ISA Certification is a voluntary program that tests and certifies your achievement of a professional level of knowledge and skill in the field of arboriculture. 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. Hiring an ISA Certified Arborist® provides tree owners and government decision makers the opportunity to become better informed about proper tree care and their selection of services based on the expertise represented by your credential.

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.

ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional (formerly called ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist®) credential holders are recognized by their peers and the public as tree care professionals who have attained a fundamental level of knowledge in core areas of the arboriculture practice within an urban forest context and management of trees as a community providing societal benefits. Areas of knowledge measured include communication skills, public relations, policy and planning, administration, risk management, and arboricultural practices. 

This certification is for current ISA Certified Arborists who already work in utility vegetation management. You will be tested on topics such as electric utility pruning, program management, integrated vegetation management, electrical knowledge, customer relations, and storm response.

To be eligible for the exam, you must be an ISA Certified Arborist® and have:

• A minimum of 2,000 hours of direct experience over the past two years in electric utility vegetation management; or

• Full-time employment as an electric utility arborist, forester, or vegetation manager for at least 36 cumulative months during the last 10 years; or

• Full-time employment on a project as an electric utility vegetation management contract employee/consultant for at least 36 cumulative months during the past 10 years.

The ISA Certified Tree Climber program is available in English, Japanese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese and is designed for those who often climb trees as part of their job in the tree care industry.

The ISA Certified Tree Climber program is the only global, industry-wide climber certification to test knowledge and skills against internationally accepted standards related to skill and safe work practices. As an integral part of a career journey, being an ISA Certified Tree Climber allows you to show your competencies as a professional climber and ignites a continued passion for learning and development in this industry. To be eligible for the exam, you must have the following:

• Eighteen months of climbing experience in arboriculture

• Current training in a physical (practice) aerial rescue, CPR, and First Aid

The ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® credential is the highest level of certification offered by ISA. This credential recognizes ISA Certified Arborists® who have reached the pinnacle of their profession. In addition to passing an extensive scenario-based exam, candidates must abide by a Code of Ethics, which ensures quality of work. Fewer than two percent of all ISA Certified Arborists® currently hold this certification.

To be eligible for the exam, you must be an ISA Certified Arborist®  in good standing and have a sufficient amount of any or all of the following:

• Measurable experience

• Formal education

• Related credentials

• Professional experience