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Pesticide Applicator Core Exam Practice Test

Federal pesticide law, labels, formulations, toxicity and protective equipment, the environment, application equipment, calibration math and integrated pest management.

160 questions · 7 topics · free, no sign-up

Mixed practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

Timed mock exam

50 questions in 60 minutes, drawn from every topic. No answers shown until the end, then a score, your weakest topics and a review of what you missed.

Practise by topic

Sample questions

Which factor that the applicator controls has the greatest effect on spray drift?

  1. Tank color
  2. Brand of pump
  3. Hose length
  4. Droplet size
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D. Droplet size

Small droplets fall slowly and are carried farther by wind, so droplet size is the key factor in particle drift. It is set by nozzle type and size and by pressure.

Reference: Core Manual: Pesticides in the Environment; Application Procedures

What is the purpose of calibrating application equipment?

  1. To find out which pests are present on the site
  2. To check that the product has not passed its shelf life
  3. To make sure it delivers the intended amount evenly over the target
  4. To remove residues left from the previous product
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C. To make sure it delivers the intended amount evenly over the target

Calibration measures and adjusts the output so the labeled rate is actually applied. Too little gives poor control; too much is illegal, wasteful and may injure the crop or leave excess residue. Removing old residues is cleaning, not calibration.

Reference: Core Manual: Application Procedures (calibration)

When an emulsifiable concentrate is added to water in the spray tank, what does it form?

  1. A clear true solution
  2. A gritty suspension
  3. A thick invert gel
  4. A milky emulsion
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D. A milky emulsion

The emulsifier lets droplets of the oil-based concentrate disperse in water, which gives the characteristic milky look. A true solution stays clear, as with soluble powders or liquid solutions.

Reference: Core Manual: Pesticide Formulations

Which load arrangement is acceptable when transporting pesticides?

  1. Pesticides stacked loose on top of bags of livestock feed and covered with a tarp
  2. Paper bags of pesticide left uncovered in the rain
  3. Pesticides in the bed with children riding next to them
  4. Pesticides tied down in the bed, with no food or feed in the load
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D. Pesticides tied down in the bed, with no food or feed in the load

Containers should be secured and protected from weather, and never carried with food, feed, people or animals that a leak could contaminate. Loose containers can tip, puncture or fall from the vehicle.

Reference: Core Manual: Transportation, Storage and Security

By which route does a pesticide generally enter the bloodstream fastest?

  1. Contact with the forearm
  2. Contact with the palm
  3. Contact with the foot
  4. Inhalation into the lungs
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D. Inhalation into the lungs

The lungs have a huge, thin, blood-rich surface, so inhaled vapors and fine particles are absorbed very quickly. Skin is the most common route, but absorption through most skin is slower.

Reference: Core Manual: Pesticide Hazards and First Aid

Exams this helps with

ExamWho runs itWhere
Pesticide applicator core (private and commercial) readyState agriculture departmentsUnited States (varies by state)
Ornamental and turf pest control readyState agriculture departmentsUnited States (varies by state)
Structural pest control (general, termite, fumigation) readyState boardsUnited States (varies by state)

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