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ArticleFREE ISA Certified Arborist Exam Guide 2026: All 10 Domains32 min read

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ISA BCMA Exam

100

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

165

Exam Questions

ISA

4 hours

Time Limit

ISA

70%

Passing Score

ISA

$475/$575

Member/Non-member Fee

ISA

Advanced

Highest ISA Tier

ISA

The ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) is the highest tier of ISA certification, above the Certified Arborist. The computer-based exam has 165 scenario-based multiple-choice questions over four hours and requires a 70% passing score. Eligibility requires a current ISA Certified Arborist credential plus a minimum of 8 points from experience, education, and related credentials. The Dec 2025 outline weights three domains: Science (27%) covering biology, soils, disorders, and diagnosis; Practice (38%) covering ANSI A300 pruning, plant health care, installation, soil treatment, support, water relations, and climbing/rigging/removal; and Management (35%) covering risk assessment, CTLA appraisal, inventories and management plans, ANSI Z133 safety, business relations, and tree preservation. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample ISA BCMA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ISA BCMA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 126+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A mature oak shows interveinal chlorosis on the youngest leaves while the veins remain green, and a soil test reveals a pH of 8.1 on a calcareous urban fill. Which abiotic disorder is the most likely cause?

A.Nitrogen deficiency with uniform yellowing of older leaves first

B.Iron (Fe) deficiency induced by high soil pH

C.Potassium deficiency with marginal scorch on older foliage

D.Magnesium deficiency with interveinal chlorosis on older leaves

Explanation: Interveinal chlorosis on the NEWEST (youngest) foliage with green veins is the classic signature of iron deficiency, and at pH above ~7.5 iron becomes insoluble and unavailable even when present in the soil. The fix is lowering pH or applying chelated iron, not adding more iron to alkaline soil.

2Girdling roots that wrap around the base of a tree most directly cause decline by which mechanism?

A.Releasing toxic exudates into the surrounding rhizosphere

B.Compressing vascular tissue and restricting water transport

C.Lowering soil pH throughout the confined root zone

D.Increasing mycorrhizal colonization at the root flare

Explanation: A stem-girdling root physically compresses the trunk's outer vascular tissues (phloem first, then xylem) as both the root and stem grow in diameter, restricting the movement of water and photosynthates. This is an abiotic, mechanical disorder often traceable to container production or improper planting depth.

3A street tree planted in a 1.2 m (4 ft) wide tree pit surrounded by pavement shows progressive crown dieback over several years with no pathogen present. The MOST probable abiotic stressor is:

A.Excessive available phosphorus limiting root elongation

B.Restricted rooting volume and compaction limiting water and oxygen

C.Excessive organic mulch depth suffocating the root flare

D.Overhead wire clearance conflicts limiting crown development

Explanation: In a paved, confined pit the dominant abiotic stressors are inadequate rooting volume, soil compaction, and reduced gas exchange, which limit water and oxygen uptake and drive chronic crown decline. The fix is increasing soil volume via structural soil, suspended pavement, or connected pits.

4Frost cracks (radial bark splits) on the southwest side of thin-barked trees in winter are best explained by:

A.Fungal cankers expanding in bark during cold periods

B.Rapid temperature differential causing differential wood contraction

C.Salt spray accumulation on bark during winter storms

D.Boring insect galleries weakening the southwest trunk face

Explanation: Frost cracks form when sun warms one side of the trunk during the day and temperatures plunge rapidly at sunset, causing the outer wood to contract faster than the inner wood; the resulting stress splits the bark and wood radially. The southwest exposure receives the strongest low-angle winter sun, making it most susceptible.

5Marginal leaf scorch with a sharp boundary between green and brown tissue, appearing first on the windward and upper crown during a hot dry spell, most strongly indicates:

A.Bacterial leaf scorch with progressive branch-by-branch decline

B.Abiotic drought and high evaporative demand on exposed crown

C.Nitrogen toxicity from recent high-rate fertilizer application

D.Root rot fungi blocking xylem throughout the crown

Explanation: Abiotic drought scorch appears when transpirational water loss exceeds uptake, scorching leaf margins and tips first on the most exposed, windward, and upper portions of the crown. A reddish or yellow band sometimes separates green from necrotic tissue, but the pattern follows exposure rather than a vascular distribution.

6In secondary growth, the vascular cambium produces:

A.Cork outside and phellem inside from the phellogen

B.Secondary xylem inside and secondary phloem outside

C.Phloem to the inside and xylem to the outside

D.Only xylem production with no secondary phloem

Explanation: The vascular cambium is a lateral meristem that divides to add secondary xylem (wood) toward the center of the stem and secondary phloem toward the outside. This bidirectional production accounts for trunk diameter growth, with far more xylem than phloem retained over time.

7According to Alex Shigo's CODIT model, the wall that resists vertical (axial) spread of decay above and below a wound is generally the:

A.Strongest wall (Wall 4 / the barrier zone)

B.Weakest wall (Wall 1) resisting vertical spread

C.Wall 2 resisting inward radial spread via latewood

D.Wall 3 resisting lateral tangential spread via rays

Explanation: In CODIT (Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees), Wall 1 resists vertical spread along the axis and is the WEAKEST wall because plugging the long vascular conduits is hardest. Wall 4, the barrier zone formed by the cambium after wounding, is the strongest and separates wood present at wounding from wood formed afterward.

