The Certified Diamond Grader (CDG) course from HRD Antwerp is open to anyone aged 18 or older, with no prior diamond experience required. This page gives candidates free practice sets by topic, three worked questions with full explanations, a study plan, and a summary of how the course is delivered, what it costs and how it is examined.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | Two exams: online theory (level 1) + practical (level 2)[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Online Live Theory Module) | $804 excl. tax[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Online Recorded Theory Module) | $669 excl. 21% VAT (90 days access)[2] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Validity | Both modules must be passed within 6 months[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Delivery | Online theory (live or recorded) + on-campus practical course (10 days)[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Minimum age 18; no prior diamond experience required[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | Full payment due within 15 days of registration[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Testing window (Online Live Theory Module (CDGOE2604)) | Nov 2 – Nov 13, 2026 (10:00–13:00 CET)[1] | HRD Antwerp · Oct 27, 2026 |
According to HRD Antwerp, “Student must successfully complete and pass the required examinations of both modules (online – 1st level and practice course – 2nd level) to earn the prestigious Certified Diamond Grader diploma, all within six months.”[1]
The Certified Diamond Grader qualification is run by HRD Antwerp. It combines an online theory module, taken live or recorded, with an on-campus Diamond Grading Practical Course that lasts 10 days. The minimum age is 18, and no previous diamond experience is required.
There are two examinations. The online theory exam is level 1 and the practical exam is level 2. You must pass both to earn the diploma, and both must be completed within 6 months.
Fees listed by HRD Antwerp: the Online Live Theory Module is $804 excluding tax. The Online Recorded Theory Module is $669 excluding 21% VAT and includes 90 days of access. To secure your place, HRD Antwerp asks for full payment within 15 days of registration.
The Online Live Theory Module with code CDGOE2604 runs from Nov 2 to Nov 13, 2026, from 10:00 to 13:00 CET.
This page does not state a retake policy, a pass mark or a question count, because we have no verified source for them. Check the official HRD Antwerp course pages for those details and for any change to dates or fees before you register. Our practice questions are written by us and are not real exam questions. Use them to find weak areas, not to predict the exam.
The content areas below are copied from the official CDG content outline published by HRD Antwerp. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Module 1: Optics, Physics & The Foundations of Weighing[3] | CDG Gemology & Mineralogy Fundamentals Practise the basic properties of diamond and how light behaves in it, since later grading judgements depend on them. |
| Module 2: The Core Elements: Color, Clarity & Structural Plotting[3] | CDG Diamond Grading & Evaluation Techniques Practise judging inclusions and color, and explaining how each feature affects a grade and the stone's durability. |
| Module 3: Cut Grading, Fancy Shapes & Commercial Security[3] | CDG Diamond Cutting & Polishing Standards Practise cut and polish assessment, then the handling and documentation habits that protect a stone in a commercial setting. |
Prepare for the CDG - Certified Diamond Grader exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: A diamond has a large feather inclusion that extends from near the girdle toward the center under 10x magnification. What is the primary grading concern with this inclusion?
Answer: B. It poses a durability risk in addition to affecting clarity grade
Explanation:
B is correct. A feather is a fracture, and one that runs from near the girdle toward the center is a structural weakness as well as a clarity characteristic. It can chip or extend during setting or everyday wear, so a grader notes both the clarity effect and the durability risk.
A is wrong because a feather is an inclusion and affects clarity, not color. C is wrong because a feather that reaches into the stone seen at 10x is not simply an external blemish, and no rule says every feather at the girdle is graded that way. D is wrong because no single feature automatically sets a clarity grade. The grade depends on its size, position, visibility and how it combines with other characteristics.
Rule to remember: ask what a feature does to appearance and what it does to the stone's strength.
Question: In professional diamond grading, the term 'chain of custody' refers to:
Answer: B. The documented tracking of a stone from client receipt through grading to return
Explanation:
B is correct. Chain of custody is the documented tracking of a stone from the moment the client hands it over, through grading, to its return. Its purpose is accountability and preventing substitution, so every handover is recorded.
A is wrong because ownership history is a question of provenance and title, not of how a laboratory handles a stone. C is wrong because a list of graders is only a part of the record. It does not show where the stone was or when. D is wrong because the order of grading steps describes a workflow, not the movement and control of the stone itself.
Rule to remember: custody is about who held the stone, when, and under what documentation, from intake to return.
Question: What is reflective practice in Certified Diamond Grader professional growth?
Answer: B. Systematically examining experiences to gain insight and improve future practice
Explanation:
B is correct. Reflective practice means systematically examining your experiences, including successes and failures, to gain insight and improve how you work in future.
A is wrong because avoiding past mistakes is a passive aim. It does not involve analysing why something happened. C is wrong because looking only at positive outcomes leaves out the cases that teach the most, and it gives a skewed picture of your own work. D is wrong because a journal unrelated to work may be personal, but it does not feed back into professional performance.
Rule to remember: reflection is structured, covers what went well and what did not, and ends in a change to how you grade or handle stones next time.
Start with the official HRD Antwerp course page so you know how the theory module and the practical course fit together, and what the dates and fees are. Then work through our practice sets in the order of the official content areas: optics, physics and weighing; color, clarity and plotting; then cut grading, fancy shapes and commercial security.
For each set, answer without looking anything up, then read every explanation, including those for questions you got right. Write down the rule behind each miss in one line and keep those lines in a single notes file. Revisit the notes after each set, not just at the end.
Use the worked questions above as a model for how to read the options. Ask why each wrong option is wrong, not only why the right one is right. Add the sets on laboratory reports, documentation and ethics once the core grading topics feel steady, because they are part of how a grader works day to day.
Treat the practical course as separate preparation. Our sets are theory only and cannot replace hands-on grading. Near your test date, repeat the sets where you made the most mistakes and rely on the official material for anything we do not cover.
No. HRD Antwerp states that no previous diamond experience is required. The minimum age is 18. Because the course starts from the basics, a candidate with a different background can enrol. Check the official course page for any other entry conditions before you register.
It combines an online theory module, offered live or recorded, with an on-campus Diamond Grading Practical Course that lasts 10 days. There are two examinations: online theory is level 1 and the practical is level 2. Both modules must be passed to earn the diploma.
HRD Antwerp lists the Online Live Theory Module at $804 excluding tax. The Online Recorded Theory Module is $669 excluding 21% VAT, with 90 days of access. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the official course page before you pay.
The Online Live Theory Module with code CDGOE2604 runs from Nov 2 to Nov 13, 2026, from 10:00 to 13:00 CET. HRD Antwerp asks for full payment within 15 days of registration to secure your place. Check the official page for later dates.
HRD Antwerp states that you must pass the examinations of both modules, online theory at level 1 and the practical at level 2, within 6 months to earn the Certified Diamond Grader diploma. For anything about missed deadlines or retakes, ask HRD Antwerp directly.
No. We write them ourselves, with the help of AI tools, to practise the topics in the official outline. They are not taken from the real exam and they do not predict your result. Use them to find weak areas, then go back to the official material.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.