Published by the National Association of State Departments

of Agriculture Research Foundation 

# E xam 

# A dministration 

# S e curity 

# P roc e dur e s

Manual AN D

AGui d e Develope d by CT A G

for U se by St a t e, Tribal, an d

Terri t orial P es t i c i d e pro g ra m s

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 1 7/27/06 4:12:44 PMii 

### Support for this project was made

possible through the EPA Office

of Pesticide Programs' cooperative

agreements with the Council for

Agricultural Science and Technology,

and the National Association of State

Departments of Agriculture Research

Foundation. The views expressed

herein are those of the authors and do

not necessarily represent

the views and policies of the EPA.



## .!3$!2&

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 2 7/27/06 4:12:46 PM

# C ontents

CONTENTS iii 

### OVERVIE W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why Have an Exam Administration and Security Procedures Manual?

. . 1



### ISSUES FOR C ONSI D ERA T ION BY TH E A G EN C Y

RESPONSIBLE FOR E X A M A DM INIS T RA T ION AN D E X A M

SE C URI T Y

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3



### SU GG ES T E D C ON T EN T OF TH E S T A

T E , T RIBAL OR

T ERRI T ORIAL E X A M A DM INIS T RA T ION AN D SE C URI T Y

PRO C E D URES M ANUAL

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Exam Security Issues

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. . S ecurity and Maintaining Exam Integrity

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. . General Exam Security Precautions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. . Security Procedures in the Office

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. . Safeguarding Exam Materials at the Exam Site

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. . Challenging an Exam Item

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

General Exam Administration Issues

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Pe rsonnel Requirements

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Proctor/Exam Administrator Qualifications

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Proctor/Exam Administrator Responsibilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Exam Fees

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Exam Retakes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . Assisting Special Needs Candidates

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. . Permitted/Prohibited Items

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. . Candidates Who Arrive Late for an Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10. . Disqualification of Candidates

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10. . Handling Emergency Situations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. . Grading the Exam Answer Sheet

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. . Notification of Successful Candidates and Issuing the Certification

. . . 12. . When a Candidate Fails an Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Procedures Prior to the Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12. . Pre-registration and Pre-qualification

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12. . Scheduling Exams

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 3 7/27/06 4:12:49 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual The Exam Candidate Bulletin

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. . Information About the Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. . Being Prepared for the Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14. . What Happens After the Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15. . How to Get More Information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Procedures at the Exam Site

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15. . Exam Room Environment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15. . Physical Security

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16. . Proctor/Exam Administrator Responsibilities Before the Exam Begins

. . 16. . Exam Day Instructions for Candidates

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17. . Positive Identification of Candidates

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19. . Proctor/Exam Administrator Responsibilities After the Exam Begins

. . . 19. . Cheating

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20. . Check-out Procedures at the Conclusion of the Exam

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Special Considerations for Remote Testing and On-Line Exams

. . . . . 20. . Security

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20. . Exam Item Security

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20. . Recording Exam Results

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20



### SPE C IAL TH AN K S

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21



### H O W T O I M PROVE TH IS M ANUAL

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21



### A ppen d i x A S a m ple Ex a m Can d i d a t e B ulle t in

. . . . . . 23



### A ppen d i x B S a m ple Ex a m Day I ns t ru ct ions F or

Can d i d a t es

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27



### A ppen d i x C Acc o mm o d a t in g P ersons w i th V isual

Im pair m en t s

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

iv

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 4 7/27/06 4:12:51 PM

# O verview

C ertification of pesticide applicators

is a critical responsibility that has been

delegated to each state, tribe or territory

to ensure the competency of certified

and licensed pesticide applicators

. The

predominant method of certification

is through a written certification

exam

. The Certification & Training

Assessment Group (CTAG) developed

this Examination Administration and

Security Procedures Manual to provide

advice and guidance to each state, tribe

or territory with responsibility for exam

administration

. CTAG recognizes that each state,

tribal or territorial lead agency must

operate under its own special circum

stances, including its laws and regulations,

which guide the administration of exams

. This manual includes a series of ques

tions for each state, tribe or territory to

consider and offers some recommenda

tions in several areas

. CTAG suggests

that each of the agencies involved incor

porate into their exam administration

and security policies and procedures as

many as possible of the recommenda

tions contained in this manual

.

1 OVE R V I EW • Why ha ve a n e xam admi n i st ra t i on a n d sec uri t y p r oce dur es ma n ual? 

## C learly identified and described

examination administration policies

and procedures can help maximize

consistency in all areas of examination

administration and the examination

experience as well as to help to minimize

errors in the process

. This can help to

establish and maintain the credibility of

the examination process, ensure that the

entire examination process is seen as one

that is both objective and impartial, and

help to provide a high level of security for

all examination materials

. Administrative

staff, as well as the certification candidates, will benefit from clear communication of

examination procedures

. CTAG recom

mends that each state, tribe or territory

consider the following material and topic

areas as the basis for standard operating

procedures to be established and main

tained in an Examination Administration

and Security Procedures Manual

for program staff

. In addition, exam

administrators are encouraged to use

the information provided to develop an

Exam Candidate Bulletin as a vehicle for

providing important exam information

and guidance to exam candidates

. 

# W hy 

# H ave an 

# E xam



# A dministration and 

# S e c urity



# P ro c edures 

# M anual 

# ?

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 1 7/27/06 4:12:55 PM2 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 2 7/27/06 4:12:56 PM3 

# I ssues for 

# C onsideration

by the 

# A gen c y 

# R es p onsibile

for 

# E xam 

# A dministration

and 

# E xam 

# S e c urity

D epending on the state, tribe or ter

ritory, exams may be administered by

either the State Lead Agency (SLA), the

Cooperative Extension Service (CES)

program, or both

. CTAG believes it is a worthwhile

exercise for each responsible agency to perform a self-audit of existing pro

cedures for exam administration and

security

. The following list of issues

and questions may aid in this process;

these issues and questions, and more,

are addressed in the manual:

•. . Is there a clear understanding of

which agency is responsible for

exam administration and exam security?

•. . Are written exam administration

and security policies and proce

dures in place?

•. . Are all exams monitored, written,

closed-book exams?

•. . Is there a program of periodic

replacement of exam questions to

minimize use and exposure of any particular exam question?

•. . Are there procedures for treating

all exam materials (exam booklets,

answer sheets, and related forms)

as controlled documents?

•. . How do you control in-office han

dling of exams, storage of exams

and access to exams?

•. . How do you maintain chain-ofcustody and security in trans

porting exams to the exam site, at

the exam site and return from the

exam site while in transit?

•. . Who is responsible for scheduling

exams for individuals or groups?

•. . Will pre-registration be required

for all exam candidates?

•. . Are there written procedures for

handling and depositing exam

fees?

•. . Does your agency have written

policies and procedures to follow

to comply with the Americans

with Disabilities Act? What kinds

of special accommodations may

be made and what are the require

ments for accommodation?

•. . Do you issue advance written

instructions for candidates which

include such information as a

schedule of where and when the

exam will be given, type of exam (written/oral, multiple choice,

true/false, or practical), the

passing score, procedures for exam

result notification and certification

issuance, re-testing process fol

i ss u es f o r cons id e ra t i on by t h e ag enc y r espons ibl e f o r e xam admi n i st ra t i on a n d e xam sec uri t y

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 3 7/27/06 4:13:00 PMlowing exam failure, what materials

may be brought to the exam site,

what materials and items are pro

hibited at the exam site, expected

and prohibited behavior at the

exam site, allowable accommoda

tions and the method to request

accommodations for disabled or impaired candidates, and proce

dures, if any, to challenge an exam

item?

•. . Who may proctor an exam and

what are the minimum proctor qualifications?

•. . Do you have written procedures

for positive identification of all

exam candidates?

•. . What types of documents are acceptable for positive identifi

cation of candidates?

•. . Does your state, tribe or territory

have written procedures for han

dling instances of cheating or disruptive behavior? •. . Does your state, tribe or ter

ritory have written procedures for

grading exam answers sheets and

how to handle answer sheets once they are graded?

•. . How are candidates notified of

their exam scores, whether they

passed, and what steps to take

next?

•. . When will successful candidates

be issued the actual certification

document?

•. . Does your state, tribe or territory

have written procedures to follow

when a candidate fails an exam including how such a candidate

must apply to retake the exam,

any waiting period before the

candidate may retake an exam, any

maximum number of failures per candidate, and what happens when

a candidate accrues the maximum

number of failures?

4 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 4 7/27/06 4:13:01 PM

### Ex a m S e c uri t y I ssues

5 

## D evelopment of an exam admin

istration and security procedures

manual should begin with a verifi

cation and clear understanding of

authority and responsibility for exam

administration and exam security

. This information should be readily available in your approved state plan

. The manual should represent

standard operating procedures by

clearly addressing roles, responsibilities

and criteria covering all aspects of exam security and exam administration

. 

