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Alberta Landscape Applicator Certificate
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS ALL
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES JUST RELEASED THIS
YEAR
Alberta Landscape Applicator Certificate Exam is administered by Lakeland College and tests
five key competency areas: Legislation & Regulations (EPEA, Pesticide Ministerial Regulation,
record-keeping, label compliance), Safety, Toxicology & PPE (LD₅₀, acute/chronic poisoning,
routes of exposure, signal words, poisoning response), Environmental Protection (buffer zones,
drift management, runoff, pollinator protection, pesticide disposal), Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) & Pest Identification (monitoring, thresholds, cultural/biological/chemical
controls, common weeds, insects and diseases of Alberta turf and ornamentals),
and Application Technology & Calibration (boom and backpack sprayers, nozzle selection,
calibration math, mixing order, application errors). This set of 250 randomized,
scenario-based multiple-choice questions mirrors real-world tasks and regulatory requirements
that certified landscape applicators face on the job. All rationales are summarized
in italics below each answer
1. You are called to treat a large infestation of white grubs on the fairways of a golf course. The
most appropriate integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to implement first would be:
A) Broadcast a curative insecticide immediately
B) Monitor thatch depth and soil moisture and apply nematodes as a biological control before
considering chemical options
C) Double the label rate of a pyrethroid insecticide to ensure eradication
D) Till the entire fairway to mechanically remove all grubs
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Answer: B
Prioritizing monitoring and biological control before chemical options aligns with the principle of
using the least-hazardous tactic first as required by the IPM approach under the Environmental
Code of Practice for Pesticides.
2. A homeowner hires you to control dandelions on a small residential property. Which
certificate or approval is legally required?
A) No certificate is needed because the property is residential
B) A Domestic Pesticide Applicator Certificate only
C) A Landscape Pesticide Applicator Certificate together with a Pesticide Service Registration
D) A valid Special Use Approval from Alberta Environment
Answer: C
Anyone hired to apply pesticides, including on residential property, must hold a Landscape
Pesticide Applicator Certificate and be registered with a Pesticide Service Registration under
Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
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3. While mixing a concentrated herbicide, you accidentally splash a small amount of liquid into
your eyes. Your immediate action should be:
A) Blink rapidly to force tears to flush the eye
B) Rinse the eye continuously with clean running water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical
attention
C) Neutralize the chemical by applying a few drops of vinegar
D) Put on safety goggles and continue working
Answer: B
Prompt, sustained irrigation with water is the priority for ocular chemical exposure; delaying
first aid increases the risk of serious injury. The label of any pesticide instructs immediate
flushing and medical follow-up.
4. You are preparing to spray a liquid fungicide on a sports field. The label states “Do not apply
within 30 m of an open body of water.” The field edge is 28 m from a small pond that feeds a
municipal drinking-water reservoir. You must:
A) Reduce the nozzle pressure to produce larger droplets, then apply as planned
B) Apply only on a completely calm day with zero wind
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C) Comply with the buffer zone by not treating a 2-m strip adjacent to the pond
D) Dilute the fungicide with twice as much water and apply normally
Answer: C
The 30 m restriction is absolute and based on distance, not nozzle adjustment or weather.
Leaving an untreated buffer strip maintains the required separation and protects the water
body, consistent with the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides.
5. The primary provincial act that controls the sale, use, handling, storage, and disposal of
pesticides in Alberta is:
A) Pest Control Products Act (Canada)
B) Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA)
C) Weed Control Act
D) Agricultural Pest Act
Answer: B
EPEA is Alberta’s foundational legislation regulating pesticides from purchase through disposal;
the federal PCPA governs registration but not day-to-day use within the province.
4
SUCCESS!
Alberta Landscape Applicator Certificate
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS ALL
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES JUST RELEASED THIS
YEAR
Alberta Landscape Applicator Certificate Exam is administered by Lakeland College and tests
five key competency areas: Legislation & Regulations (EPEA, Pesticide Ministerial Regulation,
record-keeping, label compliance), Safety, Toxicology & PPE (LD₅₀, acute/chronic poisoning,
routes of exposure, signal words, poisoning response), Environmental Protection (buffer zones,
drift management, runoff, pollinator protection, pesticide disposal), Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) & Pest Identification (monitoring, thresholds, cultural/biological/chemical
controls, common weeds, insects and diseases of Alberta turf and ornamentals),
and Application Technology & Calibration (boom and backpack sprayers, nozzle selection,
calibration math, mixing order, application errors). This set of 250 randomized,
scenario-based multiple-choice questions mirrors real-world tasks and regulatory requirements
that certified landscape applicators face on the job. All rationales are summarized
in italics below each answer
1. You are called to treat a large infestation of white grubs on the fairways of a golf course. The
most appropriate integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to implement first would be:
A) Broadcast a curative insecticide immediately
B) Monitor thatch depth and soil moisture and apply nematodes as a biological control before
considering chemical options
C) Double the label rate of a pyrethroid insecticide to ensure eradication
D) Till the entire fairway to mechanically remove all grubs
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SUCCESS!
,Page 2 of 168
Answer: B
Prioritizing monitoring and biological control before chemical options aligns with the principle of
using the least-hazardous tactic first as required by the IPM approach under the Environmental
Code of Practice for Pesticides.
2. A homeowner hires you to control dandelions on a small residential property. Which
certificate or approval is legally required?
A) No certificate is needed because the property is residential
B) A Domestic Pesticide Applicator Certificate only
C) A Landscape Pesticide Applicator Certificate together with a Pesticide Service Registration
D) A valid Special Use Approval from Alberta Environment
Answer: C
Anyone hired to apply pesticides, including on residential property, must hold a Landscape
Pesticide Applicator Certificate and be registered with a Pesticide Service Registration under
Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
2
SUCCESS!
,Page 3 of 168
3. While mixing a concentrated herbicide, you accidentally splash a small amount of liquid into
your eyes. Your immediate action should be:
A) Blink rapidly to force tears to flush the eye
B) Rinse the eye continuously with clean running water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical
attention
C) Neutralize the chemical by applying a few drops of vinegar
D) Put on safety goggles and continue working
Answer: B
Prompt, sustained irrigation with water is the priority for ocular chemical exposure; delaying
first aid increases the risk of serious injury. The label of any pesticide instructs immediate
flushing and medical follow-up.
4. You are preparing to spray a liquid fungicide on a sports field. The label states “Do not apply
within 30 m of an open body of water.” The field edge is 28 m from a small pond that feeds a
municipal drinking-water reservoir. You must:
A) Reduce the nozzle pressure to produce larger droplets, then apply as planned
B) Apply only on a completely calm day with zero wind
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SUCCESS!
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C) Comply with the buffer zone by not treating a 2-m strip adjacent to the pond
D) Dilute the fungicide with twice as much water and apply normally
Answer: C
The 30 m restriction is absolute and based on distance, not nozzle adjustment or weather.
Leaving an untreated buffer strip maintains the required separation and protects the water
body, consistent with the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides.
5. The primary provincial act that controls the sale, use, handling, storage, and disposal of
pesticides in Alberta is:
A) Pest Control Products Act (Canada)
B) Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA)
C) Weed Control Act
D) Agricultural Pest Act
Answer: B
EPEA is Alberta’s foundational legislation regulating pesticides from purchase through disposal;
the federal PCPA governs registration but not day-to-day use within the province.
4
SUCCESS!
