The ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (ISA TRAQ) is a voluntary qualification program designed to train and assess candidates in a specialized field of arboriculture. When a professional earns the ISA TRAQ credential, they should be recognized by their peers and the public as a tree care professional who has specialized knowledge in tree risk assessment. To earn the qualification, eligible candidates must complete a training course, and pass both a comprehensive written assessment and a performance-based assessment. To maintain the qualification, current credential holders must retrain and retest every seven years.

The program offers tree care professionals the opportunity to learn a standardized, systematic process for assessing tree risk and providing information to tree owners and risk managers when making decisions that will promote the safety of people and property and enhance tree benefits, health, and longevity. Upon successful completion of the program, qualified professionals:

• are proficient with the fundamentals of limited-visual and basic tree risk assessment, as defined in ISA’s Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment;
• understand the principles of advanced diagnostic techniques for assessing tree risk;
• know how to gather and synthesize information needed to assess tree risk; and
• can make reasoned judgments and recommendations for mitigating identified risk.

Eligibility

ISA recognizes a variety of credentials and designations that fulfill the eligibility requirement to enroll in an ISA TRAQ program. ISA credential holders with the following credentials are readily eligible to enroll in the program. 

• ISA Certified Arborist® 
• ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® 
• ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional 
• ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist® 
• ISA Certified Tree Climber®

Other eligibility paths for the program include: 

• a degree in arboriculture, urban forestry, traditional forestry, or horticulture that is part of a national qualifications framework or from a college/university; 
• a national certification or certificate in arboriculture; and 
• an approved arboriculture licensing or certification granted by a state/province.

A complete listing of recognized credentials can be viewed in the ISA TRAQ Prerequisite Eligibility Catalogue. 

Course and Assessment

The full program consists of a two-day educational course followed by a half-day of assessments that include both written and performance-based components. Eligible candidates must attend the course and successfully complete both assessments in order to receive this qualification.

When registering for an ISA TRAQ event, candidates must agree to the terms, conditions, and policies outlined in the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide.

All course registrants will receive a copy of the Tree Risk Assessment Manual and a course workbook.

Additional Resources

Record and categorize information while performing a basic tree risk assessment with the ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form. This tool builds on the tree risk assessment methodology outlined in ISA’s Best Management Practices and is used throughout the ISA TRAQ program.

Tree Risk Assessment Form

Tree Risk Assessment Form Instructions