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.
These 10 free NC-PEST questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the North Carolina Pesticide Applicator Core Exam blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A landscape applicator finds leafhoppers damaging ornamental shrubs. The product label lists the shrubs as a use site, gives a rate and method that fit the proposed treatment, and does not limit use to pests named on the label. Leafhoppers are not listed. What may the applicator legally do?
Correct answer: C - Treat the labeled shrubs at the labeled rate and method
A pesticide product has an oral LD50 of 900 mg/kg, a dermal LD50 of 3,500 mg/kg, an inhalation LC50 of 5 mg/L, moderate skin irritation at 72 hours, and corrosive eye injury. Select the correct signal word and poison-symbol rule.
Correct answer: A - DANGER; no POISON/skull-and-crossbones requirement
The directions state, "Do not make a second application sooner than 14 days." They also say, "For best results, treat actively growing weeds." Ten days after the first application, the weeds remain stressed from drought. The earliest lawful course is to:
Correct answer: D - Wait four more days; active growth affects efficacy, not the legal interval
While opening a pesticide container, concentrate splashes into an applicator's eye while a contact lens is in place. The label directs a 15-20 minute rinse and lens removal after the first 5 minutes. Choose the correct immediate sequence.
Correct answer: B - Rinse now; remove the lens after 5 minutes and continue to 15-20 minutes
During midsummer mixing, a worker becomes sweaty and nauseated. Unlike ordinary heat exhaustion, he also has pinpoint pupils, profuse salivation, chest tightness, and muscle twitching. These findings most strongly indicate:
Correct answer: B - Cholinesterase-inhibitor poisoning
The label requires an organic-vapor-removing cartridge or canister used with a P100 particulate filter. An applicator has passed the medical evaluation and is fit-tested for the required half-mask respirator, but brings only an N95 filtering facepiece. Outdoor application does not change the label. The proper decision is to:
Correct answer: D - Use organic-vapor protection with the required P100 filter
At sunrise, wind speed is within the label's stated range. A smoke check forms a thin horizontal layer that hangs near the ground and drifts sideways instead of dispersing upward. This smoke behavior means the applicator should:
Correct answer: A - Delay until the temperature inversion breaks
A highly water-soluble, persistent herbicide is proposed for coarse sandy soil with little organic matter and a shallow water table. Two inches of irrigation is scheduled immediately afterward. The most direct risk-reduction change is to:
Correct answer: C - Choose a less soluble or less persistent labeled product and avoid excess irrigation
Scouting finds 8 larvae per 100 plants. The action threshold is 14, the economic injury level is 20, crop injury is stable, and natural enemies are increasing. The scouting data support:
Correct answer: D - Continuing monitoring and conserving natural enemies while counts remain below 14
A roadside weed forms a low rosette during its first growing season, survives winter, then bolts, flowers, sets seed, and dies the following season. The weed is best managed as a:
Correct answer: A - Biennial; control the rosette before bolting
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