NM Pesticide Applicator study plan

Define the four acute toxicity categories and match each to its required signal word and precautionary statement

Identify the three routes of pesticide exposure and list one specific work practice that blocks each route

Read a specimen label's Precautionary Statements section and select the correct PPE ensemble for mixing versus applying

List the federal laws that govern pesticide registration, worker protection, and restricted-use sale, and state what each one controls

Explain New Mexico applicator certification categories and the recertification/credit requirement

Describe correct donning, inspection, cleaning, and disposal procedures for coveralls, gloves, boots, eyewear, and respirators

Diagnose three common PPE failure modes (ill-fitting respirator, torn glove, contaminated inner surfaces) and state the correction for each

Outline first aid and decontamination steps for dermal, eye, inhalation, and oral exposure, including when to call poison control

Identify heat-stress warning signs and adjust work/rest schedules and fluid intake for hot-weather application

Apply New Mexico and federal recordkeeping, posting, notification, and restricted-use purchase requirements to three written scenarios

Classify 25 common New Mexico pest specimens/problem descriptions into insect, weed, disease, vertebrate, or mollusk groups using mouthpart, life-cycle, and plant-symptom cues

Distinguish key agronomic and rangeland weeds by seedling and mature characteristics and note their growth habit (annual, biennial, perennial)

Explain how to scout a field or site and record pest counts, damage thresholds, and beneficial insect presence

Compare cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls and justify when each belongs in an IPM program

Explain resistance management: mode-of-action rotation, tank-mix partners, and refuge/alternation strategy

Match common formulation types (EC, WP, DF/WDG, SC, SL, G, bait) to their handling hazards, mixing behavior, and equipment compatibility

Interpret every section of a pesticide label in order: ingredients, signal word, use sites, rates, REI/PHI, restrictions, storage/disposal

Detect label-use conflicts (wrong site, exceeded rate, prohibited tank mix) in four given scenarios

Calculate dilution, active ingredient per acre, and product per tank from label directions

Explain adjuvants, compatibility agents, and jar-test procedures for tank mixes

Trace a pesticide's movement through drift, runoff, leaching, volatilization, and bioaccumulation and name the site conditions that favor each

Identify how to protect groundwater, surface water, pollinators, and endangered species, including label buffer and timing restrictions

Design buffer zones and setback distances for three scenarios (near well, near stream, near blooming crop)

Describe container triple-rinse and disposal steps that prevent environmental contamination

Explain how soil texture, organic matter, and depth to groundwater change leaching risk

Identify nozzles by type and spray pattern and select the correct nozzle for a given target and drift concern

Calibrate a boom sprayer using both the 1/128-acre method and the formula method and compare results

Calibrate a backpack or hand-held sprayer and a granular spreader

Measure and correct nozzle wear, and calculate the effect of worn tips on output and drift

Diagnose common equipment faults (clogged tip, leaking pump, mis-set pressure) and state the field fix

Select application timing, droplet size class, pressure, and boom height to minimize off-target drift for three given scenarios

Identify weather factors (wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, inversions) that make an application illegal or unsafe and state the decision rule for each

Explain spray-drift complaint response: what to document, whom to notify, and how to prove the application was made correctly

Set up a compliant storage area and safely transport pesticides in a vehicle, including spill-kit contents

Execute the disposal hierarchy (use as directed, recycle, label-directed disposal) and demonstrate triple-rinse procedure

Rank your weakest three domains using practice-test sub-scores and re-study only those areas

Retake full-length practice tests under timed conditions and score 85% or better overall

Recite from memory the PPE, signal word, REI, and buffer requirements most frequently tested

Re-solve every calibration and dilution problem missed earlier without notes

Finalize a personal reference sheet you can review the week before the exam