The Texas General Standards (CORE) exam, explained

Who must take it (and who must not)

Commercial, noncommercial, and noncommercial-political-subdivision applicants must pass General Standards plus at least one category exam — and the Aerial category cannot stand alone. Private applicators are the common point of confusion: they do not take General Standards at all. They complete the required AgriLife training and sit a single Private Applicator exam.

The 10 topic areas tested

Each topic below links to a free, in-depth study guide. One honest note: TDA does not publish per-topic weights, so treat any "X questions on labels" claim you read elsewhere as guesswork.

• Pesticide Laws & RegulationsFederal FIFRA and Texas rules: use classifications, recordkeeping, and applicator responsibilities.
• Pesticide Labels & LabelingReading and following the label: signal words, directions for use, restrictions, and precautionary statements.
• Pesticide FormulationsFormulation types, their abbreviations, and how formulation affects mixing and application.
• Applicator Safety & PPERoutes of exposure, personal protective equipment, and worker protection.
• Pests & Integrated Pest ManagementPest identification principles and the components of integrated pest management.
• Application Equipment & CalibrationSprayer components, nozzle selection, and calibration math.
• Mixing, Loading & ApplicationCalculating product and tank-mix amounts and applying uniformly.
• Environmental Protection & DriftProtecting water, pollinators, and non-target sites; managing spray drift.
• Storage, Transport & DisposalSafe storage, transport, container rinsing, and disposal.
• Emergencies, Spills & First AidResponding to spills and exposures; first-aid statements on the label.

The official study manuals (not the PERC manual)

Texas writes this exam to the Texas A&M AgriLife (PSEP) manuals — General Standards (AES-5073) and Laws & Regulations (AES-5056). The national PERC core manual (3rd edition, 2025) has notbeen adopted by Texas, so national prep courses built on it aren't targeting this exam. Order the real manuals from AgriLife via the official link below.

Booking, fees & retakes

Metro Institute has administered TDA exams since 2025-05-19, replacing PSI — if a guide sends you to PSI, it's stale. Exams are in person, $64 per attempt, with a 24-hour wait before retesting. The step-by-step licensing guide shows where the exam fits in the whole process, and the cost page totals the fees.

The math you'll face

The published competencies include calibrating a sprayer to gallons per acre, computing product for an area at a label rate, and tank-mix arithmetic. We teach each one with worked steps on the exam-math page and let you check your answers with the interactive calculators.

Frequently asked

How many questions are on the Texas General Standards exam?

100 questions with a 120-minute (2-hour) time limit. You need 70% to pass. These figures are verified against TDA/AgriLife and the Metro Institute candidate information.

Who has to take the General Standards exam?

Commercial, noncommercial, and noncommercial-political-subdivision applicants — all of whom must also pass at least one category exam (the Aerial category cannot stand alone). Private applicators do NOT take General Standards; they sit a single Private Applicator exam after required training.

What manual is the Texas exam based on?

The Texas A&M AgriLife (PSEP) manuals: General Standards (AES-5073) and Laws & Regulations (AES-5056). Texas has not adopted the national PERC core manual — prep material based on it isn't targeting the Texas exam.

How many questions come from each topic?

TDA does not publish per-topic weights. Any site claiming an exact number of questions per topic is guessing. Our practice balances all 10 published topic areas using an openly-labeled estimate, never presented as an official blueprint.

Where and how do I take it?

In person with Metro Institute (TDA's testing vendor since 2025-05-19), $64 per attempt. If you fail, you wait 24 hours and pay again to retest.

Is there math on the exam?

Yes — the published competencies include calibrating a sprayer to a target rate, calculating product for a given area, and tank-mix arithmetic. Our worked exam-math page and calculators teach exactly these.

Is there a free practice test?

Yes — our free diagnostic scores you across all 10 CORE topic areas with a citation on every answer, no signup required.