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Texas (TX) Category 3A (Lawn and Ornamental Pest
Control) Exam | Latest Verified Questions and Detailed
Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Texas Category 3A
(Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control) exam, a computer-based test administered by the
Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) through Metro Institute. The exam assesses
knowledge across essential domains including pest identification and biology of turfgrass
and ornamental weeds, insects, and diseases; integrated pest management (IPM) principles
and cultural, biological, and mechanical control practices; pesticide label interpretation,
signal words, and personal protective equipment requirements; application equipment
calibration and dilution calculations; and Texas state laws and rules governing commercial
and noncommercial applicator responsibilities, recordkeeping, and posting requirements.
QUESTION 1
Which of the following is a common symptom of damage caused by piercing-sucking
insects on ornamental plants?
A. Chewed leaf margins
B. Leafminer tunnels inside leaves
C. Stippling, yellowing, or distorted growth
D. Bore holes in stems
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Piercing-sucking insects (e.g., aphids, mites) insert mouthparts into
plant tissue and remove fluids, causing stippling, chlorosis, and distortion. Chewing
damage, mining, and boring are characteristic of other insect feeding guilds.
QUESTION 2
A lawn exhibits irregular brown patches that pull up easily like a loose carpet. Grubs are
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found beneath the sod. Which life stage is primarily responsible for direct turf damage?
A. Adult beetle feeding on foliage
B. Egg masses on grass blades
C. Larval stage feeding on roots
D. Pupal stage in soil cells
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: White grubs (scarab beetle larvae) feed on turfgrass roots, severing
them and causing the sod to lift easily. Adults feed on leaves of other plants; eggs and
pupae do not cause direct root damage.
QUESTION 3
Which broadleaf weed is characterized by a rosette of leaves with prominent parallel
veins, multiple slender leafless flower stalks, and a milky sap when broken?
A. Dandelion
B. Broadleaf plantain
C. Buckhorn plantain
D. Henbit
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) has narrow, parallel-veined
leaves and leafless flower spikes; dandelion has a single hollow stalk and milky sap, but
leaves are deeply lobed. The description of rosette with parallel veins and multiple
slender stalks matches buckhorn plantain.
QUESTION 4
A customer describes small, circular dead spots about the size of a silver dollar on their
St. Augustinegrass lawn. The spots have bleached centers with reddish-brown borders.
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This most likely indicates:
A. Brown patch
B. Take-all root rot
C. Gray leaf spot
D. Dollar spot
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Dollar spot on warm-season grasses produces small, sunken,
bleached spots approximately 1-2 inches in diameter with distinct reddish-brown
margins. Brown patch causes larger irregular areas, take-all root rot causes yellowing
and root decay, and gray leaf spot produces leaf lesions.
QUESTION 5
The action threshold in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is best defined
as the:
A. Point at which a pest population can no longer be controlled
B. Maximum permitted pesticide residue level on turf
C. Pest population density at which control measures should be implemented to prevent
unacceptable damage
D. Economic injury level plus the cost of a pesticide application
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: An action threshold is the pest density or level of injury that
triggers control action to avoid reaching the economic or aesthetic injury level. It is a
decision-making tool, not a legal residue limit or a point of no control.
QUESTION 6
Which cultural practice most effectively reduces thatch accumulation and promotes
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deeper rooting in turfgrass?
A. Frequent light irrigation
B. Annual core aeration
C. Raising mowing height during summer
D. Applying high-nitrogen fertilizer in spring
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Core aeration physically removes soil plugs, alleviating compaction
and increasing oxygen to roots, which enhances microbial decomposition of thatch.
Light irrigation and high nitrogen can encourage shallow roots and thatch buildup.
QUESTION 7
You need to apply a pesticide at a rate of 2 fluid ounces per 1,000 square feet. Your
backpack sprayer covers 1,500 square feet per gallon of water. How many fluid ounces
of product should be added per gallon of water?
A. 2.0
B. 3.0
C. 1.33
D. 4.0
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: The sprayer applies one gallon per 1,500 sq ft. Rate per 1,000 sq ft
is 2 fl oz; for 1,500 sq ft, need (1,500/1,000) × 2 = 3 fl oz per gallon. Calculation: 1.5 × 2
= 3.
