What is online training like?
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.
The following images are examples of different features our trainings offer, including interactive content, knowledge check questions, closed captioning and Spanish language content.
Click each image to enlarge.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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. Account sharing may result in removal from training.
Licensing question? Visit IDA's website or call IDA at (800) 641-3934 or (217) 785-2427.
System requirements, devices that work with training
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.
Cost and Payments
How much does online training cost?
| Training Topic | Price | Training Topic | Price | Training Topic | Price | Training Topic | Price |
| General Standards | $45 | Aerial General Standards | $45 | Private Applicator (English) | $45 | Private Applicator (Spanish) | $45 |
| Field Crops | $25 | Seed Treatment | $25 | Grain Facility | $25 | Rights-of-way | $25 |
| Mosquito | $25 | Turfgrass | $25 | Ornamental | $25 | Aquatics | $25 |
| Vegetable | $25 | Fruit Crops | $25 | Demonstration & Research | $25 | Plant Management | $25 |
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.
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. Account sharing may result in removal from training.
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.
Continuing Education Credits
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:
- General Standards - Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)
- Field Crops - Certified Crop Adviser (CCA)
- Ornamentals - International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
- Turfgrass - Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)
How do I submit my continuing education credits? Once you have completed the training, click on the completion certificate on the last page of training, this will generate the completion certificate. Directions for submitting your continuing education credits are on the the certificate.
Completion Certificates
What are the completion certificates for?
1. Completion certificates can prove that a person has completed an online training so they can gain continuing education credits for a license or a certification from a professional organization. To learn more about receiving and submitting credits refer to the Continuing Education Credits tab above.
2. For operators and applicators applying residential barrier mosquitocides, the individualized completion certificates can prove that they have completed the new education requirements. To learn more about the new barrier mosquitocide laws, please visit IDA's Barrier Mosquitocide Application Requirements page.
3. Some people like to have a record of completing training.
I have completed my training, where can I find my completion certificate? Once you have completed all of the videos in the training, go to the last page of the training where it shows your completion for all the sections of the training. In the lower right-hand corner of this page, there is a green button that says Completion Certificate. Clicking this button will generate your individualized completion certificate.
Why does my completion certificate show another person's name? The completion certificate shows the name of the account holder. If you see another person's name on the certificate, it is because you are logged into the wrong account. You will need to complete the training on your own account to gain a certificate with your name on it. The best ways to avoid this situation are by making sure all users log out of training when they are finished for the day and to never save passwords on shared computers.
I'm Having Problems with my Training
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 restart your browser.
The training did not save my progress. This can happen if someone leaves the training open and inactive, allowing it to time out, or if the internet drops. In both cases, the training cannot connect to our server to record progress. To prevent this from happening, exit the training if you need to take a break or refresh periodically if you suspect the internet connection is patchy.
I can only see part of the training on my smartphone. If someone is experiencing this issue, we recommend using a larger device such as a tablet or computer.
Licensing
Do I need to complete training to get my license? No, training is not required for licensing but exams are. These trainings are specifically designed by University of Illinois educators to support Illinois operators and applicators who are preparing for their licensing exam(s). Each of our trainings is tailored to the corresponding exam. Operators and applicators who use our trainings have let us know that they felt better prepared for the exam(s) and received higher scores than when they did not use training.
I have questions about licensing related to my exam, where can I get information about that?
1. Please visit IDA's licensing website or call IDA at (800) 641-3934 or (217) 785-2427.
2. Please visit the section about Licensing on our Exam FAQ page.
Exam
How can I find the online exam? You can reach the online exam by visiting the Testing and Training page and select "Online Commercial Exam" or "Online Private Exam." Step-by-step instructions for enrolling in an online exam and an FAQ about online exams can be found on the How to & FAQ page.
How can I find an in-person exam? You can reach the in-person exams by visiting the Testing and Training page.
In-person testing can be scheduled directly through IDA (800) 641-3934. In-Person Test Only events are hosted by IDA from Dec. - May. You can register online or by calling IDA (800) 641-3934.
In-person Testing and Training Clinics are hosted by UofI Pesticide Safety Education Program. These offer morning training and afternoon exams. These are seasonal events running from Dec. - April and pre-registration is required. Visit the Testing and Training page to see dates and if pre-registration is open.
Passwords and Password Resets
I can't log in to the Learn @ Illinois Extension page, it won't take my username/password.
1. Ensure that you have an account on the Learn @ Illinois Extension page. You can create an account by visiting the PSEP Training & Testing page, clicking either the orange Commercial Training button or the blue Private Training button. This will take you to the Learn @ Illinois Extension, select the training you would like and you will be prompted to create an account by clicking the "Create new account" button (shown below).
2. If you are sure you have created a Learn @ Illinois Extension account, go to the login screen (shown below) and choose "Lost Password?"
* If you have multiple employees using the same computer, DO NOT save passwords on that computer. This results in people logging into the wrong account and will result in the wrong name on completion certificates.
I have used the Lost Password option to reset my password on Learn @ Illinois Extension but I have not received a reset email, what can I do? Usually, this occurs when the username or email address has been misspelled, if the person does not have an account or if the email has gone to a spam folder. Please check spam folders and double-check the spelling of the username or email address. If it is still not working, contact the PSEP office (800) 644-2123 or (217) 244-2123 and we can check the correct spellings and whether the person has an account.