State Pesticide Applicator and Dealer Certification exams are administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Pesticide Control Program (PCP). The exams are scheduled on the dates listed below in each of six host counties; see schedules below for 2013. You may download the exam dates and locations for 2013 as a one-page handout.

Applicators must pass a pesticide applicator exam for either Private or Commercial pesticide applicator certification depending upon the type of certification needed. Both of these exams are closed-book. Additionally, commercial applicators must register to take separate exams for certification to practice each additional Commercial pest control category.

Prior to registering to take the Core (Commercial) applicator exam, the candidate applicator must have taken and have a record of completion of an approved basic CORE training course. There continues to be no specific training requirements (with the exception of manual study) for Private applicators. 

Prior to registering to take a category exam, the applicator must have completed and have record of 40 hours of on-the-job training that includes the NJDEP-specified minimum number of applications per category.

Individual exams are based upon content contained in the corresponding New Jersey Pesticide Applicator Training manuals for Private, Core, Dealer, or Commercial Category, available from your County Cooperative Extension office.  Make sure that you have purchased and study from the most recent version of the manuals. See the certification & licensing webpage for a detailed listing of the types of pesticide applicator certifications that are issued in New Jersey upon successful passing of the applicable certification exam(s).

There is a time limit of one hour and forty-five minutes for taking each exam. Currently, Private; Dealer; and Commercial Core and Category 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 7A, 8B, and 13 exams are closed-book exams. All other Category exams  are open-book; you must bring your own manual with you to take the open book exams.

You may download all necessary forms from the NJDEP Pesticide Control Program website. Contact the PCP at (609) 984-6614.

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Locations of New Jersey Certification Exams
Burlington County Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Burlington County 2 Academy Drive; Westhampton, NJ directions & parking
Cumberland County Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County 291 Morton Ave.; Millville, NJ directions & parking
Mercer County Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Mercer County  930 Spruce Street; Trenton, NJ directions & parking
Morris County Cultural Center 300 Mendam Road; Morristown, NJ directions & parking
Somerset County (new location for 2013) Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Somerset County 310 Milltown Rd.; Bridgewater, NJ directions & parking
Union County Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Union County 300 North Avenue East; Westfield, NJ directions & parking

NJDEP Certification Exam Schedule for 2013

2013	Burlington	Cumberland	Mercer	Morris	Somerset	Union
January	1/7	1/9	1/11	1/15	1/16	1/18 (full)
February	2/4 (full)	2/6 (full)	2/8 (full)	2/12 (full)	2/11 (full)	2/15 (full)
March	3/18 (full)	3/20 (full)	3/22 (full)	3/12 (full)	3/11 (full)	3/15 (full)
April	4/1 (full)	4/3 (full)	4/5 (full)	4/23 (full)	4/24 (full)	4/26 (full)
May	5/6 (full)	5/1 (full)	5/3 (full)	5/7 (full)	5/6 (full)	5/10 (full)
June	6/3	6/5	6/7	6/4	6/5	6/7 (full)
July	7/29	no exam	no exam	no exam	no exam	7/30
August	8/1	no exam	no exam	no exam	no exam	8/2
September	9/23	9/25	9/27	9/26	9/25	9/27
October	10/21	10/23	10/25	10/22	10/23	10/25
November	11/4	11/6	11/8	11/19	11/20	11/22
December	12/16	12/18	12/20	12/10	12/9	12/13