# S uggested 

# C ontent for

a 

# S tate



# , T ribal or 

# T erritorial



# E xam 

# A dministration and



# S e c urity 

# P ro c edures 

# M anual

S ecurity and Maintaining

E xam I ntegrity

Pesticide certification exams

are considered high stakes exams

. Consequently, security is a critical

consideration with such exams

. Sound,

written procedures to ensure security

of exams and exam materials are the

key to maintaining the integrity of the

exam process

. Security efforts tend to

be expensive and often represent a sig

nificant portion of total exam costs

.



### General E xam S ecurity

P recautions

•. . Theft of pesticide applicator

certification exam questions or

exam materials can seriously com

promise the certification process

and lead to significant exam replacement costs

. All certification

exam materials (exam booklets, answer sheets, scratch paper and

related forms) should be treated as

controlled documents

.

•. . Each SLA and/or CES program

that has custody of certification

exam materials should take pre

cautions to ensure that all exam

materials in their custody are kept

secure

.

•. . Access to exam materials should

be strictly limited to authorized

program staff

.

•. . When exam materials are in use by, or being transported by, autho

rized staff they should be in the

appropriate staff person’s imme

diate possession and control

. At all

other times, including during rest breaks, meal breaks and outside

of office hours, exam materials

should be stored under lock and

key

. Access to exam materials

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 5 7/27/06 4:13:05 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

storage keys should be limited to

those authorized to use the exam

materials

.

•. . Each exam booklet should be

assigned a unique serial number

which is displayed in a prominent

location on the exam booklet

. If

every exam booklet has a unique

number, it is much easier to track

the exams using a log book, elec

tronic database or other system to

account for all exam booklets and

quickly identify any missing exam

materials

.

•. . Exam items (questions and

answers) should never be discussed

with candidates, trainers or others

who may affect the integrity of the

exam

. In particular, exam items

should not be shared with trainers

if there is concern that trainers

may simply teach to the exam questions

. There should also be

specific procedures for challenging

items, but the process should not

allow candidates to review the

specific items; otherwise, exam security will be compromised

.

•. . The use of multiple or scrambled

exam versions at the exam site

will help to ensure exam integrity

by minimizing opportunities for

cheating and copying answers

from a candidate seated nearby

.

•. . A program of periodic replacement

of exam questions should be

developed to minimize use and

exposure of any particular exam question

.

•. . Exam materials should be copy

righted and should bear a notice

which prohibits copying, repro

duction, or the removal from the

exam room of any exam materials

by unauthorized persons

. (A copy

right is secured upon creation of

the exam materials

. Permission

from or registration with the U

. S

. Copyright Office is not required

. A copyright notice is recom

mended and can take the form of

“Copyright, [year created] XYZ

Department of Agriculture

. ”) •. . Strict chain-of-custody proce

dures should be employed when

transporting exam materials from

the office, to exam site, at exam

site and return from exam site

. All

exam materials should be shipped

and returned for scoring in sealed

envelopes or containers

.

•. . Account for all exam booklets and

answer sheets before and after each

exam session

. Take immediate action

if any are found to be missing

.

•. . If exam booklets are to be reused,

check the used exam booklets after

each examination session for any

notations or marks or missing pages

. Remove from use any defaced or damaged exam booklets

.

•. . Properly shred and destroy any

used, surplus, damaged, or obsolete

exams

.



### S ecurity P rocedures in

the O ffice

•. . Exam materials should be secured in

a locked filing cabinet

.

•. . Exam materials should be kept

locked except when the exam

materials are in use by authorized

personnel

.

•. .

There should be strict limits on who

can access the secured exams

.

•. . Unauthorized copying of exam

materials should be strictly pro

hibited

.

•. .

An inventory system for exam mate

rials should be created and used to

document the receipt, inventory,

handling and storage of exam

materials

. This will both ensure the

security of exams and help to ensure

that an adequate supply of exam

materials is kept on hand

.



### S afeguarding E xam

Materials at the E xam S ite

•. . Do not copy the exam booklets for

any reason

. Do not allow anyone

but an authorized proctor or exam

administrator to have access to the

exam booklets and answer key

.

6

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 6 7/27/06 4:13:07 PM7 •. . If an exam question requires the

candidate to perform a calcu

lation, scratch paper may be used

. If no calculations are required, no

scratch paper should be used

.

•. . Do not allow candidates to bring

any scratch paper into the exam

room

. This could allow a candidate

to bring to the exam cheat sheets

or other materials to be used for

cheating

.

•. . Do not allow candidates to take

any scratch paper from the exam

room

. This could allow a can

didate to steal an exam question or

answer or both

.

• If scratch paper is to be allowed,

the proctor or exam administrator

should supply the only authorized

scratch paper

. One piece of scratch

paper per candidate should be

sufficient

. Candidates should be

required to write their name and

other identification information

on each piece of scratch paper

. The proctor or exam adminis

trator should collect all scratch

paper from each candidate at the

conclusion of the exam

.

•. . The collected scratch paper should

be secured for proper disposal

. Do not dispose of these materials

at the exam site

. Such materials

should be returned to the office

in a secure manner, shredded and

properly destroyed

.

•. . All proctors and exam admin

istrators should be reminded to

never leave any exam materials

unattended whether they are unused, unassigned or not yet assigned to a candidate

.

•. . When exam booklets are dis

tributed, proctors and exam

administrators should be instructed

to make certain that each candidate

receives only one copy of any par

ticular exam and that the exam

booklet serial number is recorded

on the exam answer sheet

. It is

easiest to account for the exam

materials at the beginning, during

and at the end of the exam if a oneon-one system is used to issue the exam materials at the beginning

of the exam process and to collect

the exam materials at the end of

the exam process

. Multiple copies

of an exam booklet should never

be passed down a row of candi

dates for each candidate to take

one copy; it is much too easy for

an exam booklet to disappear

.

•. . If an exam booklet is lost, stolen,

incomplete or otherwise defective,

or defaced in any manner, the

pesticide program manager over

seeing certification exams should

be notified as soon as possible

. A

detailed incident report should be

prepared to describe the incident

.

•. . Ripped, torn, damaged or muti

lated exam booklets should never

be placed in trash at the exam site

. Such materials should be returned

to the office in a secure manner,

shredded and properly destroyed

.

•. . Candidates should not be allowed

to leave the exam room for any

reason once the exam has begun

. If candidates were allowed to leave

the room during the exam for

bathroom breaks or other reasons, good exam security would be

compromised since this practice

would introduce opportunities

for cheating or theft of exam item

information

. It would also increase

the number of staff necessary to

administer the exam since, if a

candidate were allowed to leave

the exam room during an exam

and return, good exam security

would require each such candidate

to be accompanied by a proctor or

exam administrator

. Even then,

good exam security would be very

difficult to maintain

.



### Challenging an E xam I tem

•. . The process of challenging an

exam item should allow a can

didate a means to voice concern

that a question may be confusing

or improperly stated or that the

choice of answers yields no correct

answer or more than one correct

answer

. Challenging an exam

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 7 7/27/06 4:13:10 PMitem should not be a means for a

candidate to gain any information

about an exam item, including

correct or incorrect answers

. Exam

security would be compromised

if this type of information were

made available to any candidate

.

•. . Written procedures and forms

should be developed for candi

dates to use to challenge an exam item, as well as for the appropriate

pesticide program staff to review

the challenge

.

•. . To protect the integrity and

security of the exam, do not provide the candidate with any

information concerning the correctness of the candidate’s

answer to any exam item or how

performance on any particular

item affected the candidate’s final

score

.

•. . The pesticide program staff's

review of the challenged item

should be final and not subject to

further review

. Since exam items

have been thoroughly reviewed

before being used in an exam, the

review of the challenge is simply

one further level of review

.

•. . The rationale for the decision in

any challenge should remain con

fidential and not be shared with the

candidate making the challenge

.



### General Ex a m Adm inis t ra t ion I ssues

P ersonnel R equirements

Each state, tribe or territory should

identify the number of staff required to adequately prepare for the exam and

to successfully support administration

of the exam itself

. The number of staff

will likely vary by the number of candi

dates to be examined and the number

of different exams to be conducted on

exam day

. The appropriate candidate

to proctor/exam administrator ratio

should allow for appropriate monitoring

and exam candidate interaction

.



### P roctor/ E xam

A dministrator

Qualifications

At least one qualified proctor or

exam administrator should be required

to be present during the entire conduct

of any exam

. A proctor/exam admin

istrator may become qualified by

becoming familiar with and following

all exam security and exam adminis

tration policies and procedures, and

by being employed in specific posi

tions within the pesticide program conducting the exams

. This may, for

example, include employees holding

specific positions in the SLA and/or

CES

. Generally, no other individuals or organizations should have the authority

to proctor pesticide applicator certifi

cation examinations

. (An exception may

be made for remote testing with on-line

exams conducted under contract or

agreement with the SLA

. )



### P roctor/ E xam

A dministrator

R esponsibilities

The rules of conduct and respon

sibilities should be clearly identified

in written procedures for the proctor/

exam administrator

. Procedures should

include conduct and responsibilities

before the exam, during the exam, and

at the conclusion of the exam

.