8Reaction wood that forms on the UPPER side of a leaning branch and pushes the stem upright is characteristic of which tree group and is called:

A.Conifers forming tension wood on the upper stem side

B.Hardwoods forming tension wood on the upper stem side

C.Conifers forming compression wood on the lower stem side

D.Hardwoods forming compression wood on the upper stem side

Explanation: Angiosperms (hardwoods) form tension wood on the UPPER side of a leaning stem or branch, contracting to pull the stem upright. Conifers instead form compression wood on the LOWER side, pushing the stem up. Recognizing this helps assess lean response and wood quality.

9During photosynthesis, the light-independent (Calvin) reactions primarily:

A.Splitting water to release oxygen in the thylakoids

B.Fixing CO2 into sugar using ATP and NADPH from light reactions

C.Generating the proton gradient across thylakoid membranes

D.Absorbing photons via chlorophyll in the light-dependent reactions

Explanation: The Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions) uses the ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions to fix CO2 into carbohydrate in the stroma. The light-dependent reactions handle water splitting, the proton gradient, and photon capture in the thylakoids.

10Adventitious roots that emerge from a buried trunk after a tree is planted too deeply are problematic primarily because they:

A.Always improving trunk anchorage in deeply planted holes

B.Growing as girdling roots in low-oxygen buried bark tissue

C.Increasing mycorrhizal diversity along the buried trunk

D.Converting phloem tissue into functional xylem vessels

Explanation: Adventitious roots from a buried stem frequently circle the trunk and can become stem-girdling roots, and the deeply buried tissue suffers low oxygen and bark decay. Maintaining the root flare at grade prevents this decline pathway.

About the ISA BCMA Exam

The ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) is the highest, most advanced level of ISA certification, sitting above the Certified Arborist credential. The exam has 165 scenario-based multiple-choice questions delivered over four hours by computer, requires 70% to pass, and is open only to current ISA Certified Arborists who have earned at least 8 eligibility points.

Assessment

165 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions over 4 hours via computer-based testing, organized into three domains (Science 27%, Practice 38%, Management 35%); 70% to pass. This practice bank is 100 selected-response items.

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

$475 ISA member / $575 non-member; $300 retake (International Society of Arboriculture (ISA))

ISA BCMA Exam Content Outline

27%

Science

Abiotic disorders, tree biology (CODIT, growth, physiology), biotic disorders and pathogens, plant identification and selection, and soil science

38%

Practice

Climbing/rigging/removal, the diagnostic process, installation and planting, plant health care and IPM, ANSI A300 pruning, soil treatment, supplemental support, and water relations and irrigation

35%

Management

Business relations and ethics, tree inventories and management plans, CTLA plant appraisal, ISA/TRAQ tree risk assessment, ANSI Z133 worker safety, and construction tree preservation

How to Pass the ISA BCMA Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 70%
Assessment: 165 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions over 4 hours via computer-based testing, organized into three domains (Science 27%, Practice 38%, Management 35%); 70% to pass. This practice bank is 100 selected-response items.
Time limit: 4 hours
Exam fee: $475 ISA member / $575 non-member; $300 retake

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ISA BCMA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Weight your study toward Practice (38%) and Management (35%) since together they are nearly three-quarters of the exam

2Master ANSI A300 (pruning, soil, support, lightning) and ANSI Z133 (safety) by part, plus CODIT and the branch-collar rationale

3Drill ISA/TRAQ risk assessment: combine likelihood of failure and impact with consequences, and know the three assessment levels

4Know CTLA plant appraisal: the cost/market/income approaches and the Trunk Formula Technique (species, condition, location)

5Practice the scenario format, where a photo or description drives several linked questions, rather than memorizing isolated facts

6Complete all 100 practice questions and review every miss with the AI tutor before sitting the 4-hour exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the ISA BCMA exam and how long is it?

The Board Certified Master Arborist exam has 165 scenario-based multiple-choice questions delivered by computer over four hours. You need a score of 70% to pass.

What score do I need to pass the BCMA exam?

You need 70% to pass the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist exam. Because it spans Science, Practice, and Management at an advanced level, balanced preparation across all three domains is essential.

Who is eligible for the BCMA certification?

The BCMA is the advanced tier above the Certified Arborist. You must hold a current ISA Certified Arborist credential in good standing and accumulate at least 8 eligibility points from measurable experience, formal education, and related credentials before applying.

What topics does the BCMA exam cover?

The Dec 2025 outline weights three domains: Science (27%) including biology, soils, disorders, and diagnosis; Practice (38%) including ANSI A300 pruning, plant health care, installation, soil treatment, support, and water relations; and Management (35%) including risk assessment, CTLA appraisal, inventories, ANSI Z133 safety, and tree preservation.

How much does the BCMA exam cost?

The BCMA exam fee is about $475 for ISA members and $575 for non-members, with a $300 retake fee. Study materials such as the BCMA Guide for Exam Preparation are separate.

Is this free BCMA practice as good as paid prep?

Our 100 practice questions cover the same Science, Practice, and Management domains as the official BCMA outline, with a teaching explanation for every answer plus free daily AI tutor interactions. All content is free forever and updated for 2026.

126+ Free ISA BCMA Practice Questions

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