QAL Laws & Regs Prep Exam (California)
NEWEST 2026
How much active ingredient would there be in a 20 pound bag of
25W formulation? (Questions similar to this WILL be on the exam so
try to understand the reasoning of the correct answer)
5lbs
This IS a test-like question. If the formulation is 33w it means 33% of
the bag is ACTIVE ingredient. If it says 50w, that means 50% of that bag
is ACTIVE chemical. So if you have a 20lb bag of pesticide that is 25w
formulation, you have to figure out what is 25% of 20lbs (it's 5).
Which type of application equipment would produce the LEAST
amount of pesticide drift?
A) A rope wick
b) A backpack sprayer with one nozzle
c) A boom sprayer with 14 nozzles
d) A high pressure hand spray gun
A rope wick
Remember that a rope wick is a literal piece rope wet with pesticide
that you can slap on the bark of trees (for example) as you walk
through a forest killing off trees you don't want.
Honey bees belong to the insect order of what?
Hymenoptera
Yes this is ACTUALLY a test question that is WORTHLESS to 99% of pest
control applicators but you MUST know it.
,When a farmer disks weeds in his field, that is an example of what
kind of control? Cultural Control
Cultural control techniques may include crop rotation, tillage, timing of
planting and harvesting, cover crops, choice of plant cultivar,
competition, fertilizer or irrigation practices, sanitation, and soil
solarization
The difference between CA laws and DPR regulations is that laws are
Passed by the CA legislature and regulations are adopted by DPR to
carry out laws
Remember is the Department of Pesticide Regulation
Remember the Legislature makes the Laws (the law: "employers must
protect employees from harm on the job")
but the DPR makes specific Regulations (the regulation: "eyewear must
be worn, waterproof gloves, long sleeve shirts, socks, etc." to protect
that employee from harm)
A cooperating agency that helps DPR enforce pesticide use laws and
regulations in CA is the
County Agricultural Commissioner
(think of him as the local pesticide "sheriff")
When pesticide registrant (the MAKER of that pesticide) allows a
pesticide product registration (it's license to sell it in the state of
California) to lapse/end, pest control dealers (like Univar) can
continue to sell out their stock of that pesticide (stuff that they
ALREADY bought in order to sell to pest control companies) for how
many years?
2 years
So if a Company decides they're not making a profit off of a pesticide
that has been licensed/registered in CA and they let their license
"lapse/expire", CA lets stores sell out of any product they bought for
the next 2 years.
,Employee handler pesticide safety training topics (what the boss
needs to teach to his techs) do not include how to:
A) confine spray to target area
B) handle, open and lift containers
C)recognize the chemical characteristics of the pesticide
D) recognize pesticide poisoning symptoms
C) Recognize the chemical characteristics of the pesticide (you don't
NEED to know EXACTLY the chemical makeup of every pesticide just
like you don't NEED to know every ingredient in Ketchup to
understand that it is a condiment for hotdogs)
Why is it important for pesticide applications that employees receive
training on recognizing and avoiding heat stress?
Because MANY heat stress symptoms are identical to pesticide
poisoning symptoms.
The potential for pesticides leaching (soaking ) through the soil into
the ground water increases with what?
RAINFALL
Rain washes pesticide deeper into the soil...we don't want it continuing
down hundreds of feet into our drinking water beneath us)
Arrange these label words from least dangerous to most dangerous:
Warning/Danger/Caution
Caution, Warning, Danger
Which signal world has the word poison and a skull and crossbones on
the label?
DANGER
What are the three signal words commonly used on all pesticides?
Danger, Warning, Caution
The hazard (DANGER) of a pesticide is a relative measure of its
potential to:
A)Harm people or the environment
B) control the pest
, C) damage application equipment
D) bind to soil particles
A) Harm people or the environment
(We say something is REALLY DANGEROUS when it can REALLY harm
people/environment...like NUCLEAR waste...but we tell someone to be
"cautious" not to get soap in their eyes when bathing)
Which of the following is the MOST frequent route of
pesticide exposure for pesticide handlers? A) Oral (through
your mouth)
B) Dermal (through your skin)
C) Inhalation (breathing it in)
D) Eye
Dermal
Every time you fill up a backpack sprayer, you risk getting that crap on
your hands and wrists.
Which of the formulation offers the greatest possibility of dermal
(skin) absorption?
A) Oil soluble formulations (these smell like gas and look like motor
oil)
B) Water-soluble liquids (like the Wisdom TC you spray)
C) Granulars (like the bifen dry chemical you apply on lawns)
D) Powder formulations (like a pesticide dust that we use for roaches)
Oil soluble formulations
Remember how oil SOAKS into a concrete driveway and stains it....it's
EASILY absorbed.
The most important step when a pesticide spill occurs is to:
A) Thoroughly soak the area to dilute the spilled pesticide
B) Direct the spilled pesticide away from the area
C) Prevent people from contacting the spilled pesticide D) Salvage as
much as possible of the spilled pesticide
NEWEST 2026
How much active ingredient would there be in a 20 pound bag of
25W formulation? (Questions similar to this WILL be on the exam so
try to understand the reasoning of the correct answer)
5lbs
This IS a test-like question. If the formulation is 33w it means 33% of
the bag is ACTIVE ingredient. If it says 50w, that means 50% of that bag
is ACTIVE chemical. So if you have a 20lb bag of pesticide that is 25w
formulation, you have to figure out what is 25% of 20lbs (it's 5).
Which type of application equipment would produce the LEAST
amount of pesticide drift?
A) A rope wick
b) A backpack sprayer with one nozzle
c) A boom sprayer with 14 nozzles
d) A high pressure hand spray gun
A rope wick
Remember that a rope wick is a literal piece rope wet with pesticide
that you can slap on the bark of trees (for example) as you walk
through a forest killing off trees you don't want.
Honey bees belong to the insect order of what?
Hymenoptera
Yes this is ACTUALLY a test question that is WORTHLESS to 99% of pest
control applicators but you MUST know it.
,When a farmer disks weeds in his field, that is an example of what
kind of control? Cultural Control
Cultural control techniques may include crop rotation, tillage, timing of
planting and harvesting, cover crops, choice of plant cultivar,
competition, fertilizer or irrigation practices, sanitation, and soil
solarization
The difference between CA laws and DPR regulations is that laws are
Passed by the CA legislature and regulations are adopted by DPR to
carry out laws
Remember is the Department of Pesticide Regulation
Remember the Legislature makes the Laws (the law: "employers must
protect employees from harm on the job")
but the DPR makes specific Regulations (the regulation: "eyewear must
be worn, waterproof gloves, long sleeve shirts, socks, etc." to protect
that employee from harm)
A cooperating agency that helps DPR enforce pesticide use laws and
regulations in CA is the
County Agricultural Commissioner
(think of him as the local pesticide "sheriff")
When pesticide registrant (the MAKER of that pesticide) allows a
pesticide product registration (it's license to sell it in the state of
California) to lapse/end, pest control dealers (like Univar) can
continue to sell out their stock of that pesticide (stuff that they
ALREADY bought in order to sell to pest control companies) for how
many years?
2 years
So if a Company decides they're not making a profit off of a pesticide
that has been licensed/registered in CA and they let their license
"lapse/expire", CA lets stores sell out of any product they bought for
the next 2 years.
,Employee handler pesticide safety training topics (what the boss
needs to teach to his techs) do not include how to:
A) confine spray to target area
B) handle, open and lift containers
C)recognize the chemical characteristics of the pesticide
D) recognize pesticide poisoning symptoms
C) Recognize the chemical characteristics of the pesticide (you don't
NEED to know EXACTLY the chemical makeup of every pesticide just
like you don't NEED to know every ingredient in Ketchup to
understand that it is a condiment for hotdogs)
Why is it important for pesticide applications that employees receive
training on recognizing and avoiding heat stress?
Because MANY heat stress symptoms are identical to pesticide
poisoning symptoms.
The potential for pesticides leaching (soaking ) through the soil into
the ground water increases with what?
RAINFALL
Rain washes pesticide deeper into the soil...we don't want it continuing
down hundreds of feet into our drinking water beneath us)
Arrange these label words from least dangerous to most dangerous:
Warning/Danger/Caution
Caution, Warning, Danger
Which signal world has the word poison and a skull and crossbones on
the label?
DANGER
What are the three signal words commonly used on all pesticides?
Danger, Warning, Caution
The hazard (DANGER) of a pesticide is a relative measure of its
potential to:
A)Harm people or the environment
B) control the pest
, C) damage application equipment
D) bind to soil particles
A) Harm people or the environment
(We say something is REALLY DANGEROUS when it can REALLY harm
people/environment...like NUCLEAR waste...but we tell someone to be
"cautious" not to get soap in their eyes when bathing)
Which of the following is the MOST frequent route of
pesticide exposure for pesticide handlers? A) Oral (through
your mouth)
B) Dermal (through your skin)
C) Inhalation (breathing it in)
D) Eye
Dermal
Every time you fill up a backpack sprayer, you risk getting that crap on
your hands and wrists.
Which of the formulation offers the greatest possibility of dermal
(skin) absorption?
A) Oil soluble formulations (these smell like gas and look like motor
oil)
B) Water-soluble liquids (like the Wisdom TC you spray)
C) Granulars (like the bifen dry chemical you apply on lawns)
D) Powder formulations (like a pesticide dust that we use for roaches)
Oil soluble formulations
Remember how oil SOAKS into a concrete driveway and stains it....it's
EASILY absorbed.
The most important step when a pesticide spill occurs is to:
A) Thoroughly soak the area to dilute the spilled pesticide
B) Direct the spilled pesticide away from the area
C) Prevent people from contacting the spilled pesticide D) Salvage as
much as possible of the spilled pesticide
