10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The CGM exam has 75 questions and runs 1 hours 30 minutes.
These 10 free CGM questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Grounds Manager blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A work order covers a 10,000-square-foot courtyard, including 2,000 square feet of mulched beds that are not to be fertilized. The turf prescription calls for 0.5 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet and no added phosphorus; potassium is acceptable. Which fertilizer load fulfills the work order?
Correct answer: A - 20 pounds of 20-0-10 fertilizer
Water-only collection tests on a boom sprayer repeatedly identify one nozzle with output above the manufacturer's replacement limit. All nozzles are the specified model, pressure is stable, and the other nozzles meet the required flow and pattern specifications. Which correction preserves uniform delivery across the boom?
Correct answer: C - Replace the outlying nozzle and verify the boom's output again.
A tall fescue lawn develops brown patches during humid weather with nights near 74°F and days near 93°F. At the advancing margins, leaves remain upright and have irregular tan lesions with dark brown borders. Roots and crowns are intact; the foliage is not greasy or matted. Which diagnosis is most strongly supported by this combination?
Correct answer: B - Brown patch
A dry crescent has developed along the edge of an irrigated lawn, while the center stays wet. A representative catch-can audit reports low-quarter distribution uniformity (DUlq) of 52%; the facility's acceptance target is at least 75%. Operating pressure meets the sprinkler manufacturer's specification. What should the manager authorize before revising the watering schedule?
Correct answer: C - Correct sprinkler coverage defects, then repeat the catch-can audit.
An irrigation supply gauge reads 62 psi with the zone closed and 50 psi while the zone operates. The critical sprinkler is 20 feet above that gauge. Pipe, fitting, and valve losses from the gauge to the sprinkler total 6 psi at operating flow; the sprinkler requires at least 40 psi. Use 0.433 psi per foot of elevation. Which assessment of the pressure available at that sprinkler is correct?
Correct answer: A - Approximately 35.3 psi; the pressure requirement is not met.
Two mowers meet the same capacity and cut-quality requirements. Both will be kept for five years. Mower A costs $18,000, has total operating and maintenance costs of $4,800 per year, and an expected resale value of $3,000. Mower B costs $25,000, has corresponding annual costs of $3,000, and an expected resale value of $5,000. Other costs are equal. Ignoring discounting, which purchase has the lower five-year ownership-and-operating cost, and by how much?
Correct answer: D - Mower B, by $4,000
Repeated event parking has left a loam lawn with shallow roots and ponding. Adjacent untrafficked soil of the same texture drains normally. Laboratory results show similar pH in both areas, adequate calcium, and no sodium problem. The affected soil has greater bulk density. The most direct corrective plan is to:
Correct answer: B - Core-aerate during active turf growth and keep vehicles off wet soil.
During a planting inspection, the top of a container-grown tree's potting medium is flush with the surrounding ground, but the first major roots are buried 3 inches below that surface. The hole has not yet been backfilled, and the native soil drains well. The planting depth should be corrected by:
Correct answer: D - Removing excess medium and resetting the tree with its root flare at grade.
A healthy forsythia planting has just finished its spring display. Its long shoots need selective shortening, and preserving next spring's flowers is a priority. When should that routine pruning be scheduled?
Correct answer: B - Now, soon after the current flowers have finished.
A southern sports complex needs a warm-season grass for a full-sun practice field. The decisive requirement is rapid recovery of worn areas between summer games, not simply resistance to initial wear. Irrigation, frequent mowing, and vegetative establishment are available. Local winters are suitable for all four choices. Which grass fits that requirement most closely?
Correct answer: A - Bermudagrass
The full bank has 1,020 more CGM questions with explanations.
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