MDARD MICHIGAN CORE PESTICIDE
APPLICATOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
● commercial applicator - A certified applicator who uses or supervises
the use of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a
private applicator certification.
● commercial applicator for hire - any commercial applicator who, in
exchange for compensation, uses or supervises the use of any pesticides
for any purpose or on any property than as provided in the definition of
private applicator:
Commercial applicators for hire in VA MUST have a Pesticide Business
License or work for such a business.
● commercial applicator government employee - any local, state, or
federal govt employee who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide
for any purpose, regardless of the site, in the performance of their
official duties
● commercial applicator inactive - any commercial applicator who is not
currently employed in a pesticide-related job and is thus not covered by
the required insurance. Holders of this type of certificate must adhere to
renewal and re-certification requirements
,● commercial applicator not for hire - Any commercial applicator who
uses or supervises the use for any pesticide as part of his/her job duties
only on property owned or leased by the applicator or his/her employer.
● Direct Onsite Supervision - The act or process by which a competent
person, acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator
who is responsible for the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. The
certified applicator must be present at the application site and be able to
see the person applying the pesticide at all times.
● Direct supervision - the act or process by which a competent person,
acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is
responsible for the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. the
certified applicator must be either near or in close telephone or radio
contact with the person applying the pesticide
● Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) - a law
that established the basis of U.S. pesticide regulation to protect the
applicators, consumers, and the environment.
● pesticide - any substance used to control a pest, or to reduce the
unwanted or harmful effects of a pest.
,● Pesticide Business License - a document required of persons in the
business of selling, storing, distributing, mixing, recommending the use
of, or applying pesticides.
● pesticide use - application or supervision of an application of
pesticide. "use" includes all the routine actives that are part of a pesticide
application, such as mixing, loading, cleanup, and disposal.
● private applicator - A certified applicator who uses or supervises the
use of any restricted-use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity.
● Recertification - Demonstration of competency by participation in
appropriate, approved education courses; or by re-examination.
● registered technician - a certified applicator who renders services
similar to those of a certified commercial applicator. such a person has
completed training and demonstrated competency as required for
registered technicians but has not met the requirements for commercial
certification.
● restricted-use pesticide - any pesticide classified as restricted use by
the EPA.
● spot treatment - an application of less than 1/10th of an acre occurring
on the same day as a larger treatment
, ● federal worker protection standard (WPS) - requires growers who hire
agricultural labor to make, maintain, and post pesticide application
records.
● annual - A plant that completes its life cycle in one year
● appendage - an animal body part or organ that projects from the main
part of the body
● biennial - a plant that completes its life cycle in two years. the first
year it germinates and grows, the second year it continues to grow,
produces fruit, and seeds, and then dies.
● control - to kill, prevent, or lessen the harmful effects of, to destroy, or
to repel an undesirable organism
● dicot - a plant with two seed leaves and broad, net veined leaves.
flower parts are in multiples of fours or fives
● disease - any abnormal, unhealthy condition caused by an invading
organism such as a bacterium or virus.
APPLICATOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
● commercial applicator - A certified applicator who uses or supervises
the use of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a
private applicator certification.
● commercial applicator for hire - any commercial applicator who, in
exchange for compensation, uses or supervises the use of any pesticides
for any purpose or on any property than as provided in the definition of
private applicator:
Commercial applicators for hire in VA MUST have a Pesticide Business
License or work for such a business.
● commercial applicator government employee - any local, state, or
federal govt employee who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide
for any purpose, regardless of the site, in the performance of their
official duties
● commercial applicator inactive - any commercial applicator who is not
currently employed in a pesticide-related job and is thus not covered by
the required insurance. Holders of this type of certificate must adhere to
renewal and re-certification requirements
,● commercial applicator not for hire - Any commercial applicator who
uses or supervises the use for any pesticide as part of his/her job duties
only on property owned or leased by the applicator or his/her employer.
● Direct Onsite Supervision - The act or process by which a competent
person, acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator
who is responsible for the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. The
certified applicator must be present at the application site and be able to
see the person applying the pesticide at all times.
● Direct supervision - the act or process by which a competent person,
acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is
responsible for the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. the
certified applicator must be either near or in close telephone or radio
contact with the person applying the pesticide
● Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) - a law
that established the basis of U.S. pesticide regulation to protect the
applicators, consumers, and the environment.
● pesticide - any substance used to control a pest, or to reduce the
unwanted or harmful effects of a pest.
,● Pesticide Business License - a document required of persons in the
business of selling, storing, distributing, mixing, recommending the use
of, or applying pesticides.
● pesticide use - application or supervision of an application of
pesticide. "use" includes all the routine actives that are part of a pesticide
application, such as mixing, loading, cleanup, and disposal.
● private applicator - A certified applicator who uses or supervises the
use of any restricted-use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity.
● Recertification - Demonstration of competency by participation in
appropriate, approved education courses; or by re-examination.
● registered technician - a certified applicator who renders services
similar to those of a certified commercial applicator. such a person has
completed training and demonstrated competency as required for
registered technicians but has not met the requirements for commercial
certification.
● restricted-use pesticide - any pesticide classified as restricted use by
the EPA.
● spot treatment - an application of less than 1/10th of an acre occurring
on the same day as a larger treatment
, ● federal worker protection standard (WPS) - requires growers who hire
agricultural labor to make, maintain, and post pesticide application
records.
● annual - A plant that completes its life cycle in one year
● appendage - an animal body part or organ that projects from the main
part of the body
● biennial - a plant that completes its life cycle in two years. the first
year it germinates and grows, the second year it continues to grow,
produces fruit, and seeds, and then dies.
● control - to kill, prevent, or lessen the harmful effects of, to destroy, or
to repel an undesirable organism
● dicot - a plant with two seed leaves and broad, net veined leaves.
flower parts are in multiples of fours or fives
● disease - any abnormal, unhealthy condition caused by an invading
organism such as a bacterium or virus.
