Vas delivers!
If you read my blogs regularly you will know that I always encourage landscapers to get certified as arborists by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). So this blog post features my buddy Darren who works with trees full-time. He recently passed the ISA test and has kindly answered a few questions for this blog post.
I took the test in 2006 because I loved trees and wanted to learn more about them. We also had our first child and, as a landscaper, I was looking for more work security and options. ISA certification gives you more confidence, it can lead to new job offers or promotions with pay raises; it also makes clients trust you with their trees.
Privately, tree work can significantly add to any landscaper’s annual revenue. I provide lawn and gardening services but tree work always pops up. It’s nice to be able to say yes to tree work. When I run my 2024 business numbers I will know the exact percentage of tree work compared to the other service categories.
Congratulations!
Below you will find my questions and Darren’s answers. If you’ve been thinking about becoming an ISA certified arborist then perhaps the answers will convince you to give it a shot.
1. Why did you decide to sit the ISA certified arborist exam?
After almost 8 years in the industry and taking the Arb Tech course through KPU [Kwantlen Polytechnic University] and getting my diploma in Natural Resources Management from BCIT i was looking for the next thing to bolster my resume. I’ve been putting off the ISA exam since 2017 when I passed my Arb Tech course and was annoyed by the idea of it being a money grab, having to apply, then paying almost $500 CAD ($295USD) for a 200 question test. Figured it was finally time now though, especially since my current employer was willing to pay for it.
2. How much does it cost and what are the requirements?
Just under $500 ($295USD) for the computer based exam at Pearson vue, but that’s after paying for the membership ($210USD) that gives you a small discount and access to online articles. They look for 3 years of experience or a degree in a related field, or a combination of experience and education. Luckily for me I had more than enough of both. The Certified Arborist Study Guide I Purchased in a package in 2018 along with a handful of ANSI A300 BMPs and the ANSI Z133 safety requirements book for $219USD. All in it would have been close to $1000CAD if i paid for it all at once.
3. How difficult was the test? Or did you crush all modules?
Been thinking about taking the test for years, have read the book twice when I first got it (3-5 years ago) and another two times over the past 3 months. I really focused on studying in the last 3 months, reading the study guide (Old 3rd edition), watching Georgia Arborist videos on YouTube; and using resources from a ISA Study group on Facebook was helpful as well. From all of that and years of experience and education I was able to secure 93% on the exam, scoring 100% in 6/10 domains. My lowest was 70% on Urban Forestry luckily they no longer require you to rewrite domains you don’t pass. Overall I found the test pretty straight forward, other than a few poorly worded questions and a couple confusingly close answers to choose from I made it through the 200 questions in about an hour and 15 min.
4. Any tricky species on the plant ID portion?
I don’t recall any specific plant ID questions other than a question asking about the family name of a sugar maple; and maybe a couple others asking about genus and species after being given the scientific name of a plant. Tree ID and Selection was one of the domains I got 100% on so I wouldn’t say any of them were too tricky. [Vas: my test had the Manitoba maple, with leaves that don’t look maple like.]
5. Now, to stay certified you have to collect 30 CEUs in 3 years. Does that excite you or stress you?
As a student of life, I am always learning and excited for the opportunity to continue. I’m fortunate that my employer is supportive and willing to pay for opportunities for me to learn and give me time for it as well. I’m so eager to keep learning. I actually got my first CEU the first day I was eligible. Thinking about it, that’s less than 1 CEU per month, and with the ISA membership and access to the CEU quizzes in the publications you get for free I’m not worried at all.
6. How does your certification help you professionally?
In my current position it doesn’t change much, but long term it opens the door to more opportunities and higher paying jobs in elevated positions. It’s a certification that can only help you professionally.
Good luck!
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