ATLANTA, Ga. — The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), under the guidance of the Credentialing Council and with the assistance of volunteer subject matter experts, have updated the exam content outline for the ISA Certified Arborist® credential.

With the support of experts in multiple fields of practice, ISA conducts a process called Job Task Analysis (JTA) approximately every five years for each of its credentials to ensure the validity of our examinations. This process reviews or develops the set of knowledge and skills essential for a professional earning a given credential. The outcomes of this process are exam domains and an outline that reflects current duties and aspects of the profession. The updated exam outline and domain weights for the ISA Certified Arborist credential will be reflected in examinations offered in the English language and taken on or after 19 December 2022.

Individuals enrolled, or planning to enroll, for this program after the aforementioned date should prepare for the examination using the newest version of the exam outline date marked 2022. How the percentage of questions associated with individual domains included in this examination will change is provided below:

Current domain distribution for the ISA Certified Arborist program:

Domain in the examination	Percentage of questions associated with this domain
Soil management	12%
Identification and Selection	8%
Installation and Establishment	5%
Safe Work Practices	15%
Tree Biology	8%
Pruning	16%
Diagnosis and Treatment	12%
Urban Forestry	7%
Tree Protection	4%
Tree Risk Management	13%

 

New domain distribution starting on 19 December 2022:

Domain in the examination	Percentage of questions associated with this domain
Tree Biology	11%
Identification and Selection	9%
Soil management	7%
Installation and Establishment	9%
Pruning	14%
Diagnosis and Treatment	9%
Trees and Construction	9%%
Tree Risk	11%
Safe Work Practices	15%
Urban Forestry	6%

 

ABOUT ISA          

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., U.S., is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to promoting the importance of arboriculture and educating the public about the significance of trees and the value of their proper care. As part of ISA’s advancing the arboriculture profession, it offers the only internationally‐recognized certification program in the industry, including ISA Certified Arborist ®. For more information about ISA and Certified Arborists, visit www.isa-arbor.com.