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Exam Review

Key Facts: CA Branch 3 Exam

187

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

150

Exam Questions

SPCB

2.5 hours

Time Limit

SPCB

70%

Passing Score

SPCB

$75

Field Rep Exam Fee

SPCB

10 business days

Report Filing Deadline

Structural Pest Control Act

The California Structural Pest Control Board Branch 3 license covers the control of wood-destroying pests and organisms (termites, wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants, and wood-decay fungi) by insecticides or structural repairs and corrections, but excludes lethal-gas fumigation, which is Branch 1 work. The computer-based exam, administered by PSI, has 150 multiple-choice questions over 2.5 hours with a 70% passing score. Content spans subterranean, drywood, and dampwood termite identification, WDO inspection reports (Section 1 active versus Section 2 conducive findings on the SPCB-prescribed form), soil and local treatments, baiting and borates, structural repair and damage assessment, pesticide safety, and the California Structural Pest Control Act, including the 10-business-day report filing rule and consumer-protection requirements. This free prep includes 187 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample CA Branch 3 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CA Branch 3 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 187+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which wood-destroying organism builds mud tubes (shelter tubes) to travel from the soil to wood above ground?
A.Drywood termites
B.Subterranean termites
C.Anobiid beetles
D.Carpenter ants
Explanation: Subterranean termites (genus Reticulitermes in most of California) nest in the soil and require contact with moisture. Because they cannot tolerate open air, they construct mud (shelter) tubes of soil and fecal material to bridge from the ground to the wood they feed on. Finding live mud tubes is classic evidence of an active subterranean infestation.
2Small, hard, six-sided (hexagonal) fecal pellets accumulating below kick-out holes in wood are the characteristic sign of which pest?
A.Subterranean termites
B.Drywood termites
C.Dampwood termites
D.Wood-decay fungus
Explanation: Drywood termites (Incisitermes spp. in California) live inside dry, sound wood with no soil contact. They push their distinctive hard, elongate, six-sided fecal pellets out through small 'kick-out' holes, so loose piles of pellets are the hallmark sign of an active drywood colony.
3Drywood termites can establish a colony in a piece of furniture or attic rafter with no ground contact primarily because they:
A.Carry soil with them to retain moisture
B.Obtain the moisture they need from the wood they digest
C.Require a plumbing leak nearby to survive
D.Cannot survive without a connection to a subterranean nest
Explanation: Drywood termites are adapted to live in dry wood because they conserve water efficiently and extract the limited moisture they need from the cellulose they consume. This is why they can infest dry framing, attics, eaves, and furniture far from the soil, unlike subterranean termites which depend on soil moisture.
4Dampwood termites (Zootermopsis spp.) in California are most associated with wood that is:
A.Bone-dry and well-ventilated
B.High in moisture content, often from leaks or wood-soil contact
C.Pressure-treated with borates
D.Painted and sealed on all surfaces
Explanation: Dampwood termites are the largest California termites and require wood with a high moisture content. They are commonly found in wood saturated by plumbing leaks, poor drainage, or earth-to-wood contact. Correcting the moisture source is central to controlling them.
5A winged reproductive termite (alate) can be distinguished from a winged ant by which feature?
A.Termites have a narrow, pinched waist
B.Termites have four wings of roughly equal length and a broad waist
C.Termites have elbowed (bent) antennae
D.Termites have hind wings shorter than front wings
Explanation: Termite swarmers have two pairs of wings that are nearly equal in size and shape, a straight (beaded) antenna, and a thick waist with no constriction. Winged ants, by contrast, have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae, and front wings noticeably larger than hind wings. This distinction is essential when inspectors find shed wings.
6In a subterranean termite colony, which caste is responsible for feeding the colony and causing wood damage?
A.Soldiers
B.Workers
C.Alates (reproductives)
D.The primary queen
Explanation: Worker termites are the wingless, sterile caste that forages, consumes wood (cellulose), and feeds all other castes through trophallaxis. Soldiers defend the colony but cannot feed themselves, and reproductives focus on producing offspring. Because workers do the feeding and tunneling, they cause the structural damage.
7Which beetle family attacks only the sapwood of hardwoods (such as oak and ash) and produces extremely fine, flour-like frass?
A.Lyctid (true powderpost) beetles
B.Anobiid (deathwatch) beetles
C.Cerambycid (old-house borer) beetles
D.Bostrichid (false powderpost) beetles
Explanation: Lyctid powderpost beetles attack the sapwood of large-pored hardwoods and require the starch in those pores. Their frass is talc-like and falls freely from the exit holes. Because they infest hardwoods, they are typically found in flooring, paneling, and furniture rather than softwood framing.
8An inspector finds gritty frass containing small elongate pellets and 1/16-1/8 inch round exit holes in a Douglas-fir floor joist. This is most consistent with:
A.Lyctid powderpost beetles
B.Anobiid (deathwatch) beetles
C.Drywood termites
D.Carpenter bees
Explanation: Anobiid beetles infest both softwoods and hardwoods, including structural framing such as Douglas-fir joists, and are common under California houses where humidity is elevated. Their frass is gritty (you can feel the pellets), distinguishing it from the flour-like dust of lyctids, and exit holes are typically 1/16 to 1/8 inch round.
9Brown rot fungus damages wood by primarily breaking down which component, leaving a brown, cubically cracked residue?
A.Lignin only
B.Cellulose
C.Mineral salts
D.Resin
Explanation: Brown rot fungi consume the cellulose and hemicellulose in wood, leaving the brown lignin behind. The result is a shrunken, brittle residue that cracks across and along the grain into cube-like blocks, often crumbling to powder when dry. Recognizing brown rot (sometimes called dry rot in its later stage) is essential for reporting fungus damage.
10Wood-decay fungi generally require a wood moisture content above approximately what level to become active?
A.About 8-10%
B.About 12-15%
C.About 20% (near fiber saturation)
D.About 50%
Explanation: Decay fungi need free water in the wood, which generally means a moisture content above roughly 20%, approaching the fiber-saturation point. Wood kept below about 20% (well-ventilated, dry framing) will not support active fungal decay, which is why moisture correction is the foundation of fungus control.

