Just like anything in life, the book stuff is the smallest part! Experience will help you more then any of them books (although the books are important)!
Looks about the same as my test study materials. Maybe a bit less than what I got. I've been putting in about 4 to 6 hours a day, and that's after my 30 hour class. My test is on the 29th.... less than two weeks now!
In NY, you can take this class or have 2 years of apprentice experience to take the test. Nice thing about the class is that they teach the test. That gave me a better idea of what specific areas the test will concentrate on. There is no way I could remember that much material just by reading for a month or two.
Requirements can be (and usually are) different in each state, except for Nebraska and Colorado, that use a federal program.
Our guys take two tests -- the "core test" ..50 questions, and the "3OT" ..35 questions(turf & ornamental). I take several more tests so I can also do the "specialty treatments" and also cuz I'm a genious LOL LOL LOL! Anyways.......we can retest every day until we finally pass (just like a driver's liscence). I tell my guys to memorize the wrong answers (which they show you) and go back everyday until they finally pass both tests. Most of the questions don't apply to us, so go figure.????
I had a guy a few years ago who took the tests 23 times before he passed! He was smart -- just not "test smart". Anyway...the State boys started going out to lunch with him cuz he was there for many days in a row! True story.
Our guys take two tests -- the "core test" ..50 questions, and the "3OT" ..35 questions(turf & ornamental). I take several more tests so I can also do the "specialty treatments" and also cuz I'm a genious LOL LOL LOL! Anyways.......we can retest every day until we finally pass (just like a driver's liscence). I tell my guys to memorize the wrong answers (which they show you) and go back everyday until they finally pass both tests. Most of the questions don't apply to us, so go figure.????
I had a guy a few years ago who took the tests 23 times before he passed! He was smart -- just not "test smart". Anyway...the State boys started going out to lunch with him cuz he was there for many days in a row! True story.
Funny story! We have 2 tests... the CORE and 3a for turf and ornamentals. 50 questions each. On the CORE, you have to get at least 6 out of the first ten right, ot automatically fail. Otherwise, it's 35 out of 50 right on each test. If you fail the CORE, you can't take 3a. If you fail you have to wait a month. Fail again, and it's back to class for 12 hours. The time between tests gets longer the more you fail. NY doesn't mess around.
Funny story! We have 2 tests... the CORE and 3a for turf and ornamentals. 50 questions each. On the CORE, you have to get at least 6 out of the first ten right, ot automatically fail. Otherwise, it's 35 out of 50 right on each test. If you fail the CORE, you can't take 3a. If you fail you have to wait a month. Fail again, and it's back to class for 12 hours. The time between tests gets longer the more you fail. NY doesn't mess around.
Here you can pass one test while fail the other. Then you just have to retest the one you failed until you pass that one. They show you the wrong anwers, so just memorize them and test again the next day while it's fresh in your mremory. I know this sounds stupid & funny. But when the State boys knew Dave by name and asked him out for lunch several times..............that's something I'll never forget and enjoy talking about. BTW Dave now works for the city of Des Moines..........go figure!!! LOL
That still wouldn't work in NY. They have several versions of it. If a person cheats and copies answers from the person next to them.... it will be wrong, because it isn't the same test! I don't know how many versions there are, but it's more than 3!
In Arkansas the turf test was 50 "multiple guess" questions. not too difficult.
Ornamental Trees and Shrubs was a whole different deal. 4 essay questions worth 25 points each, and they want 25 points worth of answer. You have to make 70% or you fail. It costs you $100 each time you take the test and they only give it the first monday of each month. I passed both the first time I took them. When they told us to turn the test over and start and I saw those 4 questions and that was it, I thought "holy sh#% Batman."