QUESTION 8
According to the Texas Pesticide Law, a noncommercial political subdivision applicator
must maintain records for each pesticide application for a minimum of:
Texas (TX) Category 3A (Lawn and Ornamental Pest
Control) Exam | Latest Verified Questions and Detailed
Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Texas Category 3A
(Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control) exam, a computer-based test administered by the
Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) through Metro Institute. The exam assesses
knowledge across essential domains including pest identification and biology of turfgrass
and ornamental weeds, insects, and diseases; integrated pest management (IPM) principles
and cultural, biological, and mechanical control practices; pesticide label interpretation,
signal words, and personal protective equipment requirements; application equipment
calibration and dilution calculations; and Texas state laws and rules governing commercial
and noncommercial applicator responsibilities, recordkeeping, and posting requirements.
QUESTION 1
Which of the following is a common symptom of damage caused by piercing-sucking
insects on ornamental plants?
A. Chewed leaf margins
B. Leafminer tunnels inside leaves
C. Stippling, yellowing, or distorted growth
D. Bore holes in stems
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Piercing-sucking insects (e.g., aphids, mites) insert mouthparts into
plant tissue and remove fluids, causing stippling, chlorosis, and distortion. Chewing
damage, mining, and boring are characteristic of other insect feeding guilds.
QUESTION 2
A lawn exhibits irregular brown patches that pull up easily like a loose carpet. Grubs are
,2|Page
found beneath the sod. Which life stage is primarily responsible for direct turf damage?
A. Adult beetle feeding on foliage
B. Egg masses on grass blades
C. Larval stage feeding on roots
D. Pupal stage in soil cells
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: White grubs (scarab beetle larvae) feed on turfgrass roots, severing
them and causing the sod to lift easily. Adults feed on leaves of other plants; eggs and
pupae do not cause direct root damage.
QUESTION 3
Which broadleaf weed is characterized by a rosette of leaves with prominent parallel
veins, multiple slender leafless flower stalks, and a milky sap when broken?
A. Dandelion
B. Broadleaf plantain
C. Buckhorn plantain
D. Henbit
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) has narrow, parallel-veined
leaves and leafless flower spikes; dandelion has a single hollow stalk and milky sap, but
leaves are deeply lobed. The description of rosette with parallel veins and multiple
slender stalks matches buckhorn plantain.
QUESTION 4
A customer describes small, circular dead spots about the size of a silver dollar on their
St. Augustinegrass lawn. The spots have bleached centers with reddish-brown borders.
,3|Page
This most likely indicates:
A. Brown patch
B. Take-all root rot
C. Gray leaf spot
D. Dollar spot
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Dollar spot on warm-season grasses produces small, sunken,
bleached spots approximately 1-2 inches in diameter with distinct reddish-brown
margins. Brown patch causes larger irregular areas, take-all root rot causes yellowing
and root decay, and gray leaf spot produces leaf lesions.
QUESTION 5
The action threshold in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is best defined
as the:
A. Point at which a pest population can no longer be controlled
B. Maximum permitted pesticide residue level on turf
C. Pest population density at which control measures should be implemented to prevent
unacceptable damage
D. Economic injury level plus the cost of a pesticide application
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: An action threshold is the pest density or level of injury that
triggers control action to avoid reaching the economic or aesthetic injury level. It is a
decision-making tool, not a legal residue limit or a point of no control.
QUESTION 6
Which cultural practice most effectively reduces thatch accumulation and promotes
, 4|Page
deeper rooting in turfgrass?
A. Frequent light irrigation
B. Annual core aeration
C. Raising mowing height during summer
D. Applying high-nitrogen fertilizer in spring
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Core aeration physically removes soil plugs, alleviating compaction
and increasing oxygen to roots, which enhances microbial decomposition of thatch.
Light irrigation and high nitrogen can encourage shallow roots and thatch buildup.
QUESTION 7
You need to apply a pesticide at a rate of 2 fluid ounces per 1,000 square feet. Your
backpack sprayer covers 1,500 square feet per gallon of water. How many fluid ounces
of product should be added per gallon of water?
A. 2.0
B. 3.0
C. 1.33
D. 4.0
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: The sprayer applies one gallon per 1,500 sq ft. Rate per 1,000 sq ft
is 2 fl oz; for 1,500 sq ft, need (1,500/1,000) × 2 = 3 fl oz per gallon. Calculation: 1.5 × 2
= 3.
QUESTION 8
According to the Texas Pesticide Law, a noncommercial political subdivision applicator
must maintain records for each pesticide application for a minimum of:
