PESTICIDE APPLICATOR LATEST 2026 EXAM TEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is a spray permit? - ✔✔A spray permit is a document issued by the TDA that
must be issued before application that authorizes a person to apply regulated herbicides
in a regulated county.
✔✔When does a spray permit expire? - ✔✔All permits expire when the acreage for
which the permit was granted has been sprayed, OR days after issuance, whichever
occurs first.
✔✔List some applications that would require a spray permit and some that would not
require a spray permit and some that are prohibited from having a spray permit. -
✔✔Spraying with standard ground application equipment would require a permit.
Applications of regulated herbicides to lawns and by brush, mop, wick, basal treatment,
or injection methods are exempt from obtaining a permit. The use of any turbine or
blower-type ground application equipment to apply regulated herbicides is prohibited.
✔✔What Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are required to renew the private
applicator's license? - ✔✔Private applicators are required to recertify every five years by
obtaining fifteen continuing education units (CEUs) including at least two credits in laws
and regulations and two credits in integrated pest management.
✔✔What late fees are added to the renewal fee if a private applicator does not renew
the license by February 28th? - ✔✔The renewal fee is $100 due by february 28. After
Feb 28 to May 31 there is a $30 late fee. After a license is lost, the applicator must wait
one year before they can train and retest. TDA will NOT issue a new license until one
full year elapses.
✔✔If an applicator fails to inform TDA of a change in mailing address, what can happen
to the license? - ✔✔Failure to provide such information may be grounds for denial,
suspension or revocation of the license.
✔✔When can a person request prior notification? - ✔✔Prior notification can be
requested when pesticides are being applied with air-blast, mist blowing or aerial
equipment by people on adjoining property living within 1/4 mile or by persons in charge
of day-care centers, hospitals, or nursing homes, and schools within 1/4 mile of the
application.
✔✔Name an accepted method of giving prior notification of a scheduled application to a
neighbor who has requested prior notification. - ✔✔The notification may be made by
raising an EPA WPS flag/sign in or about the field to which pesticides are scheduled to
be applied.
,✔✔How long are licensed pesticide applicators required to keep records? What type of
pesticides are required to be included in these records? - ✔✔A person license or
certified as a private applicator must maintain records of each application of a restricted-
use pesticide, state-limited0use pesticide, or regulated herbicide. Records of pesticide
use must be maintained for a period of two years.
✔✔Explain what is needed when the regulations require that the total volume of spray
mix, dust, granules, or other materials applied per unit be recorded. Give an example of
what is meant here. - ✔✔Record the rate/area. Examples: 1 gallon per 1000 square feet
or 30 gallons per acre this would include water, pesticide, surfactant and any other
additive put into the tank.
✔✔List locations that are covered by Worker Protection Standard WPS and others that
are exempt. - ✔✔WPS applies to most agricultural production such as field crops
(cotton, corn, sorghum, etc. also turfgrass production for sod, and greenhouse plant
production). Pastures and rangeland are exempt from WPS.
✔✔Compare the terms "Agricultural Employer" and "Handler Employer" as used in the
WPS. - ✔✔When reading the WPS Laws and Regs the term "Agricultural Employer" is
used when they discuss the employer of "workers" and the term "Handler Employer" is
used when they discuss employees of the "handlers". These two people may well be
the same person so don't let the terminology confuse you.
✔✔What is an agricultural employer? - ✔✔The person ultimately responsible for
insuring worker compliance with WPS restricted entry intervals before entering treated
fields.
✔✔How often is a supervisor required to monitor a handler who is using a highly toxic
pesticide marked with a skull and cross bones and how can they be monitored? -
✔✔Handlers handling highly toxic pesticides: The handler employer shall assure that
any handler who is performing any handling activity with a product that has the skull and
crossbones symbol on the front panel of the label is monitored visually or by voice
communication at least every two hours.
✔✔What items are necessary at the decontamination site(s) and who is responsible for
providing these items? - ✔✔The handler employer must provide enough water for
routine washing, for emergency eye flushing, and for washing the entire body, soap and
single-use towels in quantities sufficient to meet handlers' needs, and one clean change
of clothing, such as coveralls in case of an emergency.
✔✔How to Read Pesticide Labels - ✔✔1. Look for the brand name on the front of the
label.
