About the Credential

The ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® credential is the highest level of professional certification offered by International Society of Arboriculture. This credential recognizes ISA Certified Arborists® who have reached the pinnacle of their profession, and have demonstrated a mastery of arboricultural knowledge.  In addition to passing an extensive scenario-based exam, candidates must abide by a Code of Ethics, which ensures quality of work.

Fewer than 2% of all ISA Certified Arborists® currently hold this certification.

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What is Required to Become a BCMA?

The ISA Certification Board requires a Master Arborist candidate be an ISA Certified Arborist in good standing, while having a combination of education credts and full-time arboricultural experience.  The required application credits can be achieved in several ways, but generally a combination of accumulated years as a Certified Arborist and a degree in a related field are the most common strategies.  

An applicant then sits for the Board Certifed Master Arborist exam once the prerequite credits are verified.  The written Board Certifed Master Arborist exam concentrates on 19 areas of arborist expertise.  Currently, the exam contect is distrubuted as follows:

1. Abiotic Disorders—5%

2. Biology—6%

3. Biotic Disorders—5%

4. Plant ID and Selection—5% 

5. Soil Science—6%

6. Climbing, Rigging, and Removal—4% 

7. Diagnostic Process—6%

8. Installation Practices—6%

9. Plant Health Care—5%

10. Pruning—6%

11. Soil Treatment—5%

12. Support and Protection—2%

13. Water & Irrigation—4%

14. Business Relations—5%

15. Inventory Management—4% 

16. Plant Appraisal—4%

17. Risk Assessment—8%

18. Safety—7%

19. Tree Preservation—7%

Board Certified Master Arborist certification expires every three years.  The ISA Certification Program offers two methods of recertification. One method is to retake and re-pass the certification exam. The second method is to accumulate at least 60 continuing education units (CEUs) that relate to the 19 tested domains on the exam, with 20 CEUs in each of the three areas of science, practice, and management.  These CEU’s must be obtained within the 3-year certification period.  If a Board Certified Master Arborist cannot obtain the required CEUs or retake the exam, the candidate may default to the Certified Arborist credential as long as they meet the minimum CEUs for the Certified Arborist requirements.

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