The Certified Residential Geothermal Designer credential from IGSHPA is aimed at people who design ground source heat pump systems for homes. This page gives you free practice sets split by topic, from load calculations to commissioning, along with a plain summary of how the successor exam is delivered, scored and renewed.
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 (GRSD (successor exam)) | About 80 scored multiple-choice questions, plus up to 10 unscored[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Time limit (GRSD (successor exam)) | 180 minutes[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Passing score (GRSD (successor exam)) | Criterion-referenced cut score (number not published)[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Exam fee (GRSD (successor exam)) | $450 exam fee (no member discount)[2] | International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); the successor GRSD certification is issued by CSA Group · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Retake policy (GRSD (successor exam)) | Up to 3 attempts in 6 months; 2-week wait between attempts; re-exam fee for attempts 2 and 3[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Validity | CEUs due every 3 years[3] | International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); the successor GRSD certification is issued by CSA Group · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Validity (GRSD (successor exam)) | 5 years[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Renewal | Renewable indefinitely with CEUs, if it does not lapse[4] | International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); the successor GRSD certification is issued by CSA Group · Oct 30, 2026 |
| Renewal (GRSD (successor exam)) | 30 GSHP CEUs within the past 3 years, or retake the exam[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Delivery (GRSD (successor exam)) | Computer-based test center on demand, or remote online proctoring[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Eligibility (GRSD (successor exam)) | Current CRD holders may take the GRSD exam without the courses[5] | International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); the successor GRSD certification is issued by CSA Group · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Score release (GRSD (successor exam)) | About 2 weeks after the exam[1] | csagroup.org · Oct 22, 2026 |
According to International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); the successor GRSD certification is issued by CSA Group, “The GSHP Residential System Designer examination consists of approximately 80 multiple-choice questions.”[1]
The CRD credential comes from the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). IGSHPA states that the Certified Residential Designer course is being replaced by the GSHP Residential Design Workshop. The successor certification, GSHP Residential System Designer (GRSD), is issued by CSA Group. Current CRD holders may take the GRSD exam without taking the courses if they wish.
The GRSD exam is delivered on a computer, either at a testing centre on demand or through remote online proctoring on your own computer. It has about 80 scored multiple-choice questions, plus up to 10 unscored ones. You get 180 minutes, and the exam is closed book. The exam fee listed by IGSHPA is $450, with no member discount.
CSA Group does not publish the cut score. It uses a criterion-referenced method, so the standard is set against what a competent designer should know, not against other candidates. Official notification of your result arrives about 2 weeks after the exam.
If you do not pass, you may make up to 3 attempts in 6 months, with a 2-week wait between attempts. Re-examination fees apply to attempts 2 and 3. The GRSD certification is valid for 5 years. Renewal is done with 30 GSHP CEUs from the past 3 years, or by retaking the exam. Check the CSA Group certification guide and the IGSHPA site before you book, because fees and rules can change.
Prepare for the CRD - Certified Residential Geothermal Designer 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: Which ASHRAE publication serves as the primary industry reference for ground-source heat pump system design in the United States?
Answer: A. ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Applications, Chapter on Geothermal Energy
Explanation:
The correct choice is the ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook chapter on geothermal energy, because that chapter covers design methods, equipment selection and loop sizing for ground source systems. The other options are real ASHRAE documents, but they cover different topics. Standard 90.1 deals with energy efficiency in buildings other than low-rise residential. Guideline 14 deals with measuring energy and demand savings. Standard 62.1 deals with ventilation and indoor air quality. None of them is a design reference for heat pump loops.
The general rule: when a question asks for the primary design reference, match the document to its subject. A standard or guideline named for another purpose is a distractor, even if it is well known.
Question: In residential load calculations, infiltration is typically measured using which unit?
Answer: A. ACH (air changes per hour)
Explanation:
Infiltration is expressed in ACH, air changes per hour, which describes how many times the volume of air in the home is replaced by outdoor air. That ties directly to the size of the heating and cooling load. CFM per square foot is a flow rate scaled to area, so it is used for ventilation or duct design rather than for leakage of the whole house. BTU/hr per degree-day is not an air-leakage unit at all. Tons of refrigeration measure cooling capacity, not air movement.
The general rule: check what the unit measures. Leakage is a volume of air exchanged over time, so look for a unit built from air volume and time.
Question: What is the main goal of Ground Loop & Heat Pump Configuration?
Answer: B. To optimize system performance and efficiency
Explanation:
The correct answer is to optimize system performance and efficiency. Configuring the ground loop and the heat pump together is what lets heat move efficiently between the earth and the building, which lowers operating costs and keeps the home comfortable. Increasing energy consumption, reducing system lifespan and complicating the design are all outcomes a designer is trying to avoid, so they cannot be the goal of a design task.
The general rule: on goal-style questions, pick the option that describes a better result for the owner. Options that describe harm or needless complexity are almost always wrong.
Start by reading the current exam guide from CSA Group and the IGSHPA certification page, so you know what the exam covers and how it is delivered. Then take the main practice test on this page to see where you stand, without looking anything up.
Next, work through the topic sets in short sessions. Spend more time on the ones where you miss questions, such as load calculations, ground loop and heat pump configuration, or system design principles. After each set, read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right, and write down the rule behind each wrong answer in your own words.
Where a question exposes a gap, go back to your course notes or your reference handbook and read that section, then retry the set a few days later. Add the sets on installation standards, controls, commissioning and regulatory compliance once the design topics feel steady. Because the real exam is closed book, practise without notes and with a timer. Our questions are written by us for practice and are not real exam questions, so use them to find weak areas, not to predict what you will see.
IGSHPA states that the Certified Residential Designer course is being replaced by the GSHP Residential Design Workshop. The successor certification is GSHP Residential System Designer, issued by CSA Group. Current CRD holders may take that exam without taking the courses if they wish. Check IGSHPA and CSA Group for the current status before you plan.
It is delivered electronically, either at a computer-based testing centre on demand or through remote online proctoring on your own computer. The exam is closed book. You have 180 minutes to finish it.
The exam has about 80 scored multiple-choice questions, plus up to 10 unscored ones. CSA Group uses a criterion-referenced standard and does not publish the cut score. Official notification of your result comes about 2 weeks after the exam.
IGSHPA lists the GRSD exam fee as $450, with no member discount. Re-examination fees apply to the second and third attempts. Confirm the current amount on the IGSHPA training catalog before you register.
You may make up to 3 attempts in 6 months. There is a 2-week wait between attempts, and re-examination fees must be paid in full before you can schedule attempts 2 and 3. Use the wait to review the topics you found hardest.
The GRSD certification is valid for 5 years from the date of issue. To renew, submit evidence of 30 GSHP CEUs from the past 3 years, or retake the exam. IGSHPA's older CRD certificate is renewed with CEUs every 3 years.
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