American Grill Service Institute
AGSI

Eligibility & access

Meet what preferred vendors and property managers already expect

Test out for CGCT Level I — exam eligibility for $499. Training is optional and never required. Pass and you get the mark buyers check.

Test out CGCT Level I $499Team volume rates ↓

Why certification — and the mark — matter

CGCT is verifiable competence, not a course certificate. The branding kit puts that signal where buyers look: trucks, sites, and socials.

You unlock

  • ✓ Preferred-vendor / PM eligibility framing
  • ✓ Public, checkable credential at /verify
  • ✓ Digital ID + full branding kit on pass

Not sold as

  • ✗ A course + exam bundle requirement
  • ✗ Training that mints the credential
  • ✗ A legal requirement

Branding kit

What’s in the branding kit

Pass CGCT and download the kit from your account. Public previews use real AGSI marks only — no invented assets.

Employs ≠ company certified. The Employs mark means the business employs Active AGSI-certified technician(s) — not that the company holds an AGSI credential.

American Grill Service Institute logo

AGSI mark

  • Digital ID

    Verifiable credential identity for your listing and customer proof.

  • CGCT™ mark

    Your personal credential logo — use while CGCT is Active.

  • Employs logos

    For shops that employ Active CGCT holders. Employs ≠ company certified.

  • Employs banners

    Print and web banners signaling staff credentials — not company certification.

  • Social graphics

    Ready-to-post images for LinkedIn, Facebook, and more.

  • Website snippets

    HTML/CSS banner snippets for your site.

Exam ≠ course

Education ≠ credential. Took the class ≠ holds CGCT.

Credential path

Pass the exam

Fee covers exam eligibility and, on pass, the credential — not a required paid class.

Optional education

Study / courses

Free prep at /study. Certificate of Course Completion is not CGCT. Verify only at /verify.

What does the exam fee cover — and is a paid class required?

The exam fee covers exam eligibility and, if you pass, the credential for the published term. It does not include a required paid course. There is no pay-to-play: you can test out without buying training.

Free voluntary prep is available on /study and in the Book of Knowledge. Separate training courses (especially repair) are optional education — coming off-season where noted — and are not part of the exam fee. Finishing a class earns a Certificate of Course Completion only; that is not the same as CGCT or CAGST. Verify credentials only at /verify.

CGCT™ — Level I (open now)

Verifies competence in professional grill cleaning practices, including safety considerations, inspection awareness, sanitation principles, and cleaning-related service decisions.

  • ✓ Sanitization & degreasing standards
  • ✓ Surface protection protocols
  • ✓ Basic safety inspection awareness

Level II (CAGST™) is an add-on after active CGCT — purchase from your account ($299). Company certification is not open.

What is CGCT vs CAGST?

CGCT (Certified Grill Cleaning Technician) is Level I. It verifies competence in professional grill cleaning practices — safety considerations, inspection awareness, sanitation principles, and cleaning-related service decisions. The primary single-person path is the $499 test-out.

CAGST (Certified Advanced Grill Service Technician) is the advanced add-on. It covers diagnostics, mechanical repair, parts replacement, and gas safety fundamentals. You must hold active CGCT first. Standard CAGST eligibility is $299 (published term). After you earn CGCT, purchase CAGST from your account checkout. There is no separate public CAGST landing page yet — plan on Get certified, then the account path.

How to meet the bar

  1. 1

    Purchase eligibility

    $499 · 90-day window. Kit + listing on pass.

  2. 2

    Agreements & ID

    Code of Conduct + exam integrity. ID before first attempt.

  3. 3

    Pass the 90-minute exam

    Open-book. 70 questions. 75% pass. Free retakes after 7 days.

  4. 4

    Certification granted

    3-year term. Directory public by default for /verify.

Are there prerequisites? How should I prepare?

CGCT has no formal prerequisites. Relevant field experience helps, but you do not need a prior AGSI course or certificate to purchase eligibility or sit for the exam.

CAGST requires active CGCT before you can purchase or sit for the advanced exam.

Optional free prep: /study (guides and practice) and the Book of Knowledge. Prep products do not grant a credential and are never required.

Paths at a glance

  • Primary — Test out ($499)

    CGCT Level I exam eligibility. No training purchase required.

  • Secondary — Combined (course + $399 first CGCT term)

    Commercial bundle only — not a prerequisite. Training stays optional.

  • Tertiary — Training only

    Certificate of Course Completion only — not a CGCT credential.

See optional study →

Teams & volume

Volume pricing for multiple technicians

Public per-technician rates when several people certify together. Single CGCT test-out is still $499. CAGST is an add-on and requires active CGCT first. Training courses are separate and not included in exam fees. Teams of 3 or more: contact us for checkout — multi-seat purchase is not self-serve yet.

Volume pricing by number of technicians for CGCT, CAGST add-on, and CGCT+CAGST bundle
Techs togetherCGCTCAGST add-onCGCT requiredBundle CGCT+CAGST
1–2$499$299$748
3–5$449$269$668
6–10$399$239$588
11–24$349$209$508
25+Custom — contactCustom — contactCustom — contact
Contact for team checkoutSingle CGCT test-out — $499

Rates above are public (not a private quote). Franchise and 25+ seats: email info@agsinstitute.org.

Do you offer volume discounts when several technicians certify together?

Yes — and the rates are public on this site (not a private quote). When several technicians certify together, per-person pricing steps down by team size. CAGST is priced as an add-on and still requires active CGCT first. Bundle pricing covers CGCT + CAGST for the same person.

Self-serve checkout today is single-seat. For 3 or more seats, use Contact for team checkout at info@agsinstitute.org. See the volume table on Get certified.

Can our company buy a bundle or get company certification?

You can put several technicians through individual CGCT (and CAGST add-on or CGCT+CAGST bundle) using the public volume rates. That is how most field teams buy today.

Company-level certification is not open — there is no public company Apply flow. See company certification. For team checkout (3+ seats) or franchise programs, email info@agsinstitute.org. Individual credentials remain checkable at /verify.

Education ≠ credential. Class ≠ certification. Designed toward ISO/IEC 17024; AGSI does not claim ANAB accreditation. Verify CGCT and CAGST only at /verify. Employs ≠ company certified.