28. These can be divided into
6 broad subjects:
About the test
Integrated Pest Management
Pests: vertebrates and invertebrates
Pesticides: formulations and equipment
Labels
Safety and storage
40. A simple missed word can make the
difference between true and false
41. The test will have questions
that will force you to guess
42. Tip #1: “All of the above” is
usually the correct answer
43. Tip #2: Relative terms or qualifiers are
MORE likely correct than absolutes
Relative terms like:
Sometimes, usually, often, probably,
Rarely, most, or some
versus
Absolute terms like:
All, never, always, or only
44. Tip #3: The longest answer is
usually the correct answer
51. Components of an IPM program can include
education, proper waste management,
biological and mechanical control
techniques, and as a last resort, the leasttoxic pesticide
Education is perhaps the most effective. IPM is
all about bringing diverse disciplines and
communicate how everyone can do their part to
solve the problem
60. Know the test
Know the job
Know test taking
CA Structural Pest
Control Board
Branch 2 & 3
Applicators Exam
Notes de l'éditeur
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[Introduction slide]
I've been a teacher professionally for 3 years but even before that I have always been a good teacher.
Recently I was asked by Luis to come aboard and help design teaching materials and also get my applicator's license
I studied hard and took lots of notes with the idea that I would share the things I learned with you here.
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You enter into a time of great challenge. And though we all know there are obstacles out there, one great challenge you must conquer.
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You enter into a time of great challenge. And though we all know there are obstacles out there, one great challenge you must conquer.
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You enter into a time of great challenge. And though we all know there are obstacles out there, one great challenge you must conquer.
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No, not gigantic and silly looking ants!
It's the California State Applicator's test!
A mighty challenge indeed!
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Many questions may be on your mind
Unanswered questions can lead to unneeded stress.
The study guide provided on the government website lists may be too much for your busy schedule and a lot of it is not going to be on the test.
There are so many books out there about the subject, which should you study to make the most of it?
Are there any strategies out there?
Perhaps, it's been a long time since you did some studying
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Many questions may be on your mind
Unanswered questions can lead to unneeded stress.
The study guide provided on the government website lists may be too much for your busy schedule and a lot of it is not going to be on the test.
There are so many books out there about the subject, which should you study to make the most of it?
Are there any strategies out there?
Perhaps, it's been a long time since you did some studying
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You want to be confident on test day to face this challenge in the best shape you can.
And You want this over ASAP and I want to help you get to that point as efficiently as possible
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Well, obviously more than 3 things!
but in general . . . I hope you take from this presentation 3 key points
Know the test – why do we have to take it, what do we have to study, and what's it's purpose anyhow?
Next, we got to know test taking – a lot of the test is common sense questions, but what happens when we don't know the answer, since it's multiple choice we can make an educated guess
And finally, know the job. The pest control industry is complex and always changing, but if we have the right attitude we can be at the forefront We'll focus a little on IPM in this section as well
Well, it's going to require a bit of study, so let's hop to it!
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Well, obviously more than 3 things!
but in general . . . I hope you take from this presentation 3 key points
Know the test – why do we have to take it, what do we have to study, and what's it's purpose anyhow?
Next, we got to know test taking – a lot of the test is common sense questions, but what happens when we don't know the answer, since it's multiple choice we can make an educated guess
And finally, know the job. The pest control industry is complex and always changing, but if we have the right attitude we can be at the forefront We'll focus a little on IPM in this section as well
Well, it's going to require a bit of study, so let's hop to it!
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Starting with the first key point – Know the test
They are like the DMV of the pesticide industry in California.
The applicator license is the first of three to obtain
Definition of applicator, field rep, operator
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They are like the DMV of the pesticide industry in California.
The applicator license is the first of three to obtain
Definition of applicator, field rep, operator
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They are like the DMV of the pesticide industry in California.
The applicator license is the first of three to obtain
Definition of applicator, field rep, operator
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The DPR is the regulatory committee. They make the laws that we have to obey.
Their web site is also a great resource for additional study materials
[still need hierarchy map and regulations]
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The DPR is the regulatory committee. They make the laws that we have to obey.
Their web site is also a great resource for additional study materials
[still need hierarchy map and regulations]
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They also perform inspections of trucks and companies.
Your license will last 3 years ...
How often do you have to get the license and its cost.
