12.6 Results, Retakes, Recertification, CEUs, and Next Credentials

After the exam: results, renewal, and next steps

The current passing score is 76%. ISA also notes that the overall passing score can change after a future job task analysis (JTA), so avoid old raw-score shortcuts and outdated percentages. Use 76%, and do not convert it into a promised count of correct answers, because the 20 unscored pretest items mixed into the 200-question exam are not used in individual scores. Practically, 76% of the 180 scored items is about 137 correct, but ISA reports a scaled pass/fail result, not a public raw cutoff.

Result timing

Result timing depends on delivery mode. Computer-based exams are graded by Pearson VUE, and result notification is immediate at the test center or after an OnVUE session. Formal results post to the ISA account within four weeks. Paper-based events sponsored by ISA Certification Partners are graded by ISA headquarters and take longer. ISA does not release exact missed questions or an answer key, so do not plan remediation around reconstructing the test.

If you do not pass

Treat the waiting period as repair time, not punishment. A retake is available 30 days after the most recent attempt, with a $120 retake fee that applies regardless of delivery mode. Rebuild your error log by domain. Because ISA does not release missed questions or answers, remediation should rely on your domain performance feedback, your memory of weak topics, the official outline tasks, and fresh practice results, rather than any attempt to recreate the exam.

Recertification and CEUs

The credential is valid for three years. To recertify, a certificant may either pass the exam again or earn at least 30 continuing education units (CEUs) related to the 10 tested domains and pay the $220 recertification fee. Track CEUs as you earn them, recording topic, date, provider, and the domain each one supports. A balanced plan spreads CEUs across safety updates, pruning standards, tree biology, diagnosis, risk, construction protection, soil management, urban forestry, and species selection. Waiting until the end of the cycle forces rushed, low-value choices, so a simple quarterly CEU check is the better habit.

Choosing the next credential

Next credentials should match your job role, not ego. Options include the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), the ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist and Municipal Specialist designations, the Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist or Aerial Lift Specialist, and at the top, the Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA), which requires existing certification plus experience and a more comprehensive exam. The base ISA Certified Arborist credential is a broad foundation; the right next step reflects the work you do, the supervision you need, and the risks you manage.

Post-exam checklist

• Use the current 76% passing score; ignore old raw-score claims and missed-question promises.
• For computer-based testing, expect immediate notification and formal ISA account posting within four weeks.
• If retaking, wait 30 days after the most recent attempt and budget the $120 retake fee.
• Maintain the credential on its three-year cycle via re-examination or 30 CEUs plus the $220 recertification fee.
• Organize CEUs by the 10 tested domains and log them quarterly.
• Choose future credentials based on actual job responsibilities and needed specialization.

Worked example: a three-year CEU plan

Thirty CEUs across three years averages just ten per year, which is manageable if tracked early and ignored if left to the last month. A balanced plan might log six CEUs from a regional ISA conference, several from approved webinars on the ANSI A300 pruning standard and the ANSI Z133 safety standard, a few from a tree-risk workshop, and the rest from articles or self-study that the chapter accepts. Record each one with topic, date, provider, CEU count, and the tested domain it supports, so the renewal submission is simply a matter of totaling a spreadsheet.

A certificant who waits until month 34 often scrambles for low-value credits that do not match real practice needs, which defeats the purpose of continuing education.

Common traps

• Converting 76% to a fixed raw count. ISA reports a scaled pass/fail; the public cutoff is a percentage.
• Expecting an answer key. ISA never releases missed questions, so remediation works from domain feedback.
• Waiting until the deadline for CEUs. Spread them across the three-year cycle.
• Chasing the wrong next credential. Match TRAQ, a specialist designation, or BCMA to your actual job role.

The close of preparation should also reset expectations. Passing the exam does not make someone a government-licensed practitioner in every jurisdiction, and it does not end learning. The credential signals professional arboricultural knowledge; maintenance and future credentials keep that knowledge current as standards, pests, sites, and responsibilities change.