The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Private Applicator Web Training system allows for pesticide licensing over the internet. By using this system, Applicators can now take the exam at the convenience of their own time and in their own home.

If you have questions or comments regarding this exam site, you may contact the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at:

Joe Foss Building 523 E Capitol Ave
Pierre SD 57501-3182
Phone (605) 773-4432
Fax (605) 773-3481

Upon successful completion of the private exam, please submit a legible copy of your government-issued, photo identification to receive your Private Applicator Certification Card.

Registering

There are three categories for those entering this exam system: New Applicator, Existing Applicator and Resume/Retake Exam.

New Applicator
To enter this system a simple registration process is required.   Through this registration process, you are assigned a registration code that you will use to enter the system each time you want to take the exam. You cannot enter the system without a registration code.  To obtain a registration code, you simply fill in the personal information and click on 'Assign My Registration Code' button.  You must declare a password and enter an email address we can send your password to if you happen to forget it.  Your assigned registration code and declared password will then appear on a separate page that you can print out or write down.  IMPORTANT: You will need this information to resume the exam at a later time if necessary.   From this separate page, you will be allowed to begin the exam.

Existing Applicator
If you are an existing applicator, you can use your applicator number to obtain your personal information for the New Applicator section.  Simply enter your certification number in the box provided under Existing Applicator.  Then click on Lookup Applicator.  Your information will show up above in the New Applicator section, if found.  Then complete the remaining information (password, email address and any address changes), and click on Assign My Registration code to complete the registration process.  If the information that appears is not you , then verify the Certification number entered and click on Lookup Applicator again.  If it is still not correct, then you will need to type in the information into the New Applicator section manually.  If you do not know your Certification number, you may look it up at the following website: https://apps.sd.gov/doa/cat/privatesearch.aspx

Resume/Retake Exam
 One of the main conveniences of this system is that you can take the exam at your own pace.  You may stop the exam and return to it at a later time, modifying any of your answers that you previously submitted.  By simply entering your Registration code and Password, you can re-enter the system and continue where you left off.  If you forgot your Registration code or Password, we can email this to you.

Taking the Exam
 After completing the login process, you are taken to the exam area.  You enter the exam area from the page that allows you to print out your registration information, similar to the following:

Use the Begin Exam button to enter the exam area, which looks like the example above.


At this point, you will see the Units selection in the top, the Unit information in the middle, and the Unit questions in the bottom area once you click "Show Questions".  There will be 4 random questions selected from the available questions for that unit.  At the bottom of the list of questions is a button 'Submit Answers' which is used to save the answers you have selected for this unit.  Once you have submitted answers for that unit, your answers will be saved, the unit button will look sunken in, and it will say completed on it.  You may return to this unit later, if you wish, and change your answers.  Proceed through each unit at your own pace until you have completed all the questions for each unit.  When you are finished with all the units and satisfied with the answers you have given, then go ahead and proceed to the Score Test section!

Scoring the Exam

Clicking on the Score Test link will take you to the following page where you will see this screen that allows you to complete your exam:

Once you have chosen to score the exam, you must receive a 69.5 or above to pass.  If you do not pass the exam, you cannot re-take the exam for 3 days.  After 3 days, then you will be allowed to answer questions once again. If you pass the exam, you will be able to select and print a temporary license that can be used for a short period of time until your actual license arrives.

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