Horticulture Certification

The Horticulture Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests professional horticulture knowledge — plant science and identification, soils, nutrients and water, propagation and production, and plant health with integrated pest management and landscape care — written to Royal Horticultural Society advice, FAO soil guidance, US EPA and University of California IPM guidance and USDA hardiness zone data for 2026. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Horticulture Proficiency certificate (SOA-H3). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Gardening advice (Royal Horticultural Society), FAO Soils Portal (soil properties, fertility and management) (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (US Environmental Protection Agency) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Horticulture Certification, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures plant science and identification, soils, nutrients and water, propagation and production and plant health and landscape care and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Horticulture Proficiency certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Gardening advice (Royal Horticultural Society); FAO Soils Portal (soil properties, fertility and management) (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations); Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (US Environmental Protection Agency); UC IPM: integrated pest management guidelines for gardens and landscapes (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources); USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (US Department of Agriculture). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Plant Science and Identification (Plant structure and processes, Plant hormones and Botanical names); Soils, Nutrients and Water (Soil texture and pH, Plant nutrients and Watering and organic matter); Propagation and Production (Seeds, Cuttings, division and grafting and Nursery and greenhouse practice); Plant Health and Landscape Care (Integrated pest management, Pruning and Planting and site). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Horticulturist or gardener, Nursery or greenhouse grower, Landscape technician, Groundskeeper or park staff and Horticulture student or apprentice. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Horticulture knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Horticulture qualifications, such as RHS Level 2 and 3 in the UK or college and extension certificates elsewhere, cover plant biology and naming, soils and plant nutrition, propagation, plant health and pest management, and the practical care of gardens, nurseries and landscapes.

Integrated pest management (IPM) combines monitoring, prevention, cultural and biological controls, and pesticides only when needed and in the least harmful form. It aims to keep pests below damaging levels while protecting people, beneficial organisms and the environment.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.