Seed Treatment: A National Pesticide Applicator Study Manual & Exam

The manual and exam bank are available to states and tribes with EPA-approved applicator Certification Plans that have a Seed Treatment certification category or subcategory.

In keeping with our policies, PERC will not share manuals online in their entirety when they are associated with certification exams. For example, if a manual was used as the basis for an exam, that manual will not be available online. This is because many states rely on publication-related income to support other educational offerings for applicator communities. The exception is if a certifying authority wishes to modify the manual.  A full description of manual adoption and modification options is provided here. 

• To purchase printed copies of the study manual, visit the PERC store here.
• To request a modifiable file, email PERCsupport@ucdavis.edu with your request.
• We will only honor requests for a digital/modifiable copy if 1) the requester represents a state/tribal/territory entity with a Certification & Training program approved by the U.S. EPA and 2) the requester has full intention of creating a modification for their state/tribal/territory’s specific use.
• Exam items are available to states and tribes with certification programs upon request to Ryne Yarger at yarger.ryne@epa.gov. Do not request exam questions if you are an applicator studying for an exam. The exam questions/answers are ONLY available to certifying authorities (e.g., a state, territory, or tribal agency) with an EPA-approved certification plan for their applicator certification program. Exam questions/answers are not available to applicators or non-eligible entities. Do not request exam questions/answers if you are preparing to take an exam for applicator certification or recertification.
• Recipients will sign a license agreement not to share PERC’s Work via electronic versions via email, file-sharing tools, website(s), and/or other means. A licensing fee may apply. More information is provided here. 

The PERC Advisory Board recently adopted a new policy for C&T manuals and their distribution. For a complete description see this document.

More about the manual: The purpose of this training manual is to provide study material for people interested in becoming a certified pesticide applicator in the seed treatment category or subcategory in their respective states, tribes, or U.S. territories. It covers the basic knowledge and skills required to safely, effectively, and correctly apply pesticides to seeds.

Exam item bank: PERC's team, led by Sandra McDonald, created an item exam bank that is grounded in the learning objectives of the manual. U.S. EPA will manage access to this exam bank. Contact Ryne Yarger at yarger.ryne@epa.gov for more information.

To learn more, please contact PERCsupport@ucdavis.edu.