I took the oklahoma tests wednesday and yesterday. We had a six hour class (optional) before each test. We only had three thin books to study. The tests were 100 multiple choice questions each. It blew me away how many people struggled with the tests. They were all pretty much common sense questions. They tried to get tricky with the wording sometimes, but if you took your time and read the questions thoroughly it was pretty east. Scored 91%, and 90%
Here in CT, we have (so I'm told) the hardest certification tests around. 75% failure rate for the written, which is 2 parts, both multiple choice, multiple answer, around 100 questions each, give or take. Then, if you pass that, you have to pass an oral exam, where you sit in front of 3 or more people who fire questions at you. Very tough. You have to know all the regulations, safe handling, mixing, and applications techniques. Plus all of your weeds, bugs, grasses, shrubs, ornamentals, and what may harm them, and how to treat these. There are also 20 (I think) slides you have to identify, which are "name that bug/grass/shrub/disease". I know guys who are completely out of the industry who still keep renewing their licenses.
Here in CT, we have (so I'm told) the hardest certification tests around. 75% failure rate for the written, which is 2 parts, both multiple choice, multiple answer, around 100 questions each, give or take. Then, if you pass that, you have to pass an oral exam, where you sit in front of 3 or more people who fire questions at you. Very tough. You have to know all the regulations, safe handling, mixing, and applications techniques. Plus all of your weeds, bugs, grasses, shrubs, ornamentals, and what may harm them, and how to treat these. There are also 20 (I think) slides you have to identify, which are "name that bug/grass/shrub/disease". I know guys who are completely out of the industry who still keep renewing their licenses.
Wow, that does sound tough. NY has a 45% failure rate.
ampeg... I think I disagree. I know from what I've learned so far, I won't be a danger to pets, children or the environment. I'd guess I have put in about 40 study hours, the 30 hour class, and will study for another 40 hours before the test. I think the risk lies in people who pass the test, and ignore what they learned in the process after they get certified. At least based on NY standards. I am confident I can do a good job as an applicator. There is much more for me to learn, but responsibilty is more a personal issue. I'll go so far as to say a character issue.
Education is like the old horse and water thing. You can lead a horse to water...etc. As Ric once said here somewhere, know your limitations. Being safe and environmentally conscientious is a choice once one has been trained. I will always ask either my association and/or the coop extension whenever I tread in areas I know I may be lacking in knowledge of. That's a choice... and not something even the government can regulate. An individual issue.
Funny story! We have 2 tests... the CORE and 3a for turf and ornamentals. 50 questions each. On the CORE, you have to get at least 6 out of the first ten right, ot automatically fail. Otherwise, it's 35 out of 50 right on each test. If you fail the CORE, you can't take 3a. If you fail you have to wait a month. Fail again, and it's back to class for 12 hours. The time between tests gets longer the more you fail. NY doesn't mess around.
As I recall, it's been several years since I took the test, there are a certain # of questions concerning strictly the label. I believe you have to get a certain # of them correct, or you don't pass . Period. I don't know if that's changed, however.
So what is best? A State with a tough test and long experience requirements or a State with a easy test and no, or almost no experience requirements? And Why?
So what is best? A State with a tough test and long experience requirements or a State with a easy test and no, or almost no experience requirements? And Why?
Personally, as someone who doesn't know a lot and who applied pesticides and fert last year without a license (Just to a few lawns to get the feel of it) I would say TOUGH test. I feel real nervous lacking knowledge and really the only time I will deliberately learn is when I run into a problem or... I have to study for a test.:laugh:
Man I hate when people last year would ask me questions about their lawns and I would get this Homer Simpson thing going on "hmm Donuts."
In other things that I do, like Window Cleaning, I know everything. That is a much more comfortable place to be.
Our guys take two tests -- the "core test" ..50 questions, and the "3OT" ..35 questions(turf & ornamental). I take several more tests so I can also do the "specialty treatments" and also cuz I'm a genious LOL LOL LOL! Anyways.......we can retest every day until we finally pass (just like a driver's liscence). I tell my guys to memorize the wrong answers (which they show you) and go back everyday until they finally pass both tests. Most of the questions don't apply to us, so go figure.????
I had a guy a few years ago who took the tests 23 times before he passed! He was smart -- just not "test smart". Anyway...the State boys started going out to lunch with him cuz he was there for many days in a row! True story.
This might explain a lot of your posts. Can we assume these are multiply guess questions where the chooses are totally different??
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