By RYAN GEORGE
Believing that the pest control licensing examination may have been compromised, the California Structural Pest Control Board announced that their test will be delayed for the next two months while they rewrite the examination.
Although the delay has come at a critical time when many companies are attempting to recruit and license BYU students for their summer pest control programs in California, the companies said the delays will have little effect on their programs.
An investigation is under way to determine how the licensing examination has been compromised, said Donna Kingwell, executive officer of the SPCB.
One pest control marketing company executive, who wished to remain anonymous, said the examination was being rewritten simply because it has been around for so long, but Kingwell said the board 'would not impact the industry to the extent that we have just to rewrite the exam.'
'I can't give very much information because there is an open investigation,' Kingwell said. 'We're working as fast and as efficiently as we can to get the exam rewritten.'
California is one of the only states that requires pest control salesmen to be licensed. The board gives an examination in Sacramento and Los Angeles that can only be taken once per month by individuals seeking to be licensed. Pest control marketing companies wishing to license their recruits for sales in California must send them to those cities to take the examination.
Since the pest control sales season generally starts at the end of April, most pest control companies seek to license their new recruits during BYU's winter semester. The board's decision to delay the examination cuts out two of the months before the season starts.
Even so, some of the largest recruiting companies in Provo have said the examination delay will have little or no effect on their summer programs.
'It will not affect us in any way,' said Steve Bos, vice-president of personnel for Eclipse Marketing Incorporated.
Todd Santiago, vice-president of Apex Marketing Group, said he didn't think his company would be affected at all either.
'We had a big testing month in February, so we'll be able to staff our offices fully,' Santiago said.
Dave Morgan, the corporate sales director of Clark Pest Control, said his company will not have any problems with the board's decision.
'The nice thing is that over 50 percent of our salesmen are licensed,' Morgan said.
In rewriting the licensing examination, the SPCB sought the help of Clark Pest Control. Robert Baker, a Clark Pest Control employee, has been asked to rewrite one of the five sections of the examination, Morgan said.
'We're a 50-year-old company in California, so we're well established,' Morgan said.