About the CA Branch 3 Exam

California Branch 3 licenses the control of wood-destroying pests and organisms by insecticides or structural repairs and corrections, excluding fumigation with lethal gases (Branch 1). The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions delivered by PSI over 2.5 hours and requires 70% to pass. It is distinct from the agricultural pesticide applicator credential and is administered by the Structural Pest Control Board.

Exam sponsor: California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB); examinations delivered by PSI. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

150 multiple-choice questions over 2.5 hours, computer-based via PSI; 70% to pass. Field Representative exam plan: Inspection 33%, Reporting and Recordkeeping 15%, Planning 17%, Treatment 16%, Repairs and Corrective Measures 19%. Operator exam plan: Inspection 25%, Planning 20%, Treatment Application 15%, Repairs and Corrective Measures 20%, Regulations and Reporting 20%. PSI describes the percentages as approximate.

Time Limit

2.5 hours (150 minutes)

Passing Score

70%

Exam / Certification Fees

$75 Field Representative or $100 Operator Branch 3 exam fee; Applicators take a separate $60 combined Branch 2/3 exam

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

33% FR / 25% Operator

Inspection

Determine the presence, location, and extent of wood-destroying pest infestations and infections and conducive conditions; identify termites, other wood-destroying organisms, and wood-decay fungi; diagram structures and identify treatment and repair needs

15% FR / 20% Operator

Reporting and Recordkeeping (Operator: Regulations and Reporting)

Describe evidence of infestation or infection, conducive conditions, and damage; make treatment and repair recommendations; document pesticide-exposure risks for consumers; and comply with report and recordkeeping requirements

