Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
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Free practice exams at a glance
| Credential | Guide | Practice exam |
|---|---|---|
| ACE — Associate Certified Entomologist | Guide | Start free practice → |
| BCE — Board Certified Entomologist (General) | Guide | Start free practice → |
| BCE — Urban & Industrial specialty | Guide | Start free practice → |
| PHE — Public Health Entomology | Guide | Start free practice → |
| NYS DEC CORE (pesticide applicator) | Guide | Start free practice → |
| NYS DEC Category 7A (Structural & Rodent) | Guide | Start free practice → |
| CP-FS — Certified Professional-Food Safety | Guide | Start free practice → |
| PCQI — Preventive Controls Qualified Individual | Guide | Start free practice → |
| NYC Food Protection Certificate | Guide | Start free practice → |
1. ESA entomology certifications (ACE, BCE, PHE)
The Entomological Society of America awards the professional entomology credentials through its certification arm, ESA Certification. The ACE (Associate Certified Entomologist) is the pest-management professional’s credential; the BCE (Board Certified Entomologist) is the senior credential requiring a degree, earned via a general exam plus a specialty (we cover the Urban & Industrial specialty); and the PHE (Public Health Entomology) certificate focuses on medical and vector entomology.
- ACE: how-to-become-an-ACE guide · 600-question practice exam · official: ESA Certification (entocert.org)
- BCE: BCE guide · General exam + Urban & Industrial exam · official: entocert.org
- PHE: PHE guide · 300-question practice exam · official: entocert.org
Recommended books: Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations and the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control (ACE); Borror and DeLong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects and Gullan & Cranston’s The Insects: An Outline of Entomology (BCE general); and Mike Service’s Medical Entomology for Students and Mullen & Durden’s Medical and Veterinary Entomology (PHE).
2. New York pesticide applicator license (CORE + Category 7A)
To work as an exterminator in New York you must be certified by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). You pass the CORE exam plus a category exam — Category 7A (Structural & Rodent) for general structural work — each 50 questions, closed-book, passing 35/50.
- Full NYS licensing guide · CORE practice exam (250 Q) · Category 7A practice exam (250 Q)
- Official: NYSDEC pesticide certification · study through Cornell CCE-PSEP
Deep-dive guides: deep CORE guide and deep Category 7A guide.
Recommended manuals: the Cornell CCE-PSEP Pesticide Applicator Core Training Manual and the Category 7A – Structural and Rodent manual (Cornell Store), plus the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For pests in your home or building, NYE provides IPM-based, low-exposure control matched to the exact pest and verified with a follow-up. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
3. Food-safety certifications (CP-FS, PCQI, NYC Food Protection)
Pest control is a core, audited part of every food-safety program. Three credentials matter most: CP-FS (NEHA’s professional food-safety credential), PCQI (the FSMA role that owns a food facility’s Food Safety Plan), and the NYC Food Protection Certificate (required for a supervisor on site in New York City food establishments).
- Food-safety certification guide · CP-FS exam (300 Q) · PCQI exam (200 Q) · NYC Food Protection exam (200 Q)
- Official: NEHA CP-FS · FSPCA (PCQI) / FDA FSMA · NYC Food Protection Course
Deep-dive guides: deep CP-FS guide, deep PCQI guide, and deep NYC Food Protection guide.
Recommended study materials: the NEHA CP-FS study manual; the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food participant manual (PCQI); and the NYC Health Department’s free 15-lesson Food Protection Course and study guide.
Reviewed by Jorge Bedoya, ACE (Associate Certified Entomologist), owner of NYE Pest Control. Practice exams are study aids, not official tests; always confirm current requirements, fees, and materials directly with each certifying body, as they change.