### E xam F ees

If exam fees are charged, proce

dures should be developed for collecting

and handling exam fees

. Determine

in advance the acceptable forms of

payment (cash, check, money order or

credit or debit card, etc

. )

. Procedures

for handling and depositing all exam

fees should require routine audits

.



### E xam R etakes

If your state, tribe or territory limits

the frequency of retaking exams, limits

the number of times a candidate may

retake an exam within a specific period

of time or establishes a waiting period

between exam retakes, procedures

should be developed to capture this

8 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 8 7/27/06 4:13:12 PM9 information and facilitate enforcement

of such policies

. Limiting the frequency

of exam retakes may limit opportunities

to memorize exam items

.



### A ssisting S pecial N eeds

Candidates

•. . Determine the policies and proce

dures necessary for your pesticide

exam program to comply with the

Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA)

.

•. . Ca ndidates who request accom

modation under the ADA should

be required to notify the pesticide

exam program far enough in

advance of the scheduled exam

that the need for accommodation

can be verified and any necessary

accommodation can be adequately

planned for and appropriately

made

. Additional staff may be

required on exam day to provide

authorized accommodations to

exam candidates

. If a signer is

required for a hearing impaired

candidate, the services may need

to be scheduled in advanc e

.

•. . Determine the types of special

accommodations that may be made

and the requirements for accommo

dation

. For example, if a candidate

requests accommodation for a

condition such as dyslexia, what

type of supporting documentation

will be required and will additional

time be allowed to complete an

exam? Will large print exams be

provided for visually impaired

candidates or will such candidates

be allowed to use magnification

devices? Are exam sites handi

capped accessible? (See Appendix

C for additional information

. )



### P ermitted/ P rohibited

I tems

To protect the security of the exam

and to facilitate administration, each

state, tribe and territory should care

fully consider what items a candidate

may bring to the exam room and what

items will be prohibited in the exam

room, and develop appropriate proce

dures and guidelines

. It may be easier to only allow specific items to be brought

into the exam room by a candidate and

then supply the candidate with all other

items needed during the exam

.

•. . Materials and items prohibited

from the exam site should include

review notes or other study or training materials in any format or media, backpacks, briefcases, tote bags or any type of luggage

.

•. . Prohibited materials should also

include any type of writing pad,

loose leaf binder, notebook, or

other source of scratch paper

. If the

use of scratch paper is permitted

during an exam session, it should

be provided by the proctor or exam

administrator

. Candidates should

be required to record their name

and other identification infor

mation on the scratch paper

. To

protect the integrity of the exam,

all scratch paper, including unused

scratch paper, must be returned to

the proctor/exam administrator at

the conclusion of the exam

.

•. . If an exam item requires a calculation, will calculators be per

mitted? If so, procedures should

specify what types of calculators

are acceptable

. Printing calculators

should be prohibited

. The presence

of unauthorized scratch paper (the

roll of printer paper) would make

it possible for notes to be brought

into the exam session on the printer

paper as well as for information on

exam items to be removed from

the exam room on the printer

paper

. If calculators are permitted,

they should be restricted to nonprinting, battery or solar powered

electronic calculators that are not capable of storing or transmitting

text information

.

•. . All other electronic devices should

be prohibited from use at any time

in the exam room

. This should

include computers, any type of

personal digital assistant (palm

pilot) or wireless e-mail device,

programmable watches, clocks,

cameras, radios, recording devices,

hand-held computers, headphones,

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 9 7/27/06 4:13:14 PMheadsets and any other elec

tronic devices capable of sending,

receiving or storing information

or communicating with others

during the exam

. Ideally, such

devices should not be allowed into

the exam room

. All pagers, cell

phones and other communication

devices should also be prohibited

in the exam room

. The ability to

send or receive text messages or photographs is a common feature

on many cell phones

. If you

choose to allow such devices to be

brought into the exam room, they

should be turned off and not be

used at any time within the exam

room or during bathroom breaks,

if bathroom breaks are allowed

.

•. . Possession or use of any pro

hibited materials or items in the

exam room should result in the

immediate disqualification of the

candidate, failure of the exami

nation and dismissal from the

exam room

.



### Candidates Who A rrive

L ate for an E xam

Determine in advance if a candidate

who arrives late to take an exam may

be accommodated without disrupting

the exam administration process or having a negative impact on candi

dates who arrived on time

. Develop

appropriate policies and procedures for

proctors/exam administrators to follow

. A reasonable policy would be to refuse

entrance to the exam room for any can

didate arriving after a specific time such

as ten minutes after the scheduled time

for candidates to report for the exam,

or after a proctor/exam administrator

begins the process of instructing can

didates

. If a candidate is refused entry

for arriving late, any exam fees already

paid may be forfeited

.



### Disqualification of

Candidates

The circumstances which will

result in the disqualification of a

candidate and the procedures for

disqualifying a candidate should be

carefully considered since the impact on a candidate is significant

. The con

sequences of disqualification include

termination of the exam and dismissal

from the exam room

.

•. . Policies and procedures should be

developed to guide proctors and

exam administrators in handling

instances that may result in the

disqualification of an exam can

didate at the exam site

.

•. . Activities that should appropri

ately result in disqualification

include cheating or any form

of giving or receiving of unau

t hor ized ex a m assist a nce;

disruptive behavior; failure to comply with any exam instruc

tions or requirements; leaving

the exam room prior to the con

clusion of the candidate’s exam; leaving the exam room at the

conclusion of the exam without

following required check-out

procedures; possession in the

exam room of any unauthorized

information, materials or devices;

or the theft or attempted theft of

any exam materials including any

information concerning an exam

item

.

•. . Proctors/exam administrators

should be instructed to confront

any candidate involved, to inform

the candidate that his or her exam

session has concluded, to imme

diately collect all exam materials

from any such candidate, to note

the identity of any candidate

involved and to dismiss the can

didate from the exam room

.

•. . A disqualified candidate should be

deemed to have failed the exam

and any exam fees forfeited

.

•. . Instructions for proctors/exam

administrators should specify

who should be notified and how

the notification should be made

in event of disqualification of a

candidate

.

•. . Determine whether and under

what circumstances a disqualified

candidate may become eligible to

retake the exam

.

10 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 10 7/27/06 4:13:17 PM11 

### Handling E mergency

S ituations

Although it is not possible to plan

for all unexpected events, a proctor/

exam administrator should be prepared

to handle many different unexpected

events which may impact the conduct of

exams

. For example, the proctor/exam

administrator should have written

procedures for handling situations that

require a response to unexpected events

such as a power outage or other emer

gency disruption of the exam process

. A key goal is to protect the integrity of

the exams

.

•. . If an exam must be discontinued for

all candidates due to a power failure,

fire or similar event, candidates

should be instructed to immediately

leave the exam room and to leave

behind all exam materials

.

•. . If illness prevents a candidate from

completing an exam, or if the

candidate chooses not to complete

the exam for any other reason, the

candidate’s exam is concluded

. If

the candidate wishes the exam

to be scored based on completed

answers, the candidate must follow

required check out procedures to verify identity and ensure that all

exam materials, including scratch

paper, are returned

.

•. . If a candidate discovers during the

exam that his or her exam booklet

is damaged, spoiled, illegible or incomplete, the candidate should

immediately notify a proctor or

exam administrator who may exchange the exam booklet for a complete one

. If the exam booklet

is incomplete, the proctor or exam

administrator should attempt

to determine if the candidate is

responsible for any missing pages

. (A sufficient number of extra exam

materials should be brought to the

exam site to accommodate such

emergencies

. )



### Grading the E xam A nswer

S heet

When exams are graded, the exam

results should be treated as information which is not publicly available to anyone

other than the candidate

. Exam answer

sheets should ideally be kept for a

limited time period and then destroyed

. While the answers to specific exam questions should never be shared with a candidate, a state, tribe or territory may

want to assist unsuccessful candidates

by indicating the subject areas (based

on the exam blueprint) where the can

didate needs to improve

.

•. . If on-site grading of exams is per

mitted, they should be scored by

staff other than the proctors/exam

administrators responsible for

the conduct of the exams so that

the proctors/exam administrators

can devote full attention to the

conduct of the exams

.

•. . If exams are scored at the exam site,

ensure that the appropriate answer key is provided for each exam form

in use and that the correct key is

used to grade each exam

.

•. . If answer sheets are scored by hand,

it may be useful to place a check

mark next to each incorrect answer along with the letter or number

representing the correct answer

.