17% FR / 20% Operator

Planning

Establish treatment goals, select treatment methods, explain treatment hazards and risks to consumers, notify consumers about planned treatments, and prepare treatment sites

16% FR / 15% Operator

Treatment (Operator: Treatment Application)

Set up equipment, mix pesticides, and apply treatments to control wood-destroying pest infestations and infections

19% FR / 20% Operator

Repairs and Corrective Measures

Repair, replace, or reinforce wood members damaged by wood-destroying pests and organisms, and correct conducive conditions

Preparing for the CA Branch 3 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Assessment: 150 multiple-choice questions over 2.5 hours, computer-based via PSI; 70% to pass. Field Representative exam plan: Inspection 33%, Reporting and Recordkeeping 15%, Planning 17%, Treatment 16%, Repairs and Corrective Measures 19%. Operator exam plan: Inspection 25%, Planning 20%, Treatment Application 15%, Repairs and Corrective Measures 20%, Regulations and Reporting 20%. PSI describes the percentages as approximate.
  • Time limit: 2.5 hours (150 minutes)
  • Exam / certification fees: $75 Field Representative or $100 Operator Branch 3 exam fee; Applicators take a separate $60 combined Branch 2/3 exam Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 187 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CA Branch 3: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the identification distinctions: mud tubes and soil-lined galleries = subterranean termites; hard six-sided pellets and kick-out holes = drywood termites; high-moisture wood = dampwood termites
2Memorize the report rule: Section 1 = active infestation/infection/damage; Section 2 = conducive conditions likely to lead to infestation
3Know the branch scope cold: Branch 3 controls WDOs by insecticide or structural repair but excludes lethal-gas fumigation (Branch 1)
4Learn the moisture threshold: wood-decay fungi need roughly 20% moisture content, so correcting the moisture source is essential for lasting fungus control
5Remember the law facts: 150 questions, 70% to pass, property addresses filed with the Board and reports delivered within 10 business days, company records kept for three years, and consumers can request copies of reports filed during the preceding two years
6Complete all 187 practice questions and review every miss with the AI tutor before sitting the exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the California Branch 3 exam and how long is it?

The Branch 3 Wood-Destroying Organisms examination has 150 multiple-choice questions and you have 2.5 hours (150 minutes) to complete it. It is delivered by computer through PSI, and you need a minimum score of 70% to pass.

What does a California Branch 3 license allow me to do?

Branch 3 authorizes the control of wood-destroying pests and organisms by insecticides or structural repairs and corrections. It specifically excludes fumigation with poisonous or lethal gases, which is Branch 1 work.

What is the difference between Section 1 and Section 2 findings on a WDO report?

Section 1 findings are evidence of active infestation, infection, or damage by wood-destroying organisms (for example live termites or active fungus). Section 2 findings are conducive conditions deemed likely to lead to infestation, such as a leak or earth-to-wood contact, with no active organism present.

How much does the Branch 3 exam cost and who administers it?

The Branch 3 examination fee is $75 for Field Representatives and $100 for Operators, plus a license fee after you pass ($45 or $150). Applicators take a separate $60 combined Branch 2/3 exam with 75 questions in 1.5 hours. The Structural Pest Control Board oversees licensing, and PSI administers the computer-based examination.

How soon must a WDO inspection report be filed with the Board?

Under Business and Professions Code Section 8516, the address of each property inspected or worked on must be reported to the Board on the prescribed form no later than 10 business days after the inspection or completed work, and the written report must reach the person who requested it and the property owner within 10 business days from the start of the inspection. The company keeps inspection reports, field notes, and activity forms for three years, and consumers can request copies of reports and completion notices filed with the Board on a property during the preceding two years.

Is this free Branch 3 practice as good as paid prep?

Our 187 practice questions cover the SPCB Branch 3 exam-plan areas, including inspection and WDO identification, reporting, treatment planning and application, repairs, and California law, with a teaching explanation for every answer plus free daily AI tutor interactions. All content is free forever and updated for 2026.