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List differences for the field rep vs. applicator
An applicator cannot identify the pest or create the pest treatment program
They can simply apply the pesticides in a manner of the field representatives
Make sure to point out that no one can do applying on their own behalf
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List differences for the field rep vs. applicator
An applicator cannot identify the pest or create the pest treatment program
They can simply apply the pesticides in a manner of the field representatives
Make sure to point out that no one can do applying on their own behalf
Know what you are getting into and don't be shocked by the length
At least it's not as long or extensive as the Field Rep test.
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Effective time management is important.
So, be sure to answer all the easy questions first and then with the time remaining you can go back to the difficult ones.
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Effective time management is important.
So, be sure to answer all the easy questions first and then with the time remaining you can go back to the difficult ones.
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That's less than one minute for each question.
Thankfully there's no essays!
The test will be 50/50
50 true / false questions
50 multiple-choice questions
Be sure to answer all of them, even if you have to guess. Wrong answers are weighted equally to blank answers.
We will go over some guessing strategies in a moment
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That's less than one minute for each question.
Thankfully there's no essays!
The test will be 50/50
50 true / false questions
50 multiple-choice questions
Be sure to answer all of them, even if you have to guess. Wrong answers are weighted equally to blank answers.
We will go over some guessing strategies in a moment
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Yes, there will be math on the test (no, not calculus)
Math is part of your job sometimes so be sure to know these three things:
- how to calculate areas
- how to calculate concentrations
- how to convert units
Example questions on practice test!
50*100 = 5,000
[need concencentrations / conversion example]
So you will be asked questions about the Getz duster and then what's the difference between a carpenter ant and a carpenter bee and then followed by a question about a pesticide label.
You can get some sense of it by looking at SPCB's website Study Materials which has 2 pages of topics
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We already covered about the test and licensing
And later we will be going over IPM
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Follow these strategies to help your chances of passing the test
Unfortunately, you must do a little preparation for this test, like this slide show, study guides, and handouts.
That's because there will be some very specific questions about pesticides, bugs, etc.
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Space out your studying. It's better to do a little every day than everything the last night! Also try studying in different locations (supposedly that helps our brains make associations between bits of information)
Studying 15 minutes a few times than one time for an hour.
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Are you a visual learner? It may help to write things down to reinforce what is said in these presentations or make connections to study guides.
Even if you are more of an auditory learner or kenitic learner, it's good to make lists or tables of information you come across. This helps you organize a lot of information into your head.
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Yes, there are many practice tests on the web which will give you confidence when the time comes when you have to take the test for real.
I have found pesticide applicator tests from Alabama and Utah. Here is a screen shot of the Utah's website which has it's pro's and con's. The pro's are that the site tells you if you are correct or not, but only half the information is applicable because there is a lot of agricultural stuff
The address is utahlinks.org/learn/
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Yes, there are many practice tests on the web which will give you confidence when the time comes when you have to take the test for real.
I have found pesticide applicator tests from Alabama and Utah. Here is a screen shot of the Utah's website which has it's pro's and con's. The pro's are that the site tells you if you are correct or not, but only half the information is applicable because there is a lot of agricultural stuff
The address is utahlinks.org/learn/
There will be many easy questions, so remember to do these first for effective time management.
Here are 3 strategies that are common sense
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There will be many easy questions, so remember to do these first for effective time management.
Here are 3 strategies that are common sense
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This may be something new. I didn't use this during high school but certainly wish I did
Use the scratch piece of paper provided for the test
Place it directly under the question, covering the answers
Now try and guess at what the answer is
[ask the audience, what are some qualities?]
You will know right away when you uncover the answers which to choose. This builds confidence in your answering.
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Then there are the more difficult questions ...Sometimes you will uncover the answers and discover that two or more are possibly correct
Of course there may be some that you know immediately are wrong so eliminate those from the possibilities
[letter a talks about reentry but we know signal words don't deal with reentry]
[letter b has the qualifier “how much pesticide we should use.” That's normally in the instructions]
[both C and D could be correct]
Go for the SAFEST answer
This will improve your odds in choosing the
correct answer
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Reread the questions and be sure you understood / read them correctly (especial true/false).
[in this example I was sure of the first two questions but for the third I didn't see “not” which changes the meaning completely]
Also:
Be sure about the numbering on the test and answer sheet.
