, which makes any historical rate a poor predictor of what a current candidate would face.
• Availability is conditional. According to IGSHPA's training and certification pages, legacy courses are considered case by case and offered only when a utility, state or provincial program requires them.
• Lapsed credentials are gone for good. The current FAQ states that lapsed legacy credentials cannot be reinstated, so the real "pass" many holders face today is simply staying current.

Taking the GRSD examination is a separate optional upgrade path. It is not an automatic renaming of CRD, and its objectives, fees and rules should not be mixed with CRD information. Our guide to CRD exam dates covers what scheduling information is and is not available.

Where Candidates Struggle: The Nine Preparation Domains

Even without a published pass rate, the curriculum tells you where preparation effort belongs. IGSHPA's historical event listing for the CRD course names nine preparation-topic headings. These are curriculum headings, not weighted exam domains, so no one can honestly tell you which domain carries the most points. What we can say is which topics demand the most conceptual work, based on the nature of the material.

In our assessment, the load-calculation and pipe-design domains tend to be the hardest for newcomers because every later answer depends on getting the earlier numbers right. This is an informed judgment about the material, not a measured failure statistic. For a topic-by-topic walkthrough, read our complete guide to all nine CRD content areas.

Existing Holders vs. New Candidates

A useful way to cut through pass-rate confusion is to recognize that two very different groups care about this credential.

For active holders, "passing" is a continuing obligation, not a one-time event. For prospective candidates, the first hurdle is access, not difficulty. If you are weighing the credential's long-term value, our analysis of whether the CRD is worth it addresses that tradeoff directly, and our overview of CRD requirements explains how eligibility works.

The Numbers You Can Trust: Renewal Costs and CEUs

While exam statistics are unavailable, the renewal data is well documented. Under IGSHPA's fee policy effective January 1, 2024, current CRD renewal products are available in one-, two- or three-year terms:

• Members: $75 per year
• Non-members: $225 per year

These are renewal charges, not initial exam fees, and you should not mistake them for the cost of earning the credential. CEU documentation is required for processing, and IGSHPA describes eight CEU points per three-year cycle. That is eight CEU points, not eight classroom hours, so confirm how your activities are credited before assuming a course counts.

How to Evaluate Any Pass Rate Claim

You will encounter pass-rate figures for CRD on third-party sites. Before trusting one, run it through these checks:

1. Does it name the credential in full? A claim that says only "CRD" without identifying Certified Residential Geothermal Designer or IGSHPA may be describing a different credential entirely.
2. Does it cite a source? A legitimate figure should trace to the certifying body or a published report, not "industry sources."
3. Does it match the legacy reality? A rate presented as current when normal legacy training has been replaced deserves skepticism.
4. Does it come with a question count, passing mark and fee? If those details are missing or conflict with each other, the whole claim is likely unreliable.

Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain

If you are a candidate in a qualifying legacy program, or a holder reviewing the material, a domain-driven schedule beats generic study advice. Because the nine headings build on one another, order matters more than total hours. Here is one way to sequence them.

The reasoning: load calculations (Domain 6) feed directly into heat pump and pipe design (Domain 8), so give Domain 6 a dedicated week and revisit it before sizing work. Economics (Domain 9) comes last because it depends on the equipment and loop decisions made earlier. For a fuller plan, use our CRD study guide, and when you want applied practice, try the questions on the main practice test site. A condensed refresher is available in the CRD cheat sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions