ISA certification

[TreeTopKid]

Not at all, however suggesting a ruling where modules passed have to be re-sat is not progress IMHO, it's either a cash grab or blatant incompetence in training/assessment.

I see Guy is once again pontificating his one eyed ignorant perspective.

If you've already passed a module once you should be able to pass it again unless of course it was passed more by luck than judgment. IMO if you fail you should have to re sit the exam. Period.

Every penny that I have spent with The ISA has made me dollars back.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Just take the test!
Jeff

 

[AOD]

Ive been luring in this thread and wondering about it. How hard is it really to get the certification? I've only been working around trees for a couple years but I have taken similar structured tests in the past, such as for my EPA refrigerant certification and did well on that, in fact I found it too easy.

A lot of people would tell me I need to start at the bottom, but I've already been through a 4 year college program and have debt that an $8 an hour groindie job can't pay, so thats how I got looking at the certification. Where should I start? I am absolutely terrible at ID'ing trees as well as being incompetent with rope (80's Velcro kid) Is it worth my time or should I just get a factory job or something.

 

[JayD]

As far as money grabs go, I wonder how many people pay their money to TAFE and don't pass their certifications in Australia?

Tafe in Australia is value for money, When you start your training with Tafe they tell you up front they will fail you if you do not meet industry standards, I know this seems very hard but these teacher have to uphold a high standard in the industry.

Level 2 is entry level for working in Arboriculture in Australia, all of your crew must have this as a minimum qualification to work to Australian standards.

At this level of training you are moreskilled than the average ISA cert worker/Arb in the states.

Only a few pull up short in the Tafe system and they generally drop out as they know they not up to scratch, most of the fails is in the climbing side of thing which is the second half of cert 2, surely you would want to be competent here?, if you are not you are kidding no one but yourself.

If you fail your climbing course you can still go on and study cert3 but you have to return to the climbing course next time it is run which is generally twice a year and pass.

The teachers that teach climbing here have twenty plus years of experience up their sleeves, there's generally 5 teacher on any given climbing day so all up they have amongst them around a 100 years of experience to teach student the ropes in the reall world, actually doing hands on treework in the field, can you see the difference starting to become clear here, hands on training as well as class room studies.

So now I have provided you with a little insight about the Tafe system, surely you can see it is value for money. I think the ISA is a good thing, It's just a shame some try and jam it down your throat all the time, and try and discredit other institutions.

Good luck Jim, with your studies and dont give up.

 

[M.Green - SVTS]

Here is what i did to get mine set up an appointment 6 months or 1 year prior.Study the arborist certification guide at leats 3 times and quiz your self and one work book questions for all 15 chapters.Another book i studied was
ARBORICULTURE INTERGRATED MANAGEMENT OF LANDSCAPE TREES ,SHRUBS AND VINES.Studying just CERTIFICATION GUIDE IS good but another book added is helpful.I went to www.############# to get alot of info on what to study for the certification.For me i could not sleep night before the test and instead of reviewing all 200 questions i only was able to do about 65 because i was too tired.Study tree id and its pictures and basic.Study latin words for trees and english.I had to learn 94.I passed 9 domains but did not pass tree biology.In my opinion was how things are worded.I had to retake just that domain.There is a site i can give you later if you like that has pictures of trees and names.Good luck hope that helps.I want to go for tree expert next but for now ill wait till next winter.

Can you PM me the link with the tree pictures and the names. I would like to touch up and learn more about tree ID. Thanks

 

[treeseer]

Level 2 is entry level for working in Arboriculture in Australia, all of your crew must have this as a minimum qualification to work to Australian standards.

So if someone follows AS4373 to the letter they are not following standards if they have not passed Level 2?

At this level of training you are moreskilled than the average ISA cert worker/Arb in the states.

I'm not doubting this Jay but what do you base this comparison on.

 

[TreeBot]

At this level of training you are moreskilled than the average ISA cert worker/Arb in the states.

The ISA certified workers I have encountered have all been very experienced and knowledgeable arborists. I am curious to know how you arrived at your conclusion that their average skill level is automatically surpassed by anyone completing a few weeks or months of votech training put on by the Australian government.

In my experience votech training is often better than nothing but is no replacement for time spent working in the industry. Regardless of how many combined centuries of experience the instructors have, the student will remain confined to a very low plateau until they get some real on-the-job years themselves.

 

[newsawtooth]

The ISA certs are a step in the right direction for the industry. Any respectable occupation has standards. In Denver tree companies are required to hold tree trimming licenses in order to work for hire in the Metro area. The license is granted to applicants that pass the ISA Arborist test and Tree Climber test or pass a test administered by the city forester. I see the rest of the industry (that hasn't already) moving this way sooner rather than later.

As far as studying for the ISA test, the best advice I received was from this forum where a poster recommended the Building Blocks of Arboriculture package from the ISA. The study guide and ANSI guidelines are representative of the test. For the Tree ID portion of the exam, I found taking the list and a tree ID guide to local parks or the botanic gardens very helpful for learning the trees I didn't know.

 

[treeman48507]

I had a retake Saturday for one domain , I have used the ceu credit cd's mainly for the study guide. They are very good but not quite conclusive for the exam.... just a little heads up. Best of Luck, Tim

 

[Tree Machine]

Here's the scoring:

 

[Tree Machine]

It was supposed to be a three hour test. My timer said I had ten minutes left when I finished and I thought, hey that was timed pretty well. When I got my sheet and left, I had only been there an hour twenty. I think at an hour thirty they give you a halftime break. I thought it was the end of the test coming up so I was flying there at the end to finish before time ran out.


Here's the direct link to ISA for the online taking of the exam.

 

[treeseer]

I thought it was the end of the test coming up so I was flying there at the end to finish before time ran out.

Now you got me really confused. You left at halftime, and so did not take any time to review your answers? No wonder

And that scoresheet had the BCMA logo, but the CA domains?

 

[Boa07]

Jim, exams can create pressures and stress in a person that would easily mess up your sense of time....Don't beat yourself up over it, arrange the resit in a time period that suits and hit the books....a little study often!

 

[treeman48507]

Hey Machine ! Stay with it ! It can be a little tough getting threw the test. I was sick the day I finally had my chance . I came up short in only my best domain. - go figure.
Seer, if you haven't tested like this in a while believe me it's not that easy.But, your right -hurrying is bad. Once the test is submited theres no review time. Also the test provider here made it very clear that the only help he could provide was be careful to slowly choose your answers.
Have Great Day Guys- Work Safe

 

[treeman48507]

Oh Yeah ! Your Right ! The Master test is way Harder. True Brain Killer. I guess I'm getting a little payback for my shenanigans yesterday ! LOL

 

[Tree Machine]

I think Jim is pulling an April Fool's joke on you!

Look closer at the form.

Heh, heh.


Hee hee hee.... snicker, snicker


LOL



Ar ar ar.

:hmm3grin2orange:

(Nyuk nyuk!)

 

[treeseer]

:hmm3grin2orange:

(Nyuk nyuk!)

Well it pays to look closely. :censored:

I just got a tree survey job from a recently certified guy. (He had to retake too; said it was no big deal.)
CA