•. . The answer sheet should include

a place to calculate and record the

final grade

.

•. . If exams are graded away from the

exam site, appropriate procedures

should be developed to maintain

the security and integrity of the

answer sheets and to provide a

standard method and process for

scoring answer sheets

.

•. . Once the answer sheets are graded,

appropriate procedures should

address who receives or retains

the original answer sheet; how the

original answer sheet is securely

transmitted to the final repository

or how the original answer sheet is

shredded and destroyed; how infor

mation on final scores is stored; if

copies of the answer sheet must be

made, who receives or retains the

copies and how the copies are trans

mitted; and, required time frames

for transmitting the answer sheet

at each step in the procedures

.

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 11 7/27/06 4:13:19 PM

### N otification of S uccessful

Candidates and I ssuing

the Certification

Procedures for the lead agency to

follow with successful candidates should

include:

•. . The time frame for scoring the

exam and notifying candidates

of their respective scores

. For

example, all candidates will be sent

their exam results by first class

mail within ten business days fol

lowing the exam date

.

•. . The process and time frame for

the State Lead Agency to notify

successful candidates and to issue

the certification documents

.

•. . If your state, tribe or territory

issues an applicator certification or

a temporary certificate at the exam

site to those who pass the exam, step-by-step procedures should

be developed for proctors/exam

administrators to follow at the exam site to complete and issue the

certificate

.



### When a Candidate F ails

an E xam

Procedures for the lead agency to

follow when a candidate fails an exam

should address several issues:

•. . The time frame and the method

of notifying an unsuccessful can

didate of failure to pass an exam

.

•. . The notice of failure should advise

the unsuccessful candidate of the

procedures for retaking an exam

.

•. . If there is a waiting period before

an unsuccessful candidate may

retake an exam, or if there is a

maximum number of times a can

didate can take and fail an exam

within a specific period of time,

appropriate information should

be included in the notice to the

unsuccessful candidate

.



### P ro c e d ures P rior t o th e Ex a m



## U nless prohibited by your state, tribe

or territory laws or regulations, preregistration for exams, pre-qualification

of candidates, and pre-payment of

exam fees should be required

. This will

minimize the administrative burden

on staff, help to streamline procedures

at the exam site, and allow for better

planning and scheduling of exams

.



### P re-registration and

P re-qualification

A process of pre-registration and

pre-qualification for all candidates is

recommended and has the following

advantages:

•. . Exam planning is facilitated since

you will know in advance of the

exam session who is coming and

how many of each type of exam are

needed

.

•. . Candidates can be pre-screened for

qualification to sit for the exam

. Unqualified candidates will not be

admitted to the exam room

. •. . Qualified candidates can be issued

an exam admission document so

that only those bearing a valid exam

admission document are allowed to

enter the exam room

.

•. . The exam admission document can identify the specific date, time and

location for each exam

.

•. . Fees can be collected, and checks

can clear, prior to the exam session

. The exam admission document may

be used as a receipt for payment of

required fees

.

•. . Space needs at the exam site and

the number of staff persons nec

essary to proctor or administer the

exam can be easily determined in

advance

.



### S cheduling E xams

•. . When an exam is scheduled for a pre-registered candidate, a con

firmation notice to the candidate

should use a unique confirmation

12 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 12 7/27/06 4:13:22 PM13 number (which may be keyed to

that candidate) and should provide

the candidate with information on

the date and time of the scheduled

exam(s), the exam(s) for which

the candidate has registered and

the location of the exam site

. The

confirmation notice may also be

used to instruct the candidate on positive identification requirements

to verify the identity of the candidate

(to prevent another person from

taking the exam for the applicant)

and, if necessary, to confirm that

the candidate meets minimum age requirements

. Additional infor

mation which should be provided to

the exam candidate prior to the exam

is discussed in the Exam Candidate

Bulletin section

. •. . If an exam is being given as a

part of a training or educational

program, the sponsor of the

program should be responsible

for ensuring that all candidates

are properly pre-registered

.

•. . Information on scheduled exams

and pre-registered candidates

should be used to prepare a roster

of all registered candidates that

indicates the exam(s) each can

didate is scheduled to take on

exam day

. The roster will facilitate

exam administration at the exam

session and will help to ensure

that an appropriate supply of the

necessary exams is brought to the

exam site on exam day

.



## T he purpose of an Exam Candidate

Bulletin is to provide each candidate

with general information and instruc

tions concerning the exam

. An Exam

Candidate Bulletin should be provided

to each registered exam candidate

prior to the exam date

. A Sample Exam

Candidate Bulletin is in Appendix A

. The Exam Candidate Bulletin should

include the following information:



### I nformation A bout

the E xam

This section of the Exam Candidate

Bulletin includes information the can

didate should be provided concerning

the exam itself:

•. . The date, time and location of each

exam for which the candidate has

registered if not already provided

to the candidate

.

• A statement that the exam is copy

righted and may not be used or reproduced in any manner without

the express written permission

of the copyright holder, that the

exam booklets and answer sheets

may not be removed from the

exam room and that theft of exam

materials will be prosecuted to the

fullest extent possible

. •. . Details concerning the exam

format such as whether it is written

or oral, open or closed-book,

multiple choice, true/false, or practical; the number of questions

on the exam; the amount of time

available to complete the exam;

whether the exam is available in

any language other than English;

and the minimum passing score

.

•. . Clear and concise candidate

instructions on how to take the

exam and how to complete answer

sheets or other forms

. For example,

if scanable or bubble sheets are used, the candidate should be

instructed how to properly indicate

the answer for each question so

that the answer may be properly

scanned

.

•. . Candidates are not permitted to seek

help from a proctor/exam adminis

trator to interpret an exam question

. A proctor/exam administrator will

not provide this type of assistance

. A candidate may, however, take

advantage of established procedures

to challenge a question

.

•. .

A description of the required checkout procedures the candidate must

follow when the exam is completed

. 

### T h e Ex a m Can d i d a t e bulle t in

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 13 7/27/06 4:13:24 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

For example, candidates should

remain seated until they complete

their examinations

. When the

exam is completed, the candidate

should raise a hand and wait for

a proctor/exam administrator to

collect all exam materials, return

the candidate’s photo identification

document and dismiss the can

didate from the exam room

. The

candidate must promptly exit the

exam room when directed to leave

. Leaving the exam room without

following check-out procedures

will result in disqualification of

the candidate, termination of the

exam and dismissal from the exam

room

. (See Check-out Procedures at

the Conclusion of the Exam. )

•. . Candidates should come to the

exam room prepared to remain

until the conclusion of the exam

. If a candidate leaves the exam

room during the exam for any

reason (for example, to eat, drink

or smoke) the candidate’s exam

will be concluded and all exam

materials must be returned before

leaving the exam room following

required exam check-out proce

dures

. (If a candidate is scheduled

to take more than one exam, the

candidate may be allowed to leave

the exam room between exams

. )



### B eing P repared for

the E xam

This section of the Exam Candidate

Bulletin provides the candidate with

information on how to arrive properly

prepared to sit for the exam:

•. . Candidates must arrive on time

. Any candidate arriving late will

be refused entrance to the exam

room and any exam fees will be

forfeited

.

•. . Facilities or accommodations for

disabled exam candidates should be

described along with a description

of allowable special accommoda

tions and the procedure to request special accommodations

. All

special accommodations requests

must be made and approved prior

to exam day

. •. . A description of the type(s) of

positive identification/photo

identification document that each

candidate must bring to the exam

site

. (See Positive Identification of

Candidates. )

•. . A description of materials which

a candidate must bring to the

exam session

. For example, if the

candidate is required to supply the

writing instruments, the number

and type should be specified (e

. g

. ,

two No

. 2 pencils

. )

.

•. . If an exam requires mathematical

calculations and the candidate is

permitted to bring into the exam

room an electronic calculator, the

types of permissible calculators

should be described

. For example,

a non-printing, battery or solar

powered, electronic calculator

may be permitted

.

•. . A list of materials and items pro

hibited from the exam room and

a warning that possession or use

of any of these materials or items

in the exam room will result in

the immediate disqualification

of the candidate, failure of the

examination and dismissal from

the exam room

. (See Permitted/

Prohibited Items. )

•. . A separate notice that prohibited

materials include any type of

writing pad, loose leaf binder,

notebook, or other source of

scratch paper

. If the use of scratch

paper is permitted during an exam session, it will be provided by the

proctor or exam administrator

. Candidates will be required to

record their name and other

identification information on the

scratch paper

. All scratch paper, including unused scratch paper,

must be returned to the proctor/

exam administrator at the con

clusion of the exam

.

•. . Candidates should be advised that

neither the pesticide program nor

the proctors/exam administrators

will be responsible for the loss or damage of any personal property

and that prohibited items should

14

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 14 7/27/06 4:13:26 PM15 be left at the candidate’s home,

hotel room, vehicle, or other

location, as appropriate

.

