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 will 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.
ISA has recently announced changes to the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification program (TRAQ), effective November 2025.
Updates coming in November include:
A new full course agenda, course manual, and a new TRAQ form
A 7-year credential for the full TRAQ course and passed exams (after November 2025)
No more renewals: all credential holders are required to re-take the the course and exams after 7 years.
Our TRAQ qualification program will be held at Monument Hall in Princeton, NJ. On July 28-30 the training will run from 8:00am-5pm and lunch will be provided on these days. The exam will be held Thursday, July 30 in two parts: a practical, field exam and a written exam. The exam is the culmination of this qualification course. Please note that successful completion of our spring course and your exams will result in a TRAQ qualification with a seven-year duration.
Please note that non-ISA members will be charged an additional $45. Additionally, please make sure that your registration includes a non-PO box mailing address so that the text and workbook can be sent by the ISA to the address you have listed. Registration will close on Friday, June 12, 2026. Thank you for your interest in this important qualification, we hope to see you in July.
Registrants may cancel for a full refund minus any credit or service fees paid by the chapter (or use it as a full registration for the next chapter TRAQ event) prior to the course materials being sent. Registrants who are unable to attend once the course materials are sent may transfer their registration to our next NJAISA chapter TRAQ event minus a $200 cancellation fee or forfeit their registration. Refund requests must be submitted in writing to njarboristsisa@gmail.com.
Date: July 28-30, 2026
Location: Monument Hall, Princeton Municipality One Monument Drive, Princeton NJ 08540
Instructor: Lindsey Purcell
Price: $750 for applicants who are BOTH NJ Chapter members and ISA members (you must have both memberships current at the time of the course) and $795 for non-chapter members and/or non-ISA members
Please confirm that you have an active membership with the NJ Chapter and the ISA prior to selecting a registration option below. If you need assistance in confirming your NJ Chapter membership status, please email njarboristsisa@gmail.com or call 856-343-7571. You will still have to pay the extra fee if you are not a member once ISA reviews our roster. Please be sure of your selection!)
MORE ABOUT TRAQ
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 five 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
Eligibility can be met by having earned one of the following credentials or designations:
ISA Certified Arborist® or ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®
ISA TRAQ
A degree in arboriculture, urban forestry, traditional forestry, or horticulture that is part of a national qualifications framework or is from a college or university
A national certification or certificate in arboriculture
An approved arboriculture licensing or certification granted by a state/province
For a complete list of eligibility requirements and accepted credentials, please access the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide.
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.