KANSAS TURF PEST CONTROL
CATEGORY 3B EXAMINATION
2026/2027
Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed Rationales
100 Questions | 100% Verified | Graded A+
Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA)
K-State Research & Extension
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Competency Assessment
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Exact Official Question Count: 100 Multiple-Choice Questions
Total Testing Time: 120 Minutes | Passing Score: 70%
Computer-Based, Proctored Format (PSI Testing Centers or KDA-Approved Remote Proctoring)
Eligibility: Completion of KDA-approved Core exam + Category 3B exam, application
submission + fees, background check as applicable. Continuing education for recertification: 7
pest management hours + 1 Core hour per 3-year cycle.
, EXAM OVERVIEW AND DOMAIN STRUCTURE
Domain 1: Turfgrass Species & Management — Questions 1–15
Domain 2: Turf Disease Identification & Control — Questions 16–30
Domain 3: Turf Insect Pest Management — Questions 31–45
Domain 4: Turf Weed Identification & Herbicide Application — Questions 46–60
Domain 5: Calibration & Application Equipment — Questions 61–70
Domain 6: Pesticide Safety & Environmental Protection — Questions 71–80
Domain 7: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies — Questions 81–88
Domain 8: Kansas Regulations & Recordkeeping — Questions 89–93
Domain 9: Vertebrate Pest Management — Questions 94–97
Domain 10: Scenario-Based Application — Questions 98–100
EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
• This examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Select the single best answer for
each question.
• Questions are presented in bold font. Correct answers are highlighted in bold green font.
• Detailed rationales for each answer are provided in italic font.
• All content is aligned with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Category 3B certification
standards and K-State Research & Extension S20 Turf Pest Control manual.
• The passing score for Kansas Category 3B certification is 70% (70/100 correct answers).
• Total testing time: 120 minutes.
KANSAS TURF PEST CONTROL CATEGORY 3B EXAMINATION — 100 QUESTIONS
DOMAIN 1: TURFGRASS SPECIES & MANAGEMENT
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────
1. Which cool-season turfgrass species is best adapted to full-sun lawns in Kansas
and spreads by rhizomes to form a dense sod?
A) Tall fescue
B) Kentucky bluegrass
C) Perennial ryegrass
D) Fine fescue
Rationale: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a rhizomatous cool-season grass that
forms a dense, self-repairing sod under full sun. Tall fescue is a bunch-type grass with
limited spreading ability, perennial ryegrass does not produce rhizomes, and fine fescues
are shade-adapted and not well suited to Kansas heat.
2. What is the recommended mowing height for tall fescue lawns in Kansas during
the summer stress period?
A) 1.0–1.5 inches
B) 2.0–2.5 inches
, C) 3.0–4.0 inches
D) 4.5–5.0 inches
Rationale: During summer heat stress, tall fescue should be mowed at 3.0–4.0 inches to
maintain sufficient leaf area for photosynthesis and deep root growth. Mowing too low
reduces drought tolerance and increases susceptibility to heat stress and weed invasion,
per K-State Extension guidelines.
3. Which warm-season turfgrass has the best cold tolerance among the species
commonly grown in Kansas, making it suitable for the transition zone?
A) Bermudagrass
B) Zoysiagrass
C) Buffalograss
D) St. Augustinegrass
Rationale: Buffalograss has excellent cold tolerance and is native to the Great Plains,
making it well adapted to Kansas winters. Zoysiagrass also has good cold tolerance but is
less cold-hardy than buffalograss. Bermudagrass is less cold-tolerant and St.
Augustinegrass has very poor cold tolerance and is not recommended for Kansas.
4. When is the optimal time to apply nitrogen fertilizer to Kentucky bluegrass lawns
in Kansas?
A) April and May
B) June and July
C) September and November
D) December and January
Rationale: The optimal nitrogen fertilization schedule for Kentucky bluegrass in Kansas
emphasizes fall applications (September and November). Fall fertilization promotes root
development, carbohydrate storage, and spring green-up without excessive top growth.
Spring-only applications promote foliar growth at the expense of root development.
5. Perennial ryegrass is best described as which type of turfgrass based on its
growth habit?
A) Stoloniferous
B) Rhizomatous
C) Bunch-type
D) Decumbent
Rationale: Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is a bunch-type grass that does not
produce rhizomes or stolons. It germinates rapidly, making it useful for overseeding, but it
cannot spread laterally to fill bare spots, unlike rhizomatous Kentucky bluegrass or
stoloniferous bermudagrass.
6. What is the recommended mowing height for bermudagrass on a home lawn in
Kansas?
A) 0.5–1.0 inch
B) 1.0–2.0 inches
C) 2.5–3.5 inches
D) 3.5–4.5 inches
Rationale: Bermudagrass home lawns in Kansas should be mowed at 1.0–2.0 inches.
Lower mowing heights (0.5–1.0 inch) are appropriate for hybrid bermudagrass on golf
courses or sports fields with intensive management. Mowing too high promotes thatch
accumulation and reduces turf density.
7. Which turfgrass species requires the least amount of irrigation once established
in Kansas?