•. .

A description of appropriate

behavior including following all

instructions given by an exam proctor/administrator and not talking with other candidates while

the exam is in progress

. Failure to comply with any exam instruc

tions or requirements, or giving or receiving exam assistance will result

in disqualification of the candidate,

termination of the exam and dis

missal from the exam room

.

•. . Additional advice to candidates

may be included such as, “Do not

share the content of any exam with

others; this lowers the value of

your certification

. Do not cheat or

use cheat sheets that teach to the

exam; this does not help you learn

the information needed to become

a competent applicator

. Discourage

others from cheating and report

to the pesticide program any

instances of cheating or teaching

to the exam; this protects the value

of your certification

. ”



### What Happens A fter

the E xam

This section of the Exam Candidate

Bulletin should include information on scoring the exam, how successful

candidates will receive the certification

document, and how unsuccessful candi

dates can apply to retake the exam:

•. . The time frame for scoring the

exam and notifying candidates

of their respective scores

. For

example, all candidates will be sent

their exam results by first class mail

within ten business days following

the exam date

.

•. . For successful candidates, the

process and time frame for the

State Lead Agency to issue the

certification documents, as well as

any additional steps the candidate

may need to take

.

•. . For unsuccessful candidates, the

policy and procedures for retaking

an exam, including information on

any limits on the number of exam

failures or waiting period between

exams

.



### How to Get More

I nformation

The Exam Candidate Bulletin should

include the name and telephone number

or other contact information for the

person a candidate should contact with

questions or for further information

.



### P ro c e d ures a t th e Ex a m S i t e



## T he procedures to be followed at the

exam site represent guidelines for each

proctor/exam administrator to follow to properly administer the exam

.



### E xam R oom E nvironment

•. . The exam room should have an adequate number of chairs and

desks or tables for registered

candidates

. Consider appropriate

seating arrangement of candidates

and available furniture to facilitate

exam administration and to min

imize opportunities for cheating

.

•. . Heat, light and ventilation should

be adjusted as necessary to create a comfortable exam room envi

ronment

. Any distractions which

may interfere with the exam

session should be eliminated

.

•. . Determine what other events in

the vicinity of the exam site may

interfere with conducting the

exam, particularly if the exam

is given on a weekend, and take

appropriate steps to minimize any impact on the exam

.

•. . Determine how best to accom

modate candidates with physical

disabilities

.

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 15 7/27/06 4:13:28 PM

### P hysical S ecurity

•. . Security concerns arising out of

the events of 9/11 may prompt proctors/exam administrators

to prohibit personal belongings

including backpacks, briefcases,

lunch bags, and similar items

from being stored in the exam

room whether in aisles, around

the perimeter of the room or

under candidate’s desk or table

space

. Building security concerns

may result in any unattended

items left outside the exam room being removed and disposed of by

security staff

.

•. . Items such as exam admission

documents, photo identification

document and writing instruments

which are allowed in the exam

room should be on display on the

desk or table where the candidate is

seated

. Exam administrators may

want to take additional security

steps such as requiring candidates

to carry such materials in a clear

plastic bag of up to one gallon in

size

. Candidates who insert or

remove items from their pockets

or clothing may risk disqualifi

cation for cheating

.



### P roctor/ E xam

A dministrator

R esponsibilities before

The E xam B egins

Appropriate responsibilities for the

proctor/exam administrator before the

exam begins include:

•. . Proctors/exam administrators

and any support staff should

arrive at the exam site at least

30–60 minutes prior to the time

candidates have been directed to

report

.

•. . Bring to the exam session the

previously prepared roster of all

registered candidates which indi

cates which exam(s) each candidate

is scheduled to take

. Use the exam registration roster to ensure that

each candidate receives the proper

exam

. The roster may also be used as a checklist to help verify which

exams have been distributed and

which exams must be returned

.

•. . If writing instruments are sup

plied, the proctors or exam

administrators should have an adequate supply for scheduled

candidates

.

•. . Write important notices and

reminders for candidates on a

blackboard or poster

.

•. . Prepare all necessary exam mate

rials for distribution

.

•. . Control access to the exam room

. No persons other than exam can

didates, who possess a valid exam

admission document, and exam proctoring and administration

personnel should be admitted to

the exam room or be allowed to be

present in the exam room during

the conduct or administration of

an exam

.

•. . Do not allow prohibited materials

to be brought into the exam room

or allow exam materials to be

removed from the exam room

.

•. . Use the procedures described

under Positive Identification of

Candidates to positively identify

each candidate

. Retain each

candidate’s photo identification

document until the exam materials

are turned in at the conclusion of

the exam

.

•. . For exam sessions where more

than one person is present to

sit for an exam in the same type

or category, the proctor/exam

administrator should ensure that

candidates taking the same exam

are seated sufficiently far enough

apart to eliminate the possibility

of copying answers, unless mul

tiple or scrambled versions of the

exam are used

. In the latter case,

candidates seated next to each

other should not have the same

version of the exam

.

•. . Provide candidates with the Exam

Day Instructions for Candidates in

the following section

.

16 Exami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 16 7/27/06 4:13:31 PM•. . Prior to issuing an exam booklet

to a candidate, a proctor/exam

administrator should inspect each

exam booklet to verify that it

does not contain any extraneous markings or information of any

type other than the examination

and corresponding instructions

. Marked, damaged or incomplete

exam booklets should not be

issued and should be secured for

appropriate destruction

.

•. . Ripped, torn or spoiled exam booklets, as well as used scratch

paper, should not be disposed of

at the exam site

. Such materials

should be returned to the office

in a secure manner, shredded and

properly destroyed

.

•. . Distribute exam materials imme

diately prior to starting the exam

and ensure that the proctors or

exam administrators hand the

appropriate exam booklet to each

candidate individually, one at a time, to minimize opportunities

for theft of exams

. Do not dis

tribute exams by passing several

copies down a row of candidates

. Do not allow candidates to pass

exam materials to other candi

dates

. This may result in the theft

of exam booklets

.

•. . If a candidate is taking more than

one exam during the session, dis

tribute the exams one at a time

. A

completed exam must be turned in

before the next exam is distributed

. Use the exam roster to keep track

of such exams

.

•. . When ready to begin the exam,

candidates should be instructed

to clear the desk/table tops of all

materials other than the exam

admission document, photo iden

tification document and writing

instruments

. All other materials

should be prohibited from the

exam room

. Proctors/exam admin

istrators may choose to review the

list and allow candidates to imme

diately remove any prohibited

materials from the exam room

. Possession or use of such mate

rials or devices once the exam has begun should result in immediate

disqualification of the candidate,

termination of the exam and dis

missal from the exam room

. (See

Permitted/Prohibited Items

. )

•. . Start all candidates on their exams

at the same time and note the

beginning time at the top of the

exam roster

.



### E xam Day I nstructions for

Candidates

On exam day, candidates should be

provided the following information and

instructions:

•. . The exam is copyrighted and may

not be used or reproduced in any

manner without the express written

permission of the copyright holder,

that the exam booklets and answer

sheets may not be removed from

the exam room and that theft of

exam materials will be prosecuted

to the fullest extent possible

.

•. . A general orientation to the exam including whether it is written or oral; open or closed-book; multiple

choice, true/false, or practical; the

number of questions on the exam;

the amount of time available

to complete the exam; and the

minimum passing score

.

•. . Clear and concise instructions on

how to take the exam and how to complete answer sheets or other

forms

.

•. . A reminder that if a candidate

leaves the exam room during the

exam for any reason (for example,

to eat, drink or smoke) the can

didate’s exam will be concluded

and all exam materials must be

returned before leaving the exam

room following required exam

check-out procedures

.

•. . A review of the type(s) of positive

identification/photo identification

document that each candidate

must have in their possession to be

able to sit for the exam

. Candidates

without the required positive

identification document will be

dismissed from the exam room

.

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL 17

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 17 7/27/06 4:13:33 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual •. . A reminder of any other materials

which candidates may have in

their possession in the exam room

. Instruct candidates as to what

materials or items may or may not

be on their desks/tables

.

•. . Possession or use in the exam

room of any of the prohibited

materials or items described in the

Candidate Bulletin will immedi

ately disqualify the candidate and

will result in termination of the

examination and dismissal from

the exam room

. Proctors/exam

administrators may choose to

review the list and allow candi

dates to immediately remove any prohibited materials from the

exam room

.

•. . A statement concerning whether

or not scratch paper may be used

during the exam session

. If scratch

paper may be used, it will be

provided by the proctor or exam

administrator

. Candidates will be

required to record their name and

other identification information

on the scratch paper

. All scratch

paper, including unused scratch

paper, must be returned to a proctor/exam administrator at the

conclusion of the exam

.

