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 WY-PEST questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Wyoming Commercial Pesticide Applicator Core (General Standards) Exam blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
Domain 1: Label and labeling comprehension
Question 1
A crop was treated with an authorized tank mixture. One product has a 12-hour restricted-entry interval (REI) and a 3-day preharvest interval (PHI); the other has a 24-hour REI and a 7-day PHI. Thirty-six hours have passed since application ended. Warning signs have been removed, and all other worker-entry requirements are satisfied. The supervisor wants crews to hand-weed and harvest. How do the label intervals govern these assignments?
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Correct answer: C - Allow hand-weeding now; wait seven days after application before harvesting.
Question 2
A correctly identified insect is damaging an ornamental species listed on a pesticide label, but that insect is not named on the label. The label does not restrict use to listed pests. The proposed application meets every other label direction, and no additional state restriction applies. Under FIFRA, how is the absence of the insect's name treated?
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Correct answer: B - The unlisted-pest exception permits use on this labeled site.
Domain 2: Safety
Question 3
One pesticide formulation bears DANGER because it causes irreversible eye injury; its acute oral LD50 is 1,200 mg/kg. Another bears WARNING and has an acute oral LD50 of 180 mg/kg. Both oral tests used the same species and protocol. What conclusion is supported by these results?
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Correct answer: B - The WARNING formulation is more acutely toxic when swallowed.
Question 4
A handler removes a tight-fitting respirator for a break in a clean area, then puts the same respirator back on. Medical clearance and training are current, a fit test was passed last month, and nothing has changed that could affect fit. Inspection and the cartridge replacement schedule are satisfactory. What fit-related step remains before returning to the handling task?
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Correct answer: C - Perform a user seal check each time the respirator is put on.
Domain 3: Environment
Question 5
Four sites are being assessed for use of the same water-soluble, persistent pesticide that binds weakly to soil. Application rate and rainfall would be identical, and no site has cracks or other preferential flow paths. Which site presents the greatest concern for pesticide movement down to groundwater?
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Correct answer: D - A sandy site with low organic matter and a shallow water table.
Domain 4: Pests
Question 6
During a nursery inspection, leaf injury appears on several unrelated plant species in straight strips matching the most recent spray passes. Injury is greatest where passes overlapped and ends abruptly at the treated boundary. Plants outside that boundary are healthy. Before ordering another pesticide treatment, which explanation deserves the closest investigation?
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Correct answer: A - Phytotoxic injury associated with the recent application.
Domain 5: Pesticides
Question 7
A correctly prepared wettable-powder mixture stands without agitation during an equipment shutdown, leaving fine sediment in the tank. A small sample becomes uniform again when stirred; there is no gel, unusual heating, or persistent clumping. Nozzle flow still matches the calibration. Before spraying resumes, the applicator should:
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Correct answer: A - Redisperse the particles, then maintain agitation during the remaining application.
Question 8
A weed population has confirmed inherited resistance to the herbicide used repeatedly at a site. Correct application rates, timing, and coverage have been verified. When choosing a replacement for the next justified treatment, which substitution actually changes the mode of action?
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Correct answer: B - An effective, labeled herbicide that acts through a different biological target.
Domain 6: Equipment
Question 9
A clean-water output test gives 0.46 gallon per minute from every nozzle on a boom. The pressure gauge is accurate, screens are clear, and the manufacturer specifies 0.40 gallon per minute for new tips at that pressure. The manufacturer requires replacement when output exceeds the new-tip reference by more than 10%. How should the applicator interpret the matching readings?
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Correct answer: D - Replace the set and recalibrate; all tips are 15% above the new-tip reference.
Domain 8: Laws and regulations
Question 10
At an outdoor production nursery covered by the Worker Protection Standard, a hydraulic boom applies a pesticide with coarse droplets from 20 inches above the soil. No air assistance is used. A child stops on a public path 18 feet from the nearest operating nozzle, outside the nursery fence. Wind is blowing away from the path. What does the application exclusion zone (AEZ) require?
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Correct answer: C - Suspend application; the child's location falls within the required 25-foot AEZ.