Online Training: A Closer Look

What is online training like?

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PSEP's online training courses closely mirror the format of our traditional in-person training clinics. They are specifically designed to establish and reinforce competencies required of Illinois Pesticide Applicators. As with our in-person training clinics, these courses are valuable tools in preparation for their respective licensure exams administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

You can purchase a 30-day access window to any of our training courses. See our Training & Testing page to get started.

How to Enroll in a Training Course
  1. Starting on the PSEP Training & Testing page, click either the orange Commercial Training Courses button or the blue Private Training Courses button. This will take you to Learn @ Illinois Extension, the site where all trainings are hosted.
  2. Locate the training you need and click on its name. If you need to take multiple trainings, select the one you plan to do first (i.e. General Standards Training). You will complete these steps again for any additional training courses.
  3. You will be prompted to Login to the site if you have not already. If you already have an account on Learn @ Illinois Extension (from an other online training course or exam), log in using the credentials you already created. If you do not yet have an account on Learn @ Illinois Extension, choose the Create New Account option.
  4. After logging in, you will be taken to an Enrollment Options page. Here you will use the Authorize.Net Pay button to securely process a credit card payment for the course fee. A receipt will immediately be emailed to the address you provided. 
  5. After payment is complete, you will have immediate access to the course.
Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I have access to my online training after purchase? After purchase, you will have access for 30 consecutive calendar days. This includes the capability to watch and replay the training as many times as you like and at your own pace.

I'm unable to pay for a course, my transaction keeps getting cancelled. Check that you are using the correct ZIP code for the card you are attempting to use. A ZIP code mismatch is the most common reason a transaction is canceled.

Does each employee at my company have to create an individual account for online training? Yes, each individual must have a unique account associated with their email address to confirm their account. This allows each person to earn a certificate of completion and continuing education credits as applicable.

Which browser will work best with online training? We typically recommend Google Chrome, as it is the only browser supported for the online exams. However, the training should work just fine in Firefox, Edge and Safari as well. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Can I use my phone or tablet with online training? Yes. While not yet optimized for mobile use, the trainings should work as expected on a phone or tablet. There are sometimes issues with iOS users running the mobile Safari browser; if you have issues on iOS, try using the Chrome browser for iOS.

Some/All of the videos will not play, but the Knowledge Check questions work fine. The training videos are hosted through Illinois MediaSpace. Some workplace networks will block this site along with others such as YouTube. You may need to work through your IT folks to allow this site. If only some of your videos are not working, you may need to re-start your browser.

Can I earn continuing education credits from the online trainings? Yes, you can earn continuing educations credits. Each training that offers credits will give instructions on how to gain the credits. These include completing every video in the training which will provide you with a certificate of completion. Some trainings will ask for your information to report to the crediting association and some will allow you to self-report to the crediting association. Courses granting continuing education credits are:

  1. General Standards - Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)
  2. Field Crops - Certified Crop Adviser (CCA)
  3. Ornamentals - International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
  4. Turfgrass - Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)