Arborist Certification

[kennertree]

Me and my wife took the exam back on the 25th of May. Every day since then I've been getting on the ISA website to see if we got our certification. This past Friday I looked on the website and her name was there but not mine. I figured if she passed it, I passed it too. I figured they just hadnt graded my test yet and put me as certified on the website. Well, the results came in the mail Saturday. She got a packet, I got a letter. I could'nt believe it, I've been doing tree work quite a while and she's the one that passed. The tree identification/slection is the domain that got me. Had an overall score of 86% and a whopping 59% on the identification domain. Just 1% got me. She had an overall score of 89%. I guess she studied alot more than me. I'm re-taking that domain on August 9th and hope to pass. Seems like i did best in the doamins I thought I would have trouble in and did worse in the doamins I thought I would'nt have trouble in. I'm taking the exam in Mississippi, anyone else taken the exam there? Just curious how tough the tree ID was for that region. I'm from Tennessee so there shouldnt be much I havent seen before. Even though she got a better score and passed it, she hasnt been rubbing it in too much. Everyone else we've talked to has though.

 

[treeseer]

Even though she got a better score and passed it, she hasnt been rubbing it in too much. Everyone else we've talked to has though.

Hang in there Kenner; I had to retake a domain that i took for granted too and it felt like forever til I got it done but it was worth it.

Nice wife to take it easy on you right now.

 

[Boa07]

Don't sweat it Kenner you'll get that domain easy as, you can focus all your study on the one area. Good luck in Aug mate.

 

[Ekka]

Congratulations Mrs Kennertree.

I have been criticized in the past for suggesting spouses get certified, and now you can see why they should.:hmm3grin2orange:

LOL

Just stirring you up Kenner, good luck for next round.

 

[kennertree]

Thanks, me and my wife work as a team, it works great for selling a job. Two heads are better than one.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

At least you are down to one domain.

I got 90% or 100% on ID - forget which. It made me the most nervous because each wrong answer really knocks more off the score than questions in other domains.

But you should enjoy the simplicity of studying one aspect for the test now.

I can't remember now whether we were looking at photos or twigs on a table.

 

[AlpineJesus]

Your wife out scored you;takes a man to admit that. If I were you I would keep that to myself:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Ekka]

Thanks, me and my wife work as a team, it works great for selling a job. Two heads are better than one.

And one certified arborist is better than none. LOL:hmm3grin2orange:

Ouch, that's gonna hurt. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[ropensaddle]

I am studying and want to test soon but want to get it right first time
as am not loaded you should pass the domain at least it is just one
that test must be a doosey!

 

[Boa07]

ropensaddle, if you miss out the first time you get to resit once without costing you so long as its within 12 months, and at the location arranged by your chapter.

 

[jrparbor04]

keep studying,,,you will get it,,,i had to retake the disease domain(cant remember the exact title) and i got it on the second time,,,stay in there and there will be one more C.A. in the world,,,woooohoooo

 

[Tim Krause]

Me and my wife took the exam back on the 25th of May. Every day since then I've been getting on the ISA website to see if we got our certification. This past Friday I looked on the website and her name was there but not mine. I figured if she passed it, I passed it too. I figured they just hadnt graded my test yet and put me as certified on the website. Well, the results came in the mail Saturday. She got a packet, I got a letter. I could'nt believe it, I've been doing tree work quite a while and she's the one that passed. The tree identification/slection is the domain that got me. Had an overall score of 86% and a whopping 59% on the identification domain. Just 1% got me. She had an overall score of 89%. I guess she studied alot more than me. I'm re-taking that domain on August 9th and hope to pass. Seems like i did best in the doamins I thought I would have trouble in and did worse in the doamins I thought I would'nt have trouble in. I'm taking the exam in Mississippi, anyone else taken the exam there? Just curious how tough the tree ID was for that region. I'm from Tennessee so there shouldnt be much I havent seen before. Even though she got a better score and passed it, she hasnt been rubbing it in too much. Everyone else we've talked to has though.

i failed a domain when i first took the test too. it was diagnosis. as far as the id, they gave us a list of 100 trees of witch 10 were to be identified. kept an id book in the truck and looked at it every spare moment. seemed to work well.

 

[ropensaddle]

ropensaddle, if you miss out the first time you get to resit once without costing you so long as its within 12 months, and at the location arranged by your chapter.

Yeah but I was talking of a day
off 1000.00 fuel and lodging etc.

 

[treeseer]

Yeah but I was talking of a day
off 1000.00 fuel and lodging etc.

keep your eye on this page and you will see one closer to you come up.
http://www.isa-arbor.com/certification/tests.aspx?id=main

my honda gets 33 mi/gal so I could go over 11,000 miles on $1000. You gotta get out of that gas hog, man!