And d'oh! Be sure your name's on it!
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Reread the questions and be sure you understood / read them correctly (especial true/false).
[in this example I was sure of the first two questions but for the third I didn't see “not” which changes the meaning completely]
Also:
Be sure about the numbering on the test and answer sheet.
And d'oh! Be sure your name's on it!
This test draws from a huge pool of knowledge and without a hundred hours of study, it's impossible to know everything on the test.
Thankfully, we only need to get 70%
We can improve our chances with a few of these tips
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None of these tips are 100% all the time but this one is the most likely to succeed
If you can verify that more than one of the possibilities is correct, then choose all of the above.
If you know two of three are correct, "all of the above" is very likely correct.
This question has a “both a and c” but when I took the test, there wasn't any answers like that (do you remember any?)
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Absolutes are words like all, except, most, least, not, never, always, only
Qualifiers are words like most, usually, often, probably, rarely, some or sometimes, etc.
The ideas within the answer choices are usually open to interpretation, and cannot be expressed in such absolute terms
[example questions]
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This is often the case because a test writer tends to load it with qualifying adjectives or phrases.
Quick question: what are some examples of qualifying adjectives? (Yes, it was on the last slide)
So remember these tips when taking the test, they will help you when you don't know the answer on those more difficult questions.
One more key point, something else common sense …
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Does IPM stand for “Inject Pesticides monthly”? NO!
Some say it's common sense and that's a good start.
Not long ago we lived under the saying, “better living through chemistry” and we created an all out war against insects and other pests. All bugs are bad and the only good ones are dead ones.
No, no, no, not true. A pesticide by it's very nature is toxic, even to humans. Also there are many beneficial insects.
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Does IPM stand for “Inject Pesticides monthly”? NO!
Some say it's common sense and that's a good start.
Not long ago we lived under the saying, “better living through chemistry” and we created an all out war against insects and other pests. All bugs are bad and the only good ones are dead ones.
No, no, no, not true. A pesticide by it's very nature is toxic, even to humans. Also there are many beneficial insects.
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So, what are some ways that we can do pest control without pesticides? Exclusion, sanitation, mechanical, biological, cultural
[go into the details of these with examples]
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So, what are some ways that we can do pest control without pesticides? Exclusion, sanitation, mechanical, biological, cultural
[go into the details of these with examples]
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Through inspection and monitoring we make an educated decision about strategies to control the pests and infestations for the long-term
[treating the symptoms not the cause]
Components of an IPM program can include education, proper waste management, biological and mechanical control techniques, and as a last resort, the least-toxic pesticide
Education is perhaps the most effective. IPM is all about bringing diverse disciplines and communicate how everyone can do their part to solve the problem
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Through inspection and monitoring we make an educated decision about strategies to control the pests and infestations for the long-term
[treating the symptoms not the cause]
Components of an IPM program can include education, proper waste management, biological and mechanical control techniques, and as a last resort, the least-toxic pesticide
Education is perhaps the most effective. IPM is all about bringing diverse disciplines and communicate how everyone can do their part to solve the problem
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It ensures the right identification and treatment
It reduces the risk of unwarranted pesticide use
[NEED: Parts to the inspection report]
Reporting the pesticides used
Entry points
Inspection and monitoring? Monitoring for pests, conditions conducive to pests, and structural deficiencies
(what you're looking for)
(food, water, shelter, entry)
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(pest-->conditions/cause)
(talk about it in the context in IPM; harborage - define, environmental conditions – water leaks)
(examples: cracks and crevices)
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Then with that you can create an appropriate treatment program
In this section we covered inspections and what is IPM
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[Question: do you remember what pests were on previous tests?]
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[Q: what types have you used and what types did you have questions about?]
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[Q: do you remember any tough questions?]
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Well, obviously more than 3 things!
but in general . . . I hope you take from this presentation 3 key points
Know the test – why do we have to take it, what do we have to study, and what's it's purpose anyhow?
Next, we got to know test taking – a lot of the test is common sense questions, but what happens when we don't know the answer, since it's multiple choice we can make an educated guess
And finally, know the job. The pest control industry is complex and always changing, but if we have the right attitude we can be at the forefront We'll focus a little on IPM in this section as well
Well, it's going to require a bit of study, so let's hop to it!