•. . Neither the pesticide program nor

the proctors/exam administrators

will be responsible for the loss or damage of any personal property brought to the exam room or the

exam site

.

•. . A description of appropriate

behavior including following all

instructions given by an exam proctor/administrator and not talking with other candidates

while the exam is in progress

. Failure to comply with any exam

instructions or requirements, or giving or receiving exam assis

tance will result in disqualification

of the candidate, termination of

the exam and dismissal from the

exam room

.

•. . A reminder that candidates are

not permitted to seek help from

a proctor/exam administrator to interpret an exam question, and that

a proctor/exam administrator will

not provide this type of assistance

.

•. . A description of the required checkout procedures the candidate must

follow when the exam is completed

. For example, candidates should

remain seated until they complete

their examinations

. When the

exam is completed, the candidate

should raise a hand and wait for

a proctor/exam administrator to

collect all exam materials, return

the candidate’s photo identification

document and dismiss the can

didate from the exam room

. The

candidate must promptly exit the

exam room when directed to leave

. Leaving the exam room without

following check-out procedures

will result in disqualification of the

candidate, termination of the exam

and dismissal from the exam room

. (See Check-out Procedures at the

Conclusion of the Exam

. )

•. . Refer candidates to the Exam

Candidate Bulletin for details on

the time frame for scoring the

exam and notifying candidates of

their respective scores, the process

and time frame for the State

Lead Agency to issue the certi

fication documents to successful

candidates, and, for unsuccessful

candidates, the policy and pro

cedures for retaking an exam, including information on any

limits on the number of exam

failures or waiting period between

exams

.

•. . Print all personal information and

other required information on the

answer sheets and other forms

. If

scratch paper is used, each can

didate should print the required

personal information on each

piece of scratch paper

.

•. . Do not open the exam booklet

until told to do so

.

•. . Do not rip, tear or mutilate exam booklets, write in or on any exam booklet, or remove an exam

booklet or any part of it from the

exam room

.

18

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 18 7/27/06 4:13:35 PMSample Exam Day Instructions for

Candidates may be found in Appendix B

.



### P ositive I dentification of

Candidates

Prior to receiving any exam mate

rials (exam booklet, answer sheet, etc

. )

each candidate should be required to temporarily surrender, to the proctor/

exam administrator, his or her valid,

government-issued, photo identifi

cation document

. Acceptable photo

identification documents include a

driver’s license (or a non-driver photo

identification document issued by a

state motor vehicle agency), passport or immigration green card

. The driver’s

license or non-driver photo identifi

cation document should be issued by

the examining state or, in the case of a reciprocity exam, the home state of the

candidate

. This is an important security

step to positively identify each can

didate

. In addition, by holding the photo

identification document until all exam

materials (booklets, answer sheets, etc

. )

are returned it is easy to identify who

may have taken any exam materials not

turned in at the end of the exam

.



### P roctor/ E xam

A dministrator

R esponsibilities after the

E xam B egins

Appropriate responsibilities for the

proctor/exam administrator after the

exam begins include:

•. . Check to ensure that no two

candidates taking the same exam

are sitting close enough to one

another to present an opportunity

for cheating

.

•. . If a candidate is scheduled to take

more than one exam during the

session, distribute the exams one

at a time

. A completed exam and

related exam materials must be

turned in before the next exam is

distributed

. Use the exam roster to keep track of such exams

.

•. . Circulate around the room during

the exam

. Be obvious in watching

candidates during the exam to discourage talking or cheating

. In the event a candidate is found to

be talking or cheating, follow pro

cedures for disqualification of the

candidate, termination of the exam

and dismissal from the exam room

.

•. . Confiscate any unauthorized

scratch paper and follow procedures

for disqualification of the candidate,

termination of the exam and dis

missal from the exam room

.

•. . Ensure that no study materials

or cheat sheets are present or in

use

. Confiscate any such materials

found and follow procedures for

disqualification of the candidate,

termination of the exam and dis

missal from the exam room

.

•. . Ensure that no candidate gives

or receives any form of written

or oral assistance in selecting or determining answers to exam questions

.

•. . Ensure that candidates do not write

their answers in the exam booklet

. All marks are to be made on the

answer sheet or scratch paper

.

•. . Do not answer candidate ques

tions concerning an exam item or provide any information as to the

appropriateness of any answer

.

•. . Do not read an exam item aloud

or translate an exam item into

another language

.

•. . Do not allow a candidate to leave

the exam room without concluding

the exam for that candidate and

retrieving all exam materials,

including scratch paper

.

•. . Do not leave the exam room unat

tended for any reason

.

•. . Stop the exam once the maximum

allowed time has expired

. Note the

ending time at the top of the exam

roster

.

•. . Follow the Check-out Procedures

at the Conclusion of the Exam

.

•. . Prepare any exam materials which

are ripped, torn, damaged or spoiled, as well as all used scratch

paper for return to the office in

a secure manner to be shredded

and properly destroyed

. No exam

S UGG ESTE D CONTENT f o r a st a

te

, t ribal o r te rri to rial E XAM ADMI N I ST RA T I ON A N D SEC URI T Y P R OCE DUR ES MA N UAL 19

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 19 7/27/06 4:13:38 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual

materials should be discarded in a

wastebasket or trash container at

the exam site

.



### Cheating

Any evidence of cheating will

automatically disqualify the candidate

and will result in the failure of the exam

and dismissal from the exam room

. If a

candidate is to be accused of cheating

or removed from the exam room for

cheating, the evidence should be clear

and convincing and likely to withstand

challenge

.



### Check-out P rocedures

at the Conclusion of

the E xam

When a candidate has finished an

exam or at the conclusion of the exam,

the candidate must follow established

check-out procedures

. A candidate must

not be allowed to leave the exam room

until after all check-out procedures

have been completed for his or her

exam materials

. Since a number of can

didates may complete the exam at the

same time, secure adequate check-out

staff to avoid backlogs

. A proctor/exam administrator must individually checkout each candidate and should:

•. .

Verify that the name on the candi

date’s answer sheet and any other

required form matches the name

on the candidate’s photo identi

fication document and that the

candidate information on exam

materials is complete and legible

.

•. .

Verify that the answers on the

answer sheet are legible

.

•. . Confirm that all exam materials

including exam booklet, answer

sheet and all scratch paper have

been returned

.

•. . Count the exam booklet pages to verify that none are missing

.

•. . If all is in order, return the

candidate’s photo identification

document

. This should always

be the last step in the process

. In

the event of problems or missing

materials, the proctor/exam

administrator will still possess the

photo identification document of

the offending individual

.



### S ecurity

Pesticide certification exams

are considered high stakes exams

. Consequently, security remains a critical

consideration with remote testing and

on-line exams

. Remote testing through

the use of on-line exams requires that

the exams be delivered in a secure envi

ronment with on-site proctors or exam

administrators

. All of the considerations

discussed above apply to remote testing

through the use of on-line exams

. In

addition, good Internet security and

password protections are critical

.



### E xam I tem S ecurity

When exam items are loaded on

an end user’s local area network, access

to the exam items must be controlled

through appropriate use of user IDs and

passwords and encrypted data trans

portation

. When an exam is delivered

over the Internet, all exam items should

remain encrypted until they are actually

displayed to the candidate

. The delivery

of exam items should use software that

eliminates the possibility of making

screen prints or otherwise capturing

the exam items in any manner

.



### R ecording E xam R esults

Candidate responses should be

automatically recorded as each exam

item is completed

. If the system

crashes or the exam must otherwise

be restarted, the candidate should be

able to pick up the exam where it was interrupted

. If the final results of the

exam are transmitted over the Internet,

similar security steps must be taken to

maintain the integrity of the exam

. 

### S pe c ial Consi d era t ions for R e m o t e Tes t in g an d

O n- L ine Ex a m s

20

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 20 7/27/06 4:13:40 PM

## S pecial thanks in the preparation of

this manual go to the CTAG Pesticide

Safety Workgroup and the Subgroup

on Testing Issues members: David

Duncan, CA, Subgroup Leader; Carl

Martin, AZ; Pat O’Connor-Marer, CA;

Jeanne Heying, EPA; Pat Hipkins, VA;

Bob McKenna, US Army; Al Muench,

EPA Consultant; Vivianne Servant, Canada; Dean Herzfeld, MN; Andrew

Thostenson, ND; and Diana Roll,

OH

. In addition, thanks to Elizabeth

Braxton, FL; Carl Rew, IN; Kathy

Dictor, VA; and Colleen Hudak-Wise,

NC who shared their current proce

dures for exam administration and

security and who served on the review

panel for this manual

. 

# S p e c ial 

# T hanks

C TAG welcomes your comments

and suggestions

. If your exam proce

dures vary significantly from these

recommendations, if you would like to

recommend additional procedures, or if your circumstances make one or more

recommendation difficult or impossible,

please send a note to Michelle DeVaux

at devaux

. michelle@epa

. gov so we can

continue to improve this manual

. 

