PestControlExams.com

Pass the national pesticide core exam the first time.

Timed practice exams for commercial pesticide applicator candidates in Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa and North Dakota: the pesticide core plus federal certification, restricted use pesticide and Worker Protection Standard rules (40 CFR Parts 152, 170 and 171), with every answer cited to its source. Find your weak topics before test day.

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  • 50 questions in 60 minutes, scored at 75%
  • Drawn at random from a bank of 271 original questions
  • Every answer cites the law, rule or EPA source it comes from
  • A score for each topic and a recap of what to review

Sources checked

Sample questionFree

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What each practice exam covers

Arizona gives the National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Exam, and its rule has the core test the federal core standards (A.A.C. R3-8-211; 40 CFR 171.103(c)). Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa and North Dakota set their core exams by the same federal standards. Those standards include knowledge of applicable state laws (40 CFR 171.103(c)(8)), so those four exams may also ask about state law, and this practice exam has none. Each practice exam follows the federal core competencies, plus federal certification, restricted use pesticide and Worker Protection Standard rules.

Which States Use the National Pesticide Core Exam

What you see when you finish

Pass or fail at the 75% pass mark, your score in every topic, what to reread for each topic you missed, and an explanation of every question you got wrong.

Example result The scores are made up. The topics and the study note (shortened here) are this exam's own.
72%36 of 50

You would not have passed yet.

You scored 72%. The passing score is 75%, so you needed 2 more correct. Start with the topics below.

Score by topic

  • Pests and Integrated Pest Management2 of 4
  • Pesticides: Types, Formulations and Action5 of 5
  • Transport, Storage, Spills and Disposal2 of 4
  • Supervision and Professionalism2 of 2

And 7 more topics. The marker on each bar is the 75% passing line.

What to study

Pests and Integrated Pest Management

2 missed · 50% correct in this topic

Start every pest problem by identifying the organism, and know the four pest groups: weeds, invertebrates such as insects, mites and slugs, pathogens, and vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Learn how insects (six legs, three body parts) differ from …

Reread: Core Manual (2014), Ch. 1, pp. 4–15; EPA, Introduction to Integrated Pest Management; Basic Entomology for Identification, Cornell Cooperative Extension (2013); A Guide to Weed Life Cycles, UMass Extension Turf Program; What Causes Plant Disease?, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (2005)

Study guide: Pests and Integrated Pest Management

How a practice exam works

  1. Pick one exam or a pack of 3

    $9 for one, or $19 for three. Checkout runs through Stripe with no account to create, and your first exam opens as soon as payment clears.

  2. Answer 50 questions

    A 60-minute clock. Skip, mark for review, and change answers until you submit.

  3. See your result

    Pass or fail at 75%, your score by topic, a recap of what to study, and every missed question explained with its source.

Questions

What exam do these practice tests prepare me for?

The national pesticide applicator core exam given in Arizona, and the core exams Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa and North Dakota set by the same federal standards. Arizona applicants take the National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Exam and at least one category exam, and must score at least 75% on the core (Arizona Department of Agriculture; A.A.C. R3-8-211).

How are the real core exams set up?

Each state gives its own core exam, and few publish its length. Oklahoma's core exam is given by computer through PSI, with 50 questions in 75 minutes, closed book, and 70% passes (OAC 35:30-17-4; PSI candidate bulletin). Mississippi's exams are closed book (MDAC), and North Dakota's are closed book unless the board or its designee allows otherwise in advance (N.D. Admin. Code 60-03-01-05.3).

How do your practice exams compare?

Each practice exam has 50 questions on a 60-minute clock, graded at 75%, drawn from a bank of 271. 40 questions cover the pesticide core every certifying agency tests (40 CFR 171.103), and 10 cover federal certification, restricted use pesticide and Worker Protection Standard rules (40 CFR Parts 152, 170 and 171). You see your score in every topic and a cited explanation for every miss.

Where do the questions come from?

Every question is original and cites a primary source: the federal certification, restricted use pesticide or Worker Protection Standard rule, the federal pesticide law or regulation (FIFRA, 40 CFR Parts 156, 165, 170 and 171), an EPA publication, or a land-grant extension publication. Each citation was checked against its source before the question went on sale.

How much do the practice exams cost?

One practice exam is $9, or $19 for a pack of 3. Each exam in a pack favors questions you haven't seen yet.

Is this affiliated with EPA or a state agency?

No. This is an independent study aid, not affiliated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona Department of Agriculture, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, North Dakota State University or any exam vendor.

Can I get a refund?

All sales are final. If a technical problem on our side keeps you from opening or finishing an exam, email us and we'll fix it.

Find out whether you'd pass today

A pack of 3 covers a first try, a second after studying and a last check before test day. Use them any time within a year.

An independent study aid, not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona Department of Agriculture, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, North Dakota State University or any exam vendor. Questions are original and checked against the current statutes, rules and federal sources they cite.