CEC Program Snapshot
Many WCTA members don't fully understand the BC Pesticide Certificate Recertification program so we've created this list of frequently asked questions to assist. Of course, you can always contact us directly if you have any questions not covered here.
Prerequisites
To participate in the ‘Continuing Education Credit’ (CEC) program for BC pesticide applicator certificate (PAC) recertification, a candidate must have passed the initial government exam and obtained a five-year certificate in the landscape or dispenser category. For us to track points, you must be a WCTA or BCLNA member. The service is complimentary for WCTA members and currently $50 per year for BCLNA members (payable in advance).
Definitions
Administrator: BC Ministry of Environment (MOE)
CEC: Continuing Education Credit – one credit is equal to one hour of
approved training
Certificate category: There are 11 key pesticide certificate categories in BC – the
WCTA is approved to track CEC’s for landscape and dispensers
Certificate holder: If you apply or dispense pesticides, you need certification and
training. For every category where you apply and dispense
pesticides, you must pass a certification exam. There are
separate study materials and exams for each category.
Certificate year: Each of the 5 years prior to the date of your pesticide applicator
certificate expiration (rather than the calendar year)
PAC: Pesticide Applicator Certificate
Recertification: Renewal of a certificate for an additional 5-year term
Seminar: The term we use for an approved CEC educational opportunity,
live or recorded, online or in-person, and interchangeable with
terms like presentation, workshop, demonstration, event and so
on. Seminars are typically one to four hours in length, but not
necessarily, and include online offerings, ie. webinars.
Session: The term we use to identify a specific iteration of a seminar, for
example, the same seminar might be held multiple times in
different locations and/or on different dates.
How do I enroll?
In order to be enrolled in the PAC-CEC recertification program, after the prerequisites are met, we simply need a copy of your 5-year pesticide applicator certificate (note that one-year certificates do not qualify) scan/emailed to us.
What are the requirements to obtain recertification?
A minimum of 20 CEC’s are required for PAC recertification. The 20 CEC’s must be earned during the 5 years prior to PAC expiration.
• A maximum of 10 CEC’s can be taken in any one year.
• Within the 20 CEC’s required for recertification, there must be some training on
each of the following topics with minimum point requirements in each category of:
o 3 CEC’s concerned with Integrated Pest Management;
o 3 CEC’s concerned with Safety and Environmental Protection, and;
o 3 CEC’s concerned with Application Technology.
How long do I have to get my 20 CEC’s?
Pesticide certificates are issued for 5 years so if you get on the program at the start of your certificate term, you have 5 years to earn points. If you get on the program with only 4 years remaining on your certificate, then you only have 4 years to earn points and so on.
How do I earn continuing education credits? NOTE - THIS SECTION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
CEC’s are earned when you complete seminars directly related to Schedule 3 of the BC IPM Regulation and that are pre-approved for points by the Administrator.
• To complete a seminar, you must satisfy the attendance requirements, ie. attend
the entire session, sign the attendance sheet, answer questions/polls during
online offerings and so on. Note that attendance protocols may vary.
• Even though material related questions are sometimes used to verify attendance
at online offerings, there is no grade/pass requirement to earn points.
CEC opportunities can be offered online or in person, live or recorded and can include:
• Seminars at the WCTA annual conference and trade show, field days or other
WCTA sanctioned/produced events, either online or in-person.
• Seminars/webinars put on by other associations that have made formal
collaborative agreements with the WCTA to allow sharing of attendance
information.
• As of 2026, these include the BCGSA, BCLNA, IEPMA and CGSA. Attendees
must make a request to their host association to provide us confirmation of their
attendance.
• 3rd party offerings, typically online, through independent CEC providers like
Professional Development Solutions (make sure you’re taking BC accredited
courses)
• 3rd party educational offerings put on by others, typically hosted by companies,
that have requested CEC approval through us.
***Note that people often attend what they think are BC pesticide certificate accredited recertification courses but they are not!!! Ask your course provider before signing up for the course. Points cannot be awarded retro-actively. In other words, a course can’t be certified after you take it.
MAKE SURE YOUR ATTENDANCE AT EACH ACCREDITED SEMINAR IS VERIFIED BY THE HOST OTHERWISE YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE CREDIT(S).
When it’s time for my certificate to be renewed, what do I have to do?
Nothing except pay the BC Ministry of Environment fee – we’ll send you an invoice. NOTE: The Ministry of Environment will email your certificate directly to you (check your spam folder). When you receive your renewed certificate, be sure to scan/emailed us a copy so we can re-start you on the recertification program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I become a WCTA member so that I may enroll in the CEC program?
A. To become a WCTA member:
Online MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP to get printable form
Already a member and need to update your contact information?
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Q. Do I need to have a pesticide certificate to be a WCTA member?
A. There is no such requirement.
Q. I’m not sure if I’m on the program or not. How can I find out?
A. Contact us if you’re not sure.
Q. Can I get all my credits at once?
A. No. 10 credits maximum can be earned per certificate year. The program is designed for ongoing education and accumulating all points in a short period of time defeats the purpose.
