ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional
ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional (formerly called ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist®) credential holders are current ISA Certified Arborists® who should be 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.
2026 ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional Exam Prep Courses
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Exam Prerequisites
Prerequisites for this certification:
- You must be an ISA Certified Arborist
- Have a minimum of three additional years of documented and verifiable work experience in a position managing the establishment and maintenance of urban trees.
Examples of experience sources include, but are not limited to, the following:
- City/Municipal Arborist
- City/Municipal Forester
- Tree Warden
- Urban Forester
- Urban Forestry Specialist
- Park Superintendent
- Municipal/Urban Forestry Consultant
Documentation of work experience is required with submittal of application. Letter(s) of reference from your current or previous employer(s) is acceptable. If you are self-employed or own your own company, you will be required to submit ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional Program Guide three letters of reference with your application. References may be in the form of copies of invoices, contracts, and/or business licenses. The documentation provided must include details of practical experience relevant to the content assessed in the examination and outline the dates of work required for eligibility.
Exam Details
The examination is made up of 115 multiple-choice questions. Each question has four possible answers listed, only one of which is correct. You will have two hours (120 minutes) to complete the written exam. You must pass the exam to obtain the certification. The current passing score is 72 percent.
The written exam content for the ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional is divided into four areas of knowledge, and the percentage next to each area below reflects the percentage of questions associated with that area.
These are subject to change when a new job task analysis is completed for the exam.
- Urban Forest Management—32%
- Arboricultural Practices—26%
- Communication and Public Education—21%
- Administration, Policy, and Planning—21%
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Expiration and Recertification
The ISA Certification Program offers two methods of recertification:
- The first method is to retake and re-pass the certification exam.
- The second option is to accumulate at least 30 continuing education units (CEUs) over the three-year certification period that are related to the four tested domains on the exam and pay the recertification fee.