# H ow to 

# I m p rove this 

# M anual

S pec ial t ha n k s • h ow to im p r ove t hi s ma n ual 21

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 21 7/27/06 4:13:44 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 

### N otes

22

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 22 7/27/06 4:13:45 PM

# A pp endix 

# A :

S am p le 

# E xam 

# C andidate 

# B ulletin

T he purpose of this Exam Candidate

Bulletin is to provide each candidate,

in advance of the exam, with general information and instructions con

cerning the exam

. 

### purpose Note: Each State, Tribe or Territory may use this Sample Exam Candidate Bulletin as a

template for producing its own Bulletin. Underlined material should be changed, as nec

essary, based on your specific requirements.



### infor m a t ion abou t th e e x a m

Y

our E xam(s)

You are scheduled to take the fol

lowing exam(s):

Core Exam

Ornamental and Turf

Category Exam

Your exam date is:

9:00 a

. m

. on Saturday,

October 16, 2004

Your exam location is:

City Library, Room 201,

175 Main Street, Crystal City, VA

(This section may be omitted if the candidate

has already been given information on the

exam or exams for which the candidate has

registered, as well as the time, date and

location of the exam or exams.)



### E xam S ecurity

Each of our pesticide applicator

certification exams is copyrighted and

may not be used or reproduced in any manner without the expressed written

permission of the Commissioner of the

State Department of Agriculture

. You may not keep any exam mate

rials after the exam

. No exam booklets,

answer sheets or other exam materials

may be removed from the exam room

. We will prosecute the theft of exam

materials to the fullest extent possible

.



### R ecording Y our A nswers

The answer sheet for each exam

is machine readable

. You must use a

Number 2 pencil to completely fill in the

circle corresponding to your selection

as the answer for each question

. More

detailed instructions for completing the

answer sheet will be given to you on

exam day

.



### P assing S core

Each exam for which you are reg

istered will be a written, closed-book

exam

. Each exam will consist of ninety

(90) multiple choice questions and you

will have up to two (2) hours to com

plete each exam

. The minimum passing

23 A P pen dix a: s am p l e e xam c a n dida te bull et i n

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 23 7/27/06 4:13:49 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 24 score is 75%

. To achieve the minimum

passing score you must correctly answer

at least 68 questions on each exam

. If you are registered to take the core exam and one or more category

or private applicator exams, you must

pass the core exam before we will score

other exams

.



### A rrive O n Time

You must arrive on time

. If you

arrive after the exam proctor begins

giving the instructions to candidates

you will not be admitted to the exam

room

. You should come to the exam room prepared to remain until the conclusion

of the exam

. If you leave the exam

room during the exam for any reason (for example, to eat, drink or smoke)

your exam will be concluded and all

exam materials must be returned

. Before leaving the exam room you must

follow the required exam check-out

procedures which are described later

in this Bulletin

. (If you are scheduled

to take more than one exam, you may

be allowed to leave the exam room

between exams

. )



### S pecial A ccommodations

The exam site is handicapped

accessible

. If you feel you need special

accommodations pursuant to the

Americans With Disabilities Act, you

must document and submit your request

in writing so that it is received by the

Commissioner of the State Department

of Agriculture not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of your exam

. We will notify you before exam day if

your request is approved or disapproved

.



### I tems Y ou Must B ring to

the E xam

Prior to receiving any exam

materials (exam booklet, answer sheet,

scratch paper, etc

. ) you will be required

to bring to the exam and to tempo

rarily surrender to an exam proctor

your valid, government issued, photo

identification document

. Acceptable

photo identification documents include

a driver’s license (or a non-driver photo

identification document), passport or immigration green card

. The driver’s license or non-driver photo identifi

cation document must be issued by our

State Department of Motor Vehicles or,

in the case of a reciprocity exam, by the

Department of Motor Vehicles in your

state of residence

. Your photo identi

fication document will be returned to

you at the end of the exam after you

have completed the required check-out

procedures

. You must also bring to the exam at

least two Number 2 pencils

.



### I tems Y ou May N ot B ring

to the E xam

Do not bring any of the following

items to the exam:

•. . Any books, study or training

materials, or review notes

.

•. . Any type of writing pad, loose

leaf binder, notebook, or other

source of paper

. (If the use of

scratch paper is allowed during

an exam session, it will be pro

vided by an exam proctor

. )

•. . A calculator or any type of

electronic device (computer, per

sonal digital assistant or PDA,

camera, radio, recording device)

or any device capable of sending,

receiving or storing information

or communicating with others

.

•. . Any pager, cell phone and other

communication device

.

Possession or use of any of these

items in the exam room will result in

your immediate disqualification, failure

of your exam and dismissal from the

exam room

. Neither the pesticide program nor

any exam proctor will be responsible

for the loss or damage of any personal

property

. Prohibited items should be

left at your home, hotel room, vehicle,

or other location, as appropriate

. 

### t

a k in g th e e x a m

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 24 7/27/06 4:13:51 PM

### I nstructions Given by an

E xam P roctor

You are expected to follow all

instructions given by an exam proctor

. Failure to comply with any exam instruc

tions or requirements may result in your disqualification, failure of your exam and

dismissal from the exam room

.



### Cheating

Do not talk with other candidates

while the exam is in progress or give

or receive any type of exam assistance

. Any evidence of cheating will result in

your immediate disqualification, failure

of your exam and dismissal from the

exam room

. You may not seek help from an

exam proctor to interpret an exam question

. An exam proctor will not provide this type of assistance

.



### Challenging an E xam

Question

All exam questions have been

professionally prepared and reviewed

. If, however, you wish to challenge an

exam question, you should contact the

Commissioner of the State Department

of Agriculture and ask for an Application

to Challenge a Pesticide Applicator

Exam Question

. You will not be allowed

to review your exam to prepare a chal

lenge to an exam question

.



## Y

ou must remain seated until you com

plete your exam

. When you complete

your exam, you should raise a hand and

wait for an exam proctor to collect all of

your exam materials, return your photo

identification document and dismiss you

from the exam room

. You must promptly

exit the exam room when directed to

leave

. Leaving the exam room without following these check-out procedures

will result in your disqualification and

termination of the exam

. You will not

be allowed to re-enter the exam room

. If you leave the exam room with any

exam materials, including scratch paper,

we will prosecute the theft to the fullest

extent possible

.

25 

### re q uire d ch e ck -ou t pro c e d ures

Y

our E xam S core(s)

You will be notified of your score

on each exam by first class mail within

ten (10) business days following your

exam date

.



### I f Y ou P ass Y our E xam(s)

(Describe the process and time

frame for the State Lead Agency to issue

certification documents to a successful candidate, as well as any additional

steps the candidate may need to take to

become certified

. )



### I f Y ou F ail Y our E xam(s)

(Describe the policy and proce

dures for retaking an exam, including

information on any limits on the

number of exam failures or any waiting

period between exams

. ) 

### wh a t h appens af t er th e e x a m ?

If you have any questions regarding

the exam process, please contact (Name of Contact) at (Telephone Number)

during normal business hours

. 

### h o w t o g e t m ore infor m a t ion

A P pen dix a: s am p l e e xam c a n dida te bull et i n

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 25 7/27/06 4:13:53 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 26 

## D

o not share the content of any exam

with others; this lowers the value of

your certification

. Do not cheat or use

cheat sheets that teach to the exam; this

does not help you learn the information

needed to become a competent appli

cator

. Discourage others from cheating

and report to the Commissioner of the

State Department of Agriculture any

instances of cheating or teaching to the

exam; this protects the value of your

certification

. 

### final a d vi c e

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 26 7/27/06 4:13:55 PM

# A pp endix 

# B :

S am p le 

# E xam 

# D ay 

# I nstru c tions

for 

# C andidates

Note: Each State, Tribe or Territory may

use these Sample Exam Day Instructions for

Candidates as a template for producing its

own Exam Day Instructions. These Sample

Instructions are a companion to the Sample

Exam Candidate Bulletin. The text may be

changed based on the specific requirements

of the state, tribe or territory. Underlined

material should be changed, as necessary,

based on your specific requirements.

Important informat ion and

instructions need to be conveyed to all

candidates at the exam site before the

exam begins

. The following material

is a guide for exam proctors to use to

convey the information and instruc

tions to candidates:



### I nstructions F rom E xam

P roctors

You must follow these instructions

and all other instructions given by an

exam proctor

. Failure to comply with

any exam instructions or requirements

may result in your disqualification,

termination of your exam and dismissal

from the exam room

.