 

[ropensaddle]

The day lost not gas was 1000.00 at least on a good day
and even though over rated it brings possibilities. I have all
the suggested study material and been reading been working
20+ years as a tree pro and some yahoo fresh out of college
that has never body-thrusted or put spurs on will get a job
as your boss because he has certification or degree. That
has me thinking the certification has some distinction, I now
work for myself because of the aforementioned event but was
at that biz for thirteen years and another nearly ten experience
should trump some of the formal training but if you can't beat
em join em! I have thought of certification over twenty years
and just took action last year am a member so I know when
to take test, but don't want to leave state if don't pass the
first time. I know me I will leave and forget everything to
pass if the first time I don't succeed so want to get it right.

 

[jrparbor04]

yeah but next year is in my hometown where i live in st. louis,missouri,,,very well centrally located and i will be volunteering for the whole event,,,we are very excited to have it here in st.louis

 

[kennertree]

I think the certification is worth the money. It helps to set you apart from anybody else that is in the biz. Even if a customer doesnt know what an arborist is, they know that you atleast took the time to get certified.

 

[jrparbor04]

I think the certification is worth the money. It helps to set you apart from anybody else that is in the biz. Even if a customer doesnt know what an arborist is, they know that you atleast took the time to get certified.

and that you actually care!!!!

 

[Boa07]

I think there is another aspect to CA that perhaps has been somewhat missed in this and the many other debates on this topic. Dan and others have made very strong arguements about the failings in ISA in establishing and maintaining meaningful infrastructure to promote the general concept of certification in the wider community (even the differentiation of Arborist from hack!) The same is true on my side of the water ISAAC has not done enough to develop greater awareness in the wider Oz community about trees and tree care.....however as I have written in other places ISA is us, and it is ultimately down to us to make these things happen...evrey year our national conference comes around and I hear the same complaints from attending Arborists about the failings in our admin structure etc...but there are very few (with individual exceptions) who actually make meaningful contributions to affect any change in the expressed desired direction.

Now I'm not excusing the professional body in any failings to deliver value for our fees, including the CA fees.

For me CA is an important stepping stone in the direction I have to go if I am to have any longevity in this industry. None of us can climb and cut forever (really we can't!) if we wish to remain in Arboriculture there seems to me to be limited options..obviously investing owning and managing your own business is one that many take on...for me the transition from cutting to consulting has CA at its heart, and I would respectfully suggest that this has been the case for a great many of you guys too.

What we do after becoming CA seems to me to be far more relevant than the certification persay. Just as what we do after becoming members of ISA is more relevant then the membership alone. BTW I'm not suggesting that if you're not a CA then you can't be a great and influencial consultant, just that some sort of rudimentary planning for your own professional future is good sense and CA for me fits into that larger plan...I'm not relying on ISA or any other org to do anything for me, I'll be the one doing it, hopefully my own personal and professional development in years to come will benefit not just me but also other members of ISA too.

 

[treeseer]

I think there is another aspect to CA that perhaps has been somewhat missed in this and the many other debates on this topic. Dan and others have made very strong arguements about the failings in ISA in establishing and maintaining meaningful infrastructure to promote the general concept of certification in the wider community (even the differentiation of Arborist from hack!) The same is true on my side of the water ISAAC has not done enough to develop greater awareness in the wider Oz community about trees and tree care.....however as I have written in other places ISA is us, and it is ultimately down to us to make these things happen...evrey year our national conference comes around and I hear the same complaints from attending Arborists about the failings in our admin structure etc...but there are very few (with individual exceptions) who actually make meaningful contributions to affect any change in the expressed desired direction.

Now I'm not excusing the professional body in any failings to deliver value for our fees, including the CA fees.

For me CA is an important stepping stone in the direction I have to go if I am to have any longevity in this industry. None of us can climb and cut forever (really we can't!) if we wish to remain in Arboriculture there seems to me to be limited options..obviously investing owning and managing your own business is one that many take on...for me the transition from cutting to consulting has CA at its heart, and I would respectfully suggest that this has been the case for a great many of you guys too.

What we do after becoming CA seems to me to be far more relevant than the certification persay. Just as what we do after becoming members of ISA is more relevant then the membership alone. BTW I'm not suggesting that if you're not a CA then you can't be a great and influencial consultant, just that some sort of rudimentary planning for your own professional future is good sense and CA for me fits into that larger plan...I'm not relying on ISA or any other org to do anything for me, I'll be the one doing it, hopefully my own personal and professional development in years to come will benefit not just me but also other members of ISA too.

Awesome post. yes CA gets your foot in the consulting door, and that door swings wide.

Dan you just got listed on treesaregood.com and it cost you nary a nickel--where is this $275 crap coming from?

i've spent 20 years in this market boosting arboriculture and it has paid off very well--constant calls looking not for tree svc but an arborist.