10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The IA-PEST exam has 50 questions and runs 1 hour.
These 10 free IA-PEST questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Iowa Commercial Pesticide Applicator Core Exam blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
The label states: "Do not apply less than 1.0 or more than 1.5 pints per acre per application. Do not exceed 3.0 pints per acre per year. Wait at least 21 days between applications." A field has already received 1.5 and 1.0 pints per acre, and the last treatment was 28 days ago. All other use conditions are met. What is the legal choice?
Correct answer: D - Make no further application this year
A soybean insecticide label lists soybeans as an approved site but does not name a newly identified beetle. The label does not prohibit use against unlisted pests, the proposed method is permitted, the applicator will use a lower dosage, the treatment is not a preconstruction termiticide use, and no more restrictive Iowa rule applies. Under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) section 2(ee), what is the correct conclusion?
Correct answer: B - The application may proceed, but the applicator assumes efficacy and crop-injury risk
A pesticide has an oral LD50 of 700 mg/kg, a dermal LD50 of 2,500 mg/kg, an inhalation LC50 of 0.15 mg/L, and only mild eye and skin irritation. What must appear on the front panel?
Correct answer: B - DANGER, plus POISON in red and the skull-and-crossbones
After a carbamate splash, a handler develops sweating, pinpoint pupils, excessive salivation, chest tightness, and muscle twitching on a mild day. What is the appropriate response?
Correct answer: D - Stop exposure, decontaminate safely, call 911, and provide the label
At sunrise, wind at boom height is nearly calm and smoke from a nearby burn hangs in a flat layer, moving sideways instead of rising. The label prohibits application during a temperature inversion. What does this observation indicate?
Correct answer: C - A temperature inversion is likely; postpone the application
An IPM plan sets the economic injury level at 20 beetles per plant and the action threshold at 14. Representative scouting finds an average of 15 beetles per plant, and the planned tactic is legal and appropriate for the current life stage. The next management step is:
Correct answer: D - Begin the planned control tactic now
Less handling dust than a wettable powder is desired, but the dry formulation must break into fine particles in the spray tank and remain a suspension that requires agitation. The crew should select:
Correct answer: A - Water-dispersible granule (WDG/DF)
Using the 1/128-acre calibration method, a nozzle collects 18 fluid ounces, so the sprayer is delivering 18 gallons per acre (GPA) at 5.0 mph. The target is 15 GPA, pressure must remain unchanged, and the approved operating range is 4-7 mph. What speed should be used?
Correct answer: B - 6.0 mph
During an outdoor agricultural ground application, Medium droplets are released 10 inches above the planting medium. The method is not aerial, air-blast, fumigant, smoke, mist, or fog; no label-specific larger zone applies; the treated area is clear; and no person will be contacted directly or through drift. The applicable Worker Protection Standard (WPS) application exclusion zone is:
Correct answer: C - No AEZ, although the no-contact rule still applies
An Iowa applicant passes Core and the appropriate category examination with the required score, then leaves the testing site without submitting the certification application or fee. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has not issued a credential. What is the applicant's status?
Correct answer: B - Not certified until IDALS issues the credential
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