Exam Study Materials

Core Exam

All applicators are responsible for knowing and understanding all the material in the study manuals!

All applicators must pass a Core Exam, which includes three sections: General Knowledge, State Regulations, and Label Comprehension. You must receive at least 70% on all three sections to pass.

The following study materials cover the information required to pass the Core Exam. All applicators should download and study these materials on their own.

Although not required, you may also wish to take a training course from Cooperative Extension Service or the online Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Standards Training Course and Practice Test.

Core Exam Study Materials

1. National Applicator Core Manual (PDF);
2. Alaska Core Manual (PDF); and
3. Alaska Pesticide Regulations (PDF) in Title 18, Chapter 90 of the Alaska Administrative Code.

Category Exams

All applicators must pass at least one Category Exam. The categories are based on the application site and the type of work being performed. Click here for a description of categories.

Category Exams include a General Knowledge section, and a most also include a Calculations section. You must receive at least 70% on all sections to pass.

All applicators should download and study the materials listed below for the Categories they wish to be certified in. Some of these materials are available for free download, while others must be purchased.

Please read the Alaska Supplemental Manuals first. They include specific information about which portions of the other study materials that you must know.

Calculations

Many Category Exams include a Calculations section. To prepare for the mathematical portions of the Category Exams, we recommend that you carefully review pages 164-165 and 189-192 in the Core Manual. Additional resources for pesticide applicator math are available from the Purdue Pesticide Program (PDF) and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship.

Category Study Materials