After a successful first year, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS) has expanded its partnership with Everblue, an innovative technology company, to now include the online delivery and proctoring of all the state’s commercial pesticide certification exams.
As part of the initial contract, IDALS advertised Everblue’s online exam platform as an additional option for pesticide applicators seeking certification. Test candidates could choose to take their exam in person at a local community college or complete their exam from home using Everblue’s live online proctoring.
This process improvement was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. By offering an online exam delivery option, IDALS can continue to certify pesticide applicators while limiting in-person contact during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Another popular benefit of the system is that exam candidates do not need to travel to take their exams.
Everblue’s online test portal currently administers and proctors the Core exam, as well as the exams for Category 1A, Category 3OT, Category 6, Category 7A, and Category 11.
Building on last year’s success, IDALS will offer 18 additional exams in 2022 through Everblue, including Category 2, Category 4, Category 5, Category 8, Category 9, and Category 10 as well as expanded options in categories 1, 3 and 7.
With Everblue’s expertise in software development and instructional technology, IDALS can continue to certify pesticide applicators while also ensuring its credibility and productivity.
For an overview of how it all works, visit our Iowa Pesticide Certification Exams page.
For more information about Iowa’s remote pesticide certification and licensure, contact Mark Smith by email: mark.smith@iowaagriculture.gov
About the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (https://iowaagriculture.gov)
Led by Secretary Mike Naig, the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship serves the rural and urban residents that call Iowa home. Through its 14 diverse bureaus, the Department ensures animal health, food safety and consumer protection. It also promotes conservation efforts to preserve our land and enhance water quality for the next generation.
About Everblue (https://www.goeverblue.com/)
Everblue helps create a better world by making organizations more responsive and productive through innovation and technology. Everblue empowers professionals and organizations to achieve success, by offering a comprehensive suite of professional training programs and certification management solutions. Its curriculum includes short-term courses focused on emerging technology fields, such as energy efficiency and cybersecurity. In addition to training courses, Everblue also helps its organizational clients with digital test administration, online exam hosting, proctoring, badging, and association membership management.