2. Active ingredients are the ones that kill or control the pests.
, 3. Signal words tell you how poisonous the pesticide is.
-CAUTION: least poisonous pesticides - low toxicity
-WARNING: more poisonous or irritating - moderately toxic
- DANGER: very poisonous or irritating; may also have skull and crossbones - highly
toxic
*when handling pesticides with the DANGER signal word, someone should check on
you every two hours.
*The precautionary statements section tells you which parts of your body need special
protection and what kind of personal protective equipment to wear.
4. The environmental hazards section tells you if you must take extra care to protect
bees and wildlife or to keep the pesticide out of groundwater and surface water.
5. A restricted use pesticide is classified as restricted use by EPA because it may,
without additional regulatory restrictions, cause unreasonable adverse effects to the
environment or to human health (including injury to the applicator). Labels say for sale
to and for use by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision and only
for uses covered by the Licensed Applicator's license.
6. The Drections for use section lists information on mixing, loading, and application.
7. All agricultural pesticides have a restricted entry interval or REI. The REI is the time
immediately after the pesticide application during which entry into the treated area is
restricted. ( while the REI is in effect certain PPE is required for entry into the area: after
the REI has expired workers and handlers can enter the area without PPE.)
8. The PREHARVEST interval is the number of days between when the pesticide is
applied and when the crop is harvested.
9. Using a little MORE pesticide than the label recomments is NEVER legal since i
✔✔What are some consequences of groundwater contamination? - ✔✔Potentially
prohibitive clean-up expenses; possible cancellation of registered pesticides; health
effects, ect.
✔✔List some routes by which pesticides may reach groundwater. - ✔✔By leaching with
recharge water and via spills, abandoned wells, sinkholes, back-siphoning into wells,
and improper rinsate and container disposal.
✔✔What site features contribute to a greater potential for chemical movement through
soil? - ✔✔Coarse (sandy) soil, low in organic matter, a shallow depth to groundwater
and highly permeable materials between soil and groundwater.
✔✔What chemical and physical properties contribute to a pesticide's potential for
leaching? - ✔✔A pesticide is more likely to leach if it is very soluble in water, if it does
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is a spray permit? - ✔✔A spray permit is a document issued by the TDA that
must be issued before application that authorizes a person to apply regulated herbicides
in a regulated county.
✔✔When does a spray permit expire? - ✔✔All permits expire when the acreage for
which the permit was granted has been sprayed, OR days after issuance, whichever
occurs first.
✔✔List some applications that would require a spray permit and some that would not
require a spray permit and some that are prohibited from having a spray permit. -
✔✔Spraying with standard ground application equipment would require a permit.
Applications of regulated herbicides to lawns and by brush, mop, wick, basal treatment,
or injection methods are exempt from obtaining a permit. The use of any turbine or
blower-type ground application equipment to apply regulated herbicides is prohibited.
✔✔What Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are required to renew the private
applicator's license? - ✔✔Private applicators are required to recertify every five years by
obtaining fifteen continuing education units (CEUs) including at least two credits in laws
and regulations and two credits in integrated pest management.
✔✔What late fees are added to the renewal fee if a private applicator does not renew
the license by February 28th? - ✔✔The renewal fee is $100 due by february 28. After
Feb 28 to May 31 there is a $30 late fee. After a license is lost, the applicator must wait
one year before they can train and retest. TDA will NOT issue a new license until one
full year elapses.
✔✔If an applicator fails to inform TDA of a change in mailing address, what can happen
to the license? - ✔✔Failure to provide such information may be grounds for denial,
suspension or revocation of the license.
✔✔When can a person request prior notification? - ✔✔Prior notification can be
requested when pesticides are being applied with air-blast, mist blowing or aerial
equipment by people on adjoining property living within 1/4 mile or by persons in charge
of day-care centers, hospitals, or nursing homes, and schools within 1/4 mile of the
application.
✔✔Name an accepted method of giving prior notification of a scheduled application to a
neighbor who has requested prior notification. - ✔✔The notification may be made by
raising an EPA WPS flag/sign in or about the field to which pesticides are scheduled to
be applied.
