QAL (CATEGORY M) EXAM QUESTIONS
|GUARANTEED PASS |COMPLETE SET
UPDATED 2026
EXAM OVERVIEW
Authority: California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
Effective Date of New Category: January 1, 2024
Exam Parameters:
Total Questions: Approximately 100-120 multiple-choice
questions
Passing Score: 70% (minimum)
Time Allowed: Typically 2-3 hours
Format: Computer-based testing
Category M - Non-Soil Fumigation Scope of Work:
Enclosed Areas: Tarpaulin-covered structures, vaults,
chambers, greenhouses, vans, boxcars, ships, planes, vehicles
Agricultural Commodities: Post-harvest fumigation of
agricultural products
Nonfood/Nonfeed Materials: Pallets, dunnage, furniture, burlap
bags, planting medium, wine barrels and corks
Burrow Fumigation: Fields, rights-of-way, ditches, landscaping,
equipment yards
, Other Applications: Sewer lines, in-service utility poles, and
fumigations not covered by Category L
SECTION 1: FUMIGANT BASICS
Question 1
What is the primary definition of a fumigant?
A) A pesticide applied only in liquid form
B) A pesticide that is applied as a gas or vapor
C) A biological control agent for insects
D) A mechanical pest control device
Correct Answer: B) A pesticide that is applied as a gas or vapor
Rationale: Fumigants are chemical pesticides that are applied in
gaseous or vapor form to control pests. Unlike other pesticides
applied as liquids or solids, fumigants volatilize to penetrate areas
where pests reside. They spread and penetrate spaces and
materials, are toxic when absorbed or inhaled, and are non-selective
pesticides that kill all pests.
Question 2
How do fumigants primarily differ from other pesticide formulations?
A) They are always applied as liquids
B) They act by direct contact only
,C) They function as gases to permeate the treatment area
D) They have no residual effect at all
Correct Answer: C) They function as gases to permeate the
treatment area
Rationale: Fumigants differ from other pesticides primarily because
they are applied as gases or vapors, allowing them to penetrate and
disperse throughout the treatment area, reaching pests in
inaccessible places. They are non-selective and spread throughout
the space in which they are applied. Unlike other pesticides,
fumigants leave no residual protection after application.
Question 3
How do fumigants change from a liquid or solid into a gas?
A) Through condensation only
B) Through vaporization, sublimation, or reaction with water
C) Through polymerization
D) Through oxidation only
Correct Answer: B) Through vaporization, sublimation, or reaction
with water
Rationale: Fumigants change states through:
Vaporization: Liquid fumigants turn to gas
Sublimation: Solid fumigants change directly to gas without
passing through a liquid phase (e.g., aluminum phosphide)
Reaction with water: Metallic phosphides react with moisture to
produce phosphine gas
, Question 4
Which of the following is NOT a chemical characteristic of
fumigants?
A) High volatility
B) Low toxicity
C) Ability to penetrate materials
D) Reactive nature
Correct Answer: B) Low toxicity
Rationale: Fumigants typically have high toxicity to ensure effective
pest control. They possess high volatility, can penetrate various
materials, and often have reactive properties to eliminate pests.
"Low toxicity" is NOT a characteristic of fumigants.
Question 5
What are the chemical characteristics of a fumigant?
A) Color, odor, and taste only
B) Molecular weight, specific gravity, volatility, vapor pressure,
boiling point, solubility, flammability, and chemical reactivity
C) Density and viscosity only
D) pH and electrical conductivity only
Correct Answer: B) Molecular weight, specific gravity, volatility,
vapor pressure, boiling point, solubility, flammability, and chemical
reactivity
|GUARANTEED PASS |COMPLETE SET
UPDATED 2026
EXAM OVERVIEW
Authority: California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
Effective Date of New Category: January 1, 2024
Exam Parameters:
Total Questions: Approximately 100-120 multiple-choice
questions
Passing Score: 70% (minimum)
Time Allowed: Typically 2-3 hours
Format: Computer-based testing
Category M - Non-Soil Fumigation Scope of Work:
Enclosed Areas: Tarpaulin-covered structures, vaults,
chambers, greenhouses, vans, boxcars, ships, planes, vehicles
Agricultural Commodities: Post-harvest fumigation of
agricultural products
Nonfood/Nonfeed Materials: Pallets, dunnage, furniture, burlap
bags, planting medium, wine barrels and corks
Burrow Fumigation: Fields, rights-of-way, ditches, landscaping,
equipment yards
, Other Applications: Sewer lines, in-service utility poles, and
fumigations not covered by Category L
SECTION 1: FUMIGANT BASICS
Question 1
What is the primary definition of a fumigant?
A) A pesticide applied only in liquid form
B) A pesticide that is applied as a gas or vapor
C) A biological control agent for insects
D) A mechanical pest control device
Correct Answer: B) A pesticide that is applied as a gas or vapor
Rationale: Fumigants are chemical pesticides that are applied in
gaseous or vapor form to control pests. Unlike other pesticides
applied as liquids or solids, fumigants volatilize to penetrate areas
where pests reside. They spread and penetrate spaces and
materials, are toxic when absorbed or inhaled, and are non-selective
pesticides that kill all pests.
Question 2
How do fumigants primarily differ from other pesticide formulations?
A) They are always applied as liquids
B) They act by direct contact only
,C) They function as gases to permeate the treatment area
D) They have no residual effect at all
Correct Answer: C) They function as gases to permeate the
treatment area
Rationale: Fumigants differ from other pesticides primarily because
they are applied as gases or vapors, allowing them to penetrate and
disperse throughout the treatment area, reaching pests in
inaccessible places. They are non-selective and spread throughout
the space in which they are applied. Unlike other pesticides,
fumigants leave no residual protection after application.
Question 3
How do fumigants change from a liquid or solid into a gas?
A) Through condensation only
B) Through vaporization, sublimation, or reaction with water
C) Through polymerization
D) Through oxidation only
Correct Answer: B) Through vaporization, sublimation, or reaction
with water
Rationale: Fumigants change states through:
Vaporization: Liquid fumigants turn to gas
Sublimation: Solid fumigants change directly to gas without
passing through a liquid phase (e.g., aluminum phosphide)
Reaction with water: Metallic phosphides react with moisture to
produce phosphine gas
, Question 4
Which of the following is NOT a chemical characteristic of
fumigants?
A) High volatility
B) Low toxicity
C) Ability to penetrate materials
D) Reactive nature
Correct Answer: B) Low toxicity
Rationale: Fumigants typically have high toxicity to ensure effective
pest control. They possess high volatility, can penetrate various
materials, and often have reactive properties to eliminate pests.
"Low toxicity" is NOT a characteristic of fumigants.
Question 5
What are the chemical characteristics of a fumigant?
A) Color, odor, and taste only
B) Molecular weight, specific gravity, volatility, vapor pressure,
boiling point, solubility, flammability, and chemical reactivity
C) Density and viscosity only
D) pH and electrical conductivity only
Correct Answer: B) Molecular weight, specific gravity, volatility,
vapor pressure, boiling point, solubility, flammability, and chemical
reactivity
