Certified Arborist Exam Preparation Course

The New England Chapter ISA is pleased to offer the Certified Arborist Exam Preparation Course. This is a VIRTUAL course with a LIVE instructor. The course is 8-three hour classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting August 30th and continuing on the following dates: Sept 1, 6, 8, 20, 22, 27, and 29. $500 member, $535 non-member. 28 CEUs. NO CLASS THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12TH. Class is taught from the Arborist Certification Study Guide and the ANSI Z-133 Safety Standards. 

The course fee incLudes copies of the Arborist Certification Study Guide and the ANSI Z133 Safety Standards (a $147 value) shipped to each participant.

$500 Member | $535 Non-members (Includes 1-year chapter membership) | 28 CEUs

Register Now!

GET CERTIFIED

Step 1: GET PRE-APPROVED: Exam application fees are not included in this prep course. It is recommended that you receive approval to take the exam from ISA. Use this link to apply. Follow this link to the exam application. 

Step 2: TAKE THE TEST: The New England Chapter ISA is offering a paper and pencil exam immediately following this course. Paper and pencil, in-person exams will be held on the following dates:

• October 2, 2022 - Framingham Sheraton, Framingham, MA

• December 2, 2022 - UVM Extension, Berlin, VT

• December 12, 2022 - UMaine Orono, Orono, ME

Participants can sign up for this exam or any when they apply to take the exam using the link above. See our full 2022 exam schedule. The exam can also be scheduled at a Pearson Vue testing center.

INFO ON THE ISA CERTIFIED ARBORIST When you become an ISA Certified Arborist®, you are recognized by your peers and the public as a tree care professional who has attained a generally-accepted level of knowledge in areas such as tree biology, diagnosis, maintenance practices, safety, and other subject and practice areas within the tree care profession as identified through periodic job task analyses.

Prerequisites for this certification:

• Minimum of three (3) years in the field or two (2) years with a two (2) or four (4) year degree in a related field

Examples of experience sources include, but are not limited to:

• Tree care companies
• Nurseries
• Landscape companies
• Municipalities
• State forestry agencies
• Utility companies
• Academic arboriculture/horticulture departments (for instructors)
• Horticulture/extension programs (for advisors)
• Consultancies
• Pest control providers

The examination is made up of 200 multiple-choice questions. Each question has four possible answers listed, only one of which is correct. You will have 3.5 hours (210 minutes) to complete the written exam. You must pass the exam to obtain the certification.

The written exam content is divided into 10 areas of knowledge, and the percentage next to each area below reflects the percentage of questions associated with that area.

1. Soil Management—12%
2. Identification and Selection—8%
3. Installation and Establishment—5%
4. Safe Work Practices—15%
5. Tree Biology—8%
6. Pruning—16%
7. Diagnosis and Treatment—12%
8. Urban Forestry—7%
9. Tree Protection—4%
10. Tree Risk Management—13%

If you do not pass the exam, you are allowed one free retake.

Certification is valid for 3 years. To retain certification after each three-year period, an ISA Certified Arborist® must recertify. The ISA Certification Program offers two methods of recertification. The first method is to retake and pass the certification exam again. The second option is to accumulate at least 30 continuing education units (CEUs) over the three-year certification period that are related to the 10 tested domains on the exam and pay the recertification fee.