1.3 Nebraska Certification Categories & Testing

1.3 Nebraska Certification Categories & Testing

Exam Focus: Certification in Nebraska is a two-part credential: every commercial applicator must first pass the General Standards (core) exam — 60 multiple-choice questions — and then pass one or more category exams matched to their field of application. All exams require a minimum score of 70% and none of them are timed. Understanding which category covers specific target pests, crops, and treatment sites is a primary source of exam questions.

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The Two-Part Certification Requirement

To attain commercial or non-commercial pesticide applicator licensure in Nebraska, an individual must demonstrate competency across two distinct domains:

1. General Standards (Core) Competency: Mandatory for all commercial and noncommercial applicators regardless of discipline. This 60-question exam assesses universal pesticide knowledge — federal and state statutory regulations, label comprehension, pesticide chemistry and formulations, human toxicology, PPE, emergency first aid, environmental fate, groundwater protection, and calibration calculations. NDA and UNL Extension warn that exams are written from the printed manuals and NebGuides, not the training videos.
2. Category-Specific Competency: In addition to General Standards, an applicator must be certified in the specific commercial category (or sub-category) governing the precise site, commodity, structure, or pest being treated. Applying pesticides in a category without holding that active endorsement constitutes a violation of the Nebraska Pesticide Act.

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Master Roster of Nebraska Commercial Categories & Sub-Categories

NDA states that Nebraska has 14 categories and four sub-categories. Those two numbers only reconcile once you know where each comes from. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 2-2636(1) directs the department to license applicators "involved in the categories established in 40 C.F.R. part 171," and Title 25 NAC Chapter 2, § 003.08 fixes that reference to the July 1, 2018 edition. Those 14 federal categories are 01, 01A, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11, 12, 15, and 16. Title 25 NAC Chapter 2, § 005.02A then adds four Nebraska-only categories: Sewer Use of Metam Sodium (05S), Wood Destroying Organisms (08W), Wood Preservation (10), and Wildlife Damage Control (14). Nebraska also excludes the federal sodium fluoroacetate predator control category. The published roster therefore carries 18 codes.

Exam Trap: Soil Fumigation (01A) and Demonstration & Research (16) are federal categories, not the Nebraska-added four. If a question asks which categories Nebraska adds beyond the federal list, the answer is 05S, 08W, 10, and 14.

Key Category Distinctions for the Exam

• Soil Fumigation (01A) vs. Non-Soil Fumigation (11): An applicator treating agricultural soil with volatile fumigants prior to planting potato crops must hold Category 01 and Sub-category 01A. An applicator treating stored corn inside a grain elevator bin with phosphine gas pellets must hold Category 11 (Fumigation).
• General Structural (08) vs. Wood Destroying Organisms (08W): Treating an apartment complex for cockroaches or bed bugs requires Category 08. Performing a post-construction liquid termiticide treatment or installing termite bait stations requires Sub-category 08W. 08W explicitly excludes fumigants — tenting a structure is Category 11.
• Aquatic (05) vs. Public Health (09): Treating a farm pond or irrigation canal for aquatic weeds or algae is Category 05. Community-wide mosquito abatement for a village, city, or other political subdivision is Category 09, and anyone applying any registered pesticide for mosquito control on behalf of a political subdivision must be licensed — usually as a noncommercial applicator.
• Structural (08) vs. Wildlife Damage Control (14): Controlling birds or rodents infesting a building, bridge, or culvert is Category 08. Controlling prairie dogs, pocket gophers, or coyotes on rangeland, pasture, or a park is Category 14.
• Right-of-Way (07) vs. Ag Plant (01): Spraying noxious musk thistles in an open alfalfa pasture falls under Category 01. Spraying the identical thistle species along a county roadside right-of-way ditch or adjacent railroad easement requires Category 07.

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Examination Protocols & Pearson VUE Delivery

The NDA administers the exams itself. Its primary channel is a schedule of walk-in testing sessions (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., roughly April through December) at county extension offices, research and extension centers, and community colleges in Holdrege, Scottsbluff, Beatrice, Omaha, Norfolk, North Platte, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, and Hastings. Those exams are paper booklets that are mailed to Lincoln for grading, and NDA asks candidates to allow up to three weeks for results during the busy February–April window.