Q. Wait a minute – if only 10 credits are allowed per year and I have less than 2 years remaining on my certificate then there’s no possible way to get recertified???
A. You are correct. If you’re just coming onto the program and have 1 year left on your certificate, the recertification program won’t work for you because it’s impossible to get 20 credits in one certificate year. If you have 2 years remaining on your certificate, it is possible to recertify but you will need to work really hard!
Q. If I earn more than 10 points in a year, do they carry over?
A. No.
Q. Do I need a certain amount of CEC points in different categories?
A. Yes, 3 points minimum are required in application technology, safety & environment protection, and IPM.
Q. I heard first aid certificates can be used for pesticide certificate points?
A. The BC Ministry of Environment has given us approval to utilize valid OFA first aid certificates toward CEC points. The details are as follows:
• A minimum (valid) level 1 Occupational First Aid certificate is required (must be
WorkSafe BC approved)
• This certificate must be valid (not expired) at the time of your Pesticide Certificate
renewal
• 1.0 point will be awarded in the Safety and Environmental Protection category
Q. What if I take the same seminar twice during my 5-year recertification period?
A. In the event you attend an identical seminar more than once during your 5-year recertification period, you will only receive credit(s) for the first one.
Q. What if I don’t get enough points to recertify before my certificate expires?
A. If you haven’t earned 20 CEC’s in total and achieved the minimum number of points in each of the three main categories, the Ministry of Environment will not renew your certificate and you will need to re-write the government exam. However, applicators have one (1) year after their certificate expiry to collect remaining credits needed if they wish to renew by recertification, but their certificate is NOT valid during this time and they cannot legally apply pesticides under it until their certificate is renewed.
Q. I’m attending a conference/event/webinar that doesn’t have BC credits available, why is that?
A. To accredit a seminar, event organizers must apply to the BC Ministry of Environment for approval. The Ministry does not typically accept applications directly, rather, they are brokered through a recognized ‘credit coordinator’ such as the WCTA. There could be multiple reasons an event organizer hasn’t applied for BC credits, ie. they may not know how, they may not know the material is relevant to the pesticide recertification program, they may not feel it's worthwhile, etc. As an event attendee, you can help by asking conference event organizers to apply for BC credits at: http://www.wctaturf.com/forms/request-cec.php
Q. Is there a minimum and maximum seminar duration?
A. The WCTA requires seminars to be at least ½ hour long to submit for CEC approval. Typically, four hours is the maximum duration however we would consider submitting approvals for seminars up to eight hours long.
Q. I’m taking horticulture at ‘insert institution name here’ and would like to receive CEC’s for pesticide related education. Why isn’t this possible?
A. The recertification program is based on ongoing education rather than a long-term institutional course of study. See the question above.
Q. Where can I see a list of accredited courses I can take?
A. We try to keep the ‘Coming Events’ section of wcta.online.com updated with current CEC opportunities. Regular updates are included in member emails and the Turf Line News magazine. By design, there tends to be more course offerings in the fall and winter than during the busy summer season.
Q. How can I get a copy of my CEC record?
A. Currently, we email everyone their record once per year, usually in the fall. We are currently working on cloud-based software that will provide access to records at any time with launch expected in late 2026.
Q. Does the WCTA track any other PAC categories besides landscape?
A. Yes, we also track dispensers.
Q. Where can I find out more details about the CEC program?
A. Go to the BC Ministry of Environment website at:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/pesticides-pest-management/certification-training/recertification
________________________________________
Training Course Content
Training for CEC’s can provide new, updated or more detailed information or a refresher on topics covered in the initial certification training. Acceptable topics include the following:
A. Integrated Pest Management
• pest identification and biology
• pest prevention
• monitoring methods
• action and injury levels
• management methods, including pesticide alternatives and decision making
• evaluation of results
B. Safety and Environmental Protection
• pesticide labels and label comprehension
• legislation
• toxicity
• emergency response (first aid, spills, fires)
• protective clothing and equipment
• effects of pesticides on the environment
• safe procedures for storage, transport, mixing, application, cleanup and disposal
C. Application Technology
• equipment selection
• proper equipment set-up, use and maintenance
• equipment calibration and pesticide use calculations
• pesticide products and factors affecting their use and performance
________________________________________
Schedule 3 Categories - There are 10 CEC point categories, aka ‘Certificate Exam Matters’ in BC as follows:
1. General pesticide characteristics
2. Act and Regulations
3. Labeling
4. Human Health
5. Pesticide Safety
6. Environment
7. Pest Management
8. Application Technology
9. Emergency Response
10. Professionalism*
The WCTA uses the three main categories that have minimum point requirements for tracking CEC’s – here is the cross-reference with sub-categories listed:
7 Pest Management
5 Pesticide Safety & 6 Environment
2 Act and Regulations
3 Labeling
4 Human Health
8 Application Technology
9 Emergency Response
1 General pesticide characteristics
*professionalism is not tracked by the WCTA