,✔✔How long are licensed pesticide applicators required to keep records? What type of
pesticides are required to be included in these records? - ✔✔A person license or
certified as a private applicator must maintain records of each application of a restricted-
use pesticide, state-limited0use pesticide, or regulated herbicide. Records of pesticide
use must be maintained for a period of two years.
✔✔Explain what is needed when the regulations require that the total volume of spray
mix, dust, granules, or other materials applied per unit be recorded. Give an example of
what is meant here. - ✔✔Record the rate/area. Examples: 1 gallon per 1000 square feet
or 30 gallons per acre this would include water, pesticide, surfactant and any other
additive put into the tank.
✔✔List locations that are covered by Worker Protection Standard WPS and others that
are exempt. - ✔✔WPS applies to most agricultural production such as field crops
(cotton, corn, sorghum, etc. also turfgrass production for sod, and greenhouse plant
production). Pastures and rangeland are exempt from WPS.
✔✔Compare the terms "Agricultural Employer" and "Handler Employer" as used in the
WPS. - ✔✔When reading the WPS Laws and Regs the term "Agricultural Employer" is
used when they discuss the employer of "workers" and the term "Handler Employer" is
used when they discuss employees of the "handlers". These two people may well be
the same person so don't let the terminology confuse you.
✔✔What is an agricultural employer? - ✔✔The person ultimately responsible for
insuring worker compliance with WPS restricted entry intervals before entering treated
fields.
✔✔How often is a supervisor required to monitor a handler who is using a highly toxic
pesticide marked with a skull and cross bones and how can they be monitored? -
✔✔Handlers handling highly toxic pesticides: The handler employer shall assure that
any handler who is performing any handling activity with a product that has the skull and
crossbones symbol on the front panel of the label is monitored visually or by voice
communication at least every two hours.
✔✔What items are necessary at the decontamination site(s) and who is responsible for
providing these items? - ✔✔The handler employer must provide enough water for
routine washing, for emergency eye flushing, and for washing the entire body, soap and
single-use towels in quantities sufficient to meet handlers' needs, and one clean change
of clothing, such as coveralls in case of an emergency.
✔✔How to Read Pesticide Labels - ✔✔1. Look for the brand name on the front of the
label.
2. Active ingredients are the ones that kill or control the pests.
, 3. Signal words tell you how poisonous the pesticide is.
-CAUTION: least poisonous pesticides - low toxicity
-WARNING: more poisonous or irritating - moderately toxic
- DANGER: very poisonous or irritating; may also have skull and crossbones - highly
toxic
*when handling pesticides with the DANGER signal word, someone should check on
you every two hours.
*The precautionary statements section tells you which parts of your body need special
protection and what kind of personal protective equipment to wear.
4. The environmental hazards section tells you if you must take extra care to protect
bees and wildlife or to keep the pesticide out of groundwater and surface water.
5. A restricted use pesticide is classified as restricted use by EPA because it may,
without additional regulatory restrictions, cause unreasonable adverse effects to the
environment or to human health (including injury to the applicator). Labels say for sale
to and for use by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision and only
for uses covered by the Licensed Applicator's license.
6. The Drections for use section lists information on mixing, loading, and application.
7. All agricultural pesticides have a restricted entry interval or REI. The REI is the time
immediately after the pesticide application during which entry into the treated area is
restricted. ( while the REI is in effect certain PPE is required for entry into the area: after
the REI has expired workers and handlers can enter the area without PPE.)
8. The PREHARVEST interval is the number of days between when the pesticide is
applied and when the crop is harvested.
9. Using a little MORE pesticide than the label recomments is NEVER legal since i
✔✔What are some consequences of groundwater contamination? - ✔✔Potentially
prohibitive clean-up expenses; possible cancellation of registered pesticides; health
effects, ect.
✔✔List some routes by which pesticides may reach groundwater. - ✔✔By leaching with
recharge water and via spills, abandoned wells, sinkholes, back-siphoning into wells,
and improper rinsate and container disposal.
✔✔What site features contribute to a greater potential for chemical movement through
soil? - ✔✔Coarse (sandy) soil, low in organic matter, a shallow depth to groundwater
and highly permeable materials between soil and groundwater.
✔✔What chemical and physical properties contribute to a pesticide's potential for
leaching? - ✔✔A pesticide is more likely to leach if it is very soluble in water, if it does
