ISA Certified Arborist


A Canopy of a Forest Area Image
Winter/Spring Classes

Crystal Lake
Certified Arborist Classes

Tuesday’s: 6:30pm-9:00pm

January 24 – March 28

Register Here!

Spring Homewood Certified Arborist Classes

Thursday’s:
6:00pm-8:30pm

February 2 – April 6

Register Here!

Virtual (ZOOM)
Certified Arborist Classes

Tuesday’s: 6:00pm-8:30pm

February 7 – April 11

Register Here!

Bloomington
Certified Arborist Classes

Saturday’s:
8:00am-2:00pm

February 18 – March 4

Registration Full

Rockford
Certified Arborist Classes

Thursday’s:
6:30pm-9:30pm

March 2 – May 4

Register Here!

Bloomington
Certified
Arborist Classes

Saturday’s:
8:00am-2:00pm

March 11th, 18th, & 25th

Register Here!

Fall Homewood Certified Arborist Classes

Thursday’s 6:00pm-8:30pm

September 7th – November 2nd

Register Here!


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.

An ISA Certified Arborist logo

Prerequisites for this certification:

  • Minimum of three (3) years in the field or two (2) years with a two (2) or four (4) year degree in a related field

Examples of experience sources include, but are not limited to:

  • Tree care companies
  • Nurseries
  • Landscape companies
  • Municipalities
  • State forestry agencies
  • Utility companies
  • Academic arboriculture/horticulture departments (for instructors)
  • Horticulture/extension programs (for advisors)
  • Consultancies
  • Pest control providers


IAA offers workshops to help prepare you for the exam. Typically, classes run for one 2.5 hour night per week for nine weeks with the exam on the last night of class. Class is taught from the Arborist Certification Study Guide and the ANSI Z-133 Safety Standards. We also offer these classes in Spanish. Classes run in the spring and in the fall, check the website calendar for upcoming classes – both in person and virtual.

The examination is made up of 200 multiple-choice questions. Each question has four possible answers listed, only one of which is correct. You will have 3.5 hours (210 minutes) to complete the written exam. You must pass the exam to obtain the certification.

The written exam content is divided into 10 areas of knowledge, and the percentage next to each area below reflects the percentage of questions associated with that area.

  1. Soil Management—12%
  2. Identification and Selection—8%
  3. Installation and Establishment—5%
  4. Safe Work Practices—15%
  5. Tree Biology—8%
  6. Pruning—16%
  7. Diagnosis and Treatment—12%
  8. Urban Forestry—7%
  9. Tree Protection—4%
  10. Tree Risk Management—13%


If you do not pass the exam, you are allowed one free retake.

Certification is valid for 3 years. To retain certification after each three-year period, an ISA Certified Arborist® must recertify. The ISA Certification Program offers two methods of recertification. The first method is to retake and pass the certification exam again. The second option is to accumulate at least 30 continuing education units (CEUs) over the three-year certification period that are related to the 10 tested domains on the exam and pay the recertification fee.

Exam application provides more details on the certification. Follow this link to the exam application.


Available Certifications
ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist
ISA Certified Arborist
ISA Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist
ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist
ISA Certified Tree Worker Aerial Lift Specialist

WORKSHOP & EXAM FEES BREAKDOWN