As a second channel, NDA offers nine selected exams through Pearson VUE computer-based testing. NDA charges nothing for the convenience, but Pearson VUE charges $55 per exam. The Pearson VUE catalog is limited to:

• General Standards (core)
• 01 Agricultural Plant Pest Control
• 04 Ornamental & Turf Pest Control
• 07 Right-of-Way Pest Control
• 08 Structural/Health-Related Pest Control
• 08W Wood Destroying Organisms
• 09 Public Health Pest Control
• 11 Fumigation
• 01/12 Aerial Pest Control (includes Ag Plant)

Every other category — 02, 03, 05, 05S, 06, 10, 14, 15, and 16 — is available only at an NDA session. Pearson VUE sites include Lincoln, Omaha, North Platte, Hastings, Columbus, Norfolk, Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and McCook.

Test Administration Standards

• Exam Length: NDA publishes one item count: the General Standards (core) exam is 60 multiple-choice questions. NDA does not publish item counts for the individual category exams.
• Passing Standard: The passing threshold for every exam is 70% — 42 of 60 on the core exam. Scores are never averaged. A candidate who scores 88% on General Standards and 66% on Category 01 passes General Standards and must retake Category 01.
• Not Timed: NDA's published certification testing policy states plainly that "the exams are not timed, but applicants should allow approximately one minute per question." Budget roughly an hour for the core exam, but no clock will cut you off at an NDA session.
• Closed Book, English Only: Study materials may not be used during the exam. All exams are administered in English, because Nebraska-registered product labels are in English and label comprehension is a certification requirement.
• Calculators: NDA permits calculators. Title 25 NAC Chapter 2, § 005.05C allows personal calculators "so long as they are not also able to communicate with other devices outside of the testing session." Phones, tablets, and similar data-capable devices must be off and kept in a pocket or holster — never on the tabletop.
• Fees: NDA walk-in sessions have no proctoring fee. Pearson VUE charges $55 per exam, paid to Pearson VUE and separate from the $90 three-year license fee owed to NDA after passing.
• Accommodations: Candidates needing accommodations must notify NDA at least 10 days before the exam date.
• Cheating: Under § 005.05D, a proctor who determines or suspects cheating will terminate the session and require the candidate to return another day; repeat offenses can bar the applicant from future examinations entirely.

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Recertification Pathways: PSEP vs. Re-Examination

Nebraska commercial and non-commercial licenses remain valid for a 3-year term, ending on April 15 of the third year. To maintain continuous certification without interruption, applicators have two statutory options:

1. UNL Extension PSEP Recertification Training

Applicators may recertify by participating in approved continuing education programs provided by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) during the final year of their three-year cycle:

• In-Person Training Conferences: Applicators attend designated category-specific commercial applicator training sessions conducted across the state by UNL Extension educators and NDA staff.
• Online Recertification Modules: Approved self-paced computer training courses developed by UNL PSEP covering General Standards and specific commercial categories.
• Attendance Verification: UNL PSEP certifies completion directly to the NDA, after which the applicator submits the license renewal form and $90 fee to receive their updated license.

2. Re-Examination via Pearson VUE

Applicators who do not attend UNL PSEP training courses may recertify by scheduling, taking, and passing the General Standards examination and their specific category examinations through Pearson VUE prior to the April 15 expiration date.

Warning on Lapsed Credentials: Nebraska law provides no grace period. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 2-2642(3), any person who allows a commercial or noncommercial license to expire "shall be required to submit to testing prior to the renewal of the license" — the training pathway is closed once April 15 passes. The one statutory exception is in Title 25 NAC Chapter 2, § 005.05A: NDA grants a one-year extension to military personnel who were on active duty during the period in which they would otherwise have renewed, with credible evidence of active-duty status.

CEU Pathway: Title 25 NAC Chapter 2, § 005.02C allows continuing education units (CEUs) as a recertification method for commercial and noncommercial applicators, including partial credit for programs that cover only part of the required recertification topics. CEU programs from the University, trade organizations, associations, and commercial enterprises must be approved by NDA in advance, and the provider must submit an agenda, speaker list, and related categories 60 days before the event.