### P ositive I dentification

To be eligible to take your

scheduled exam(s) you must have with

you a valid, government issued, photo

identification document

. Acceptable

photo identification documents include

a driver’s license (or a non-driver photo

identification document), passport or immigration green card

. The driver’s

license or non-driver photo identifi

cation document must be issued by our

State Department of Motor Vehicles or,

if you are taking a reciprocity exam,by

the Department of Motor Vehicles

in your state of residence

. Prior to receiving any exam materials (exam

booklet, answer sheet, scratch paper,

etc

. ) you will be required to temporarily

surrender your photo identification to

the exam proctor

. The exam proctor

will inspect your photo identification

and your applicator certification docu

ments to verify your identity

. Your

photo identification document will be

returned to you at the end of the exam

after you have completed the required

check-out procedures which will be

described in a moment

. Candidates without the required

positive identification document will

not be allowed to take any exam and

must leave the exam room now

.



### I tems Y ou May N ot Have

With Y ou in the E xam

R oom

You may not have any of the fol

lowing items with you in the exam

room:

•. . Any books, study or training

materials, or review notes

.

•. . Any type of writing pad, loose

leaf binder, notebook, or other

source of paper

.

27 A P pen dix B : s am p l e e xam day i nst ru ct i ons f o r c a n dida tes

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 27 7/27/06 4:13:58 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 28 •. . A calculator or any type of

electronic device (computer, per

sonal digital assistant or PDA,

camera, radio, recording device)

or any device capable of sending,

receiving or storing information

or communicating with others

.

•. . Any pager, cell phone and other

communication device

.

If you have any of these items in your possession, please remove them from the

exam room now

. Otherwise, possession

or use of any of these items in the exam

room will result in your immediate dis

qualification, failure of your exam and

dismissal from the exam room

. Neither the pesticide program nor

any exam proctor will be responsible

for the loss or damage of any of your personal property

.



### E xams A re Copyrighted

Each of our pesticide applicator

certification exams is copyrighted and

may not be used or reproduced in any

manner without the expressed written

permission of the Commissioner of the

State Department of Agriculture

. You may not keep any exam mate

rials after the exam

. No exam booklets,

answer sheets or other exam mate

rials, including scratch paper, may be

removed from the exam room

. We will

prosecute the theft of exam materials to

the fullest extent possible

.



### Type of E xam

Each exam for which you are reg

istered will be a written, closed-book

exam

. Each exam will consist of ninety

(90) multiple choice questions and you

will have up to two (2) hours to com

plete each exam

. The minimum passing

score is 75%

. To achieve the minimum

passing score you must correctly answer

at least 68 questions on each exam

. If you are registered to take the

core exam and one or more category

or private applicator exams, you must

pass the core exam before we will score

other exams

. When exam materials are dis

tributed, make certain you receive the

correct exam for which you registered

. 

### S cratch P aper

If scratch paper is to be used:

•. . Scratch paper will be allowed

for this exam

. One (1) sheet of

scratch paper will be distributed

by an exam proctor to each can

didate

. You may not use your

own scratch paper

If scratch paper is not to be used:

•. . No scratch paper may be used

for this exam

.



### Y

ou May N ot R eturn I f

Y

ou L eave During A n

E xam

You should be prepared to remain

in the exam room until the conclusion

of the exam

. If you leave the exam room during the exam for any reason (for

example, to eat, drink or smoke) your

exam will be concluded and all exam

materials must be returned

. Before

leaving the exam room you must follow

the required exam check-out procedures

which will be described in a moment

. Once you leave, you will not be allowed

back into the exam room

. (If you are

scheduled to take more than one exam,

you may be allowed to leave the exam

room between exams

. )



### Cheating

Do not talk with other candidates

while the exam is in progress or give or

receive any type of exam assistance

. Any evidence of cheating, including

giving or receiving information or talking during an exam, will result in

your immediate disqualification, failure

of your exam and dismissal from the

exam room

. You may not seek help from an

exam proctor to interpret an exam question

. An exam proctor will not provide this type of assistance

.



### Check-out P rocedures

You must remain seated until

you complete your exam

. When you complete your exam, you should raise

a hand and wait for an exam proctor

to collect all of your exam materials,

return your photo identification doc

ument and dismiss you from the exam

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 28 7/27/06 4:14:01 PMroom

. You must promptly exit the exam

room when directed to leave

. Leaving

the exam room without following these

check-out procedures will result in

your disqualification and termination

of your exam

. You will not be allowed

to re-enter the exam room

. If you leave

the exam room with any exam mate

rials, including scratch paper, we will

prosecute the theft to the fullest extent possible

.



### O ther I nformation

Please refer to your Exam

Candidate Bulletin for details on the

time frame for scoring the exam and

notifying candidates of their respective

scores; the process and time frame

for the Commissioner of the State

Department of Agriculture to issue

certification documents to successful

candidates; and, for unsuccessful can

didates, the policy and procedures for

retaking an exam

.



### Distribution of E xam

Materials

(Exam materials should not be

distributed until after each candidate’s

identity has been verified and the

photo identification document is col

lected

. Exam booklets, answer sheets

and scratch paper, if used, should be

personally distributed, one at a time, to each candidate and should not be passed

down a row of candidates

. )

Do not open the exam booklet

until you are told to do so

. Do not rip, tear or mutilate any

exam booklet, write in or on any exam booklet, or remove any exam booklet,

answer sheet or scratch paper, or any

part of any exam materials from the

exam room

. We will prosecute the theft

of exam materials to the fullest extent possible

.



### R ecording Y our A nswers

Give candidates clear and concise

instructions on how to properly com

plete the answer sheet or other forms

. For example:

Record your name and certifi

cation identification number at the top

of the answer sheet for each exam

. The

answer sheet is machine readable

. You

must use a Number 2 pencil to com

pletely fill in the circle corresponding

to your selection as the answer for each

question

. Print all personal information

and other required information on

the answer sheets and other forms

. If

scratch paper is used, you must print

your name and certification identifi

cation number at the top of each piece

of scratch paper

.

29 A P pen dix B : s am p l e e xam day i nst ru ct i ons f o r c a n dida tes

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 29 7/27/06 4:14:03 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 30

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 30 7/27/06 4:14:04 PM

# A pp endix 

# C:

A cc ommodating 

# P ersons with 

# V isual



# I m p airments in 

# F ederally 

# A ssisted 

# S tate



# T raining and 

# C ertifi c ation 

# P rograms

for 

# P esti c ide 

# A pp li c ation

I s there a federal standard with regard

to accommodating persons with dis

abilities, including those with visual

impairments?

Yes

. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

(Rehab Act), EPA’s regulations imple

menting the act, and related case law

require that persons with disabilities,

who are otherwise qualified, not be

excluded from federally assisted state

programs pesticide application training

and certification programs if they can perform the essential functions of the

training and certification examinations

with reasonable accommodation of their

disabilities

.

What is accommodation?

The adjustment or assistance with

which a qualified person with a disability

can perform the essential functions of a

program

. The nature of the accommo

dation should be determined by means

of an interactive process between the

program and the person with a disability

.

What is reasonable accommodation?

One that does not impose an

undue hardship

. Since most accom

modations are not expensive, however,

mere cost usually will not constitute

undue hardship

. EPA is implementing

regulations set forth factors to consider

in determining hardship

. What if a person cannot safely par

ticipate in training or testing safely

even with accommodation?

The person must be able to perform

the essential functions of the training

and testing

. When application of toxic

substances is involved in a particular

certification program, safety does

become a consideration

. It is an essential

function of participation in the training

and testing that the person be able to apply the substances safely

. The Rehab

Act does not require a state to permit

persons to participate in a certification

program when their participation

would pose a danger to themselves or to

others

.

What if it does not appear that a person

with a disability will be able to work as an

applicator, even if they can complete a cer

tification program with accommodation?

Whether such a person will be able

to work as a pesticide applicator, even

with accommodation, is a live question

. But it is a separate matter from whether

accommodation can be provided to

enable the person to participate in a

certification program, and legally may

not enter into this determination

.

Where can I obtain information on

accommodation of visual impairments?

There are many available options,

31 A P pen dix c : a cco mm o da t i n g pe r sons w i t h v i s ual im p airm ents

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 31 7/27/06 4:14:08 PMExami n a t i on A dmi n i st ra t i on a n d S ec uri t y Pr oce dur es M a n ual 32 depending on whether a person’s

visual impairment is partial or com

plete, whether print magnification

or adjustment of lighting or glare is

helpful, whether a person will benefit

from different optical devices, whether

a reader or scribe is necessary, etc

. An excellent source of more detailed

information on this subject is the Job

Accommodation Network (JAN) web site at a service of the Office of Disability

Employment Policy of the United

States Department of Labor

. JAN’s

“Work-site Accommodation Ideas for

Individuals with Vision Impairments”

can accessed directly at http://www

. jan

.

wvu

. edu/media/Sight

. html

. Questions

may be directed to EPA’s Persons with

Disabilities Employment Program

Manager at (202) 564-7284

.

Exam Admin Manual_combined.indd 32 7/27/06 4:14:09 PM