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Common Questions and Answers about Maintaining Your ISA Certification
What are the CEU requirements to be eligible to recertify?
In order to recertify every three (3) years, you must obtain the required amount of CEUs and pay a recertification fee. The number of CEUs required depends upon the credential you hold. You can check the application handbook to see the CEU requirements for each credential.
Will I be notified that my certification is coming up for expiration?
The Certification Department will send you a CEU postcard six (6) months prior to your certification expiration date but only if you are lacking CEUs. This notice is only a reminder that you need to submit the remainder of your CEUs to be eligible for recertification. Be advised that CEU processing takes 4-6 weeks once your information reaches the ISA Headquarters office so it is to your advantage to send your CEU information as it happens rather than waiting until the end of your certification period.
If you do not receive a CEU postcard it either means you have enough CEUs to recertify and your notice will come to you in the form of an invoice (one month prior to your expiration date) or that you need to update your mailing address with the Certification Department. If you have a change in to your mailing address it is your responsibility to contact us and let us know. You have worked hard to earn your credential and it is your responsibility to maintain it. Do not lose your certification due to a change in address.
How do I obtain continuing education units?
Continuing education units (CEUs) are part of the requirement for recertification every three (3) years. You can earn CEUs several ways, including: attending conference/seminars/workshops held by your local ISA Chapter or Affiliate Organization; writing articles that are published directly related to Arboriculture; or purchasing ISA publications and taking at-home study quizzes. For the ISA publications you must score an 80% or higher to earn the CEUs associated with that book. You will send in your completed quiz answer sheet to ISA for grading. If you pass the quiz the CEUs are then applied to your account. In the event you do not obtain an 80% or higher, you will be mailed a retake form so that you can try the quiz again. You can continue to retake the quiz until a passing score is achieved.
Why are CEUs required?
The strength of the ISA Certification Program is in the continuing education component. As with any type of professional certification, there must be a way to measure continued competence. One option is to retest and the other option is to require continuing education. The ISA Certification Board allows either option.
After I get all my required CEUs, am I then recertified for the next three (3) year period?
No, in order to complete the recertification process you must pay a recertification fee. You can check the application handbook to see the recertification fees for each credential as they apply to you.
I just sent in my CEUs. Can you tell me how long it takes to process them?
Once received in the ISA headquarters office, CEU processing takes 4-6 weeks to be posted to your account. Once the CEUs are processed you can view them on your current CEU report online.
How can I keep track of my CEU totals?
Your current CEU report is viewable on the ISA website at anytime.
If you have trouble logging in, you may retrieve your password online. If you continue to have trouble logging in, contact our office at cert@isa-arbor.com.
CEUs are recompiled at 12am (midnight) Central Standard Time daily. If you check your CEUs during this time you may see a false or
zero (0) total. Don't be alarmed. Check back within a few minutes and your report should be back up and ready for viewing. Also, please
know that CEU processing takes 4-6 weeks once we receive your information or sign in sheets in our office. Thank you for your patience.
How do I get a seminar pre-approved for ISA CEUs?
If you are hosting an event or your company is having a meeting that you would like to get ISA CEUs pre-approved for please contact your local ISA Certification Liaison. The Liaison will need an outline or agenda for the meeting.
How do I get CEUs for an event that was not pre-approved?
To receive credit for an event that was not pre-approved for ISA CEUs, you must fill out the appropriate Post-Approval Form and follow the instructions in the form.
What happens if I don’t have enough CEUs at the end of my certification period?
If you do not have the required number of CEUs at the end of your recertification period, you will receive a notice one month prior to your
expiration date that shows what CEUs have been recorded to your account. You will be given the opportunity at this time to ask for a sixty (60)
day extension. The extension expires sixty (60) days past your actual expiration date. An example would be if your original credential expiration
date was December 31, 2009, if you were approved for a 60-day extension, your new expiration date would be March 1, 2010. You may request an extension online.
If you cannot meet your CEU requirement within the sixty (60) day extension deadline, either because you don’t have enough
CEUs posted to your account or your recertification payment hasn’t been received, then you need to contact the ISA certification department
immediately. Retesting is always an option available to credential holders as part of the recertification process; you may choose to re-test and make the recertification payment rather than earn CEUs.
My ISA certification has expired and I have become decertified. What can I do now?
In order to regain your ISA credential you will need to retake the appropriate exam. To insure that you regain your previously assigned ISA Certification number there is a section on the exam application for you to list your former certification ID number.
Until you have successfully passed the exam, you should refrain from advertising yourself as ISA Certified as to not mislead the public and violate federal trademark law.
Do any additional CEUs I earn over the required amount roll-over to my next certification period?
No, the ISA Certification Board is interested in you earning your CEUs in a specific three (3) year timeframe. Once you have recertified and paid your recertification fee, all CEUs from your past certification period become part of your CEU History Report. Your CEU total will drop back to zero (0) and you will need to start accumulating the required CEUs in this new three (3) year timeframe.
Now that I am certified I would like to advertise my certification, how do I obtain the logo and what do I need to know in order to follow the branding requirements?
Once you have passed the exam you will receive your certificate and wallet card in the mail, a decal for your hard hat and a patch for your clothing will also be included.
All of these items can be used to advertise your certification in your everyday work environment. If you would like to expand your advertising opportunities to your
business card, phone book ad, website, or letterhead please request the logo via email at cert@isa-arbor.com. Please state your name, Certification ID,
what credential logo, color or black/white, and what file format (.tif, .jpg, .eps, pdf). The information will be emailed to you along with our
ISA Branding and Style Guide so you can get started. You are welcome to forward this information to your
printer. The use of the logo or word mark (ex: ISA Certified Arborist&174;) has to be accompanied with your name and ID. If you have any specific advertising questions not
covered in the branding guide please don’t hesitate contact us by email or 217.355.9411, don’t let it
be too late and become a costly mistake. A certification staff member is happy to review your proof before you print