CATEGORY 3B EXAMINATION
2026/2027
Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed Rationales
100 Questions | 100% Verified | Graded A+
Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA)
K-State Research & Extension
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Competency Assessment
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Exact Official Question Count: 100 Multiple-Choice Questions
Total Testing Time: 120 Minutes | Passing Score: 70%
Computer-Based, Proctored Format (PSI Testing Centers or KDA-Approved Remote Proctoring)
Eligibility: Completion of KDA-approved Core exam + Category 3B exam, application
submission + fees, background check as applicable. Continuing education for recertification: 7
pest management hours + 1 Core hour per 3-year cycle.
, EXAM OVERVIEW AND DOMAIN STRUCTURE
Domain 1: Turfgrass Species & Management — Questions 1–15
Domain 2: Turf Disease Identification & Control — Questions 16–30
Domain 3: Turf Insect Pest Management — Questions 31–45
Domain 4: Turf Weed Identification & Herbicide Application — Questions 46–60
Domain 5: Calibration & Application Equipment — Questions 61–70
Domain 6: Pesticide Safety & Environmental Protection — Questions 71–80
Domain 7: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies — Questions 81–88
Domain 8: Kansas Regulations & Recordkeeping — Questions 89–93
Domain 9: Vertebrate Pest Management — Questions 94–97
Domain 10: Scenario-Based Application — Questions 98–100
EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
• This examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Select the single best answer for
each question.
• Questions are presented in bold font. Correct answers are highlighted in bold green font.
• Detailed rationales for each answer are provided in italic font.
• All content is aligned with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Category 3B certification
standards and K-State Research & Extension S20 Turf Pest Control manual.
• The passing score for Kansas Category 3B certification is 70% (70/100 correct answers).
• Total testing time: 120 minutes.
KANSAS TURF PEST CONTROL CATEGORY 3B EXAMINATION — 100 QUESTIONS
DOMAIN 1: TURFGRASS SPECIES & MANAGEMENT
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────
1. Which cool-season turfgrass species is best adapted to full-sun lawns in Kansas
and spreads by rhizomes to form a dense sod?
A) Tall fescue
B) Kentucky bluegrass
C) Perennial ryegrass
D) Fine fescue
Rationale: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a rhizomatous cool-season grass that
forms a dense, self-repairing sod under full sun. Tall fescue is a bunch-type grass with
limited spreading ability, perennial ryegrass does not produce rhizomes, and fine fescues
are shade-adapted and not well suited to Kansas heat.
2. What is the recommended mowing height for tall fescue lawns in Kansas during
the summer stress period?
A) 1.0–1.5 inches
B) 2.0–2.5 inches
, C) 3.0–4.0 inches
D) 4.5–5.0 inches
Rationale: During summer heat stress, tall fescue should be mowed at 3.0–4.0 inches to
maintain sufficient leaf area for photosynthesis and deep root growth. Mowing too low
reduces drought tolerance and increases susceptibility to heat stress and weed invasion,
per K-State Extension guidelines.
3. Which warm-season turfgrass has the best cold tolerance among the species
commonly grown in Kansas, making it suitable for the transition zone?
A) Bermudagrass
B) Zoysiagrass
C) Buffalograss
D) St. Augustinegrass
Rationale: Buffalograss has excellent cold tolerance and is native to the Great Plains,
making it well adapted to Kansas winters. Zoysiagrass also has good cold tolerance but is
less cold-hardy than buffalograss. Bermudagrass is less cold-tolerant and St.
Augustinegrass has very poor cold tolerance and is not recommended for Kansas.
4. When is the optimal time to apply nitrogen fertilizer to Kentucky bluegrass lawns
in Kansas?
A) April and May
B) June and July
C) September and November
D) December and January
Rationale: The optimal nitrogen fertilization schedule for Kentucky bluegrass in Kansas
emphasizes fall applications (September and November). Fall fertilization promotes root
development, carbohydrate storage, and spring green-up without excessive top growth.
Spring-only applications promote foliar growth at the expense of root development.
5. Perennial ryegrass is best described as which type of turfgrass based on its
growth habit?
A) Stoloniferous
B) Rhizomatous
C) Bunch-type
D) Decumbent
Rationale: Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is a bunch-type grass that does not
produce rhizomes or stolons. It germinates rapidly, making it useful for overseeding, but it
cannot spread laterally to fill bare spots, unlike rhizomatous Kentucky bluegrass or
stoloniferous bermudagrass.
6. What is the recommended mowing height for bermudagrass on a home lawn in
Kansas?
A) 0.5–1.0 inch
B) 1.0–2.0 inches
C) 2.5–3.5 inches
D) 3.5–4.5 inches
Rationale: Bermudagrass home lawns in Kansas should be mowed at 1.0–2.0 inches.
Lower mowing heights (0.5–1.0 inch) are appropriate for hybrid bermudagrass on golf
courses or sports fields with intensive management. Mowing too high promotes thatch
accumulation and reduces turf density.
7. Which turfgrass species requires the least amount of irrigation once established
in Kansas?
