Instructions to Read before Administering the Initial Certification Exam

IMPORTANT! READ THIS ALOUD BEFORE YOU HAND OUT THE EXAM!

Before you begin giving the certification exam, read the following statements aloud to all trainees:

1. "This Private Applicator Certification Exam is to determine your ability to read and understand a Restricted Use Pesticide label. You must be able to read the exam yourself. No one may read any part of the exam to you."
2. "At the end of the exam time, all exams and exam labels must be returned to me [Extension Pesticide Training Coordinator], whether the exam has been completed or not!"
3. "Do not write or otherwise mark on the exam label."
4. "I will send your exams to the Department of Pesticide Regulation [DPR] for grading. I [Extension Pesticide Training Coordinator] do not know the answers to the questions, and I will not know individual scores."
5. "The Department of Pesticide Regulation will notify you as to whether or not you passed the exam. If you pass the exam, in a few weeks, you will receive a license application form in the mail directly from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. If you wish to receive a license, it is your responsibility to complete the application and mail it back to the Department of Pesticide Regulation along with a check made out to DPR for your license fee. Your license fee for this year is ____." [2001: $8, 2002: $6, 2003: $4, 2004: $2, 2005: $10, etc.]"
6. "Whether or not you pass the exam, the fee for the approved Private Applicator Training is non-refundable."
7. "If you fail the exam, DPR will mail you a letter to inform you of this. If you wish to try for your license a second time, you must take both the Private Applicator Training and the Certification Exam over again. The exam is part of the training."
8. "New licensees will not need to be recertified until the next five-year block." [e.g., If you take the exam Jan. 2000-Dec. 2004, you do not have to be recertified until Jan. 2005-Dec. 2009]"
9. "Remember, Private Applicator Licenses cannot be used to purchase non-agricultural Restricted Use Pesticides, such as those intended for household pest control!"
10. "Are there any questions?"

Read the following instructions and answer any other questions before you distribute the certification exam:

1. "This is a short, multiple-choice exam consisting of 10 questions. You must correctly answer eight questions in order to pass."
2. "I will not read any part of the exam or exam label to you."
3. "I cannot answer any questions about the exam."
4. "I will not look at or grade any part of the exam. This will be done by Dept. of Pesticide Regulation."
5. "Exams must be filled out in ink."
6. "You have 30 minutes to take the exam. All exams and the exam labels must be returned at the end of the 30 minutes, whether the exam is completed or not!"
7. "You will receive a license application form in the mail from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. You will be responsible for mailing back your own application form and license fee to the Department of Pesticide Regulation."
8. "Remember, when completing your license application form, be sure to PRINT and use your legal first name, middle initial and last name and include designations such as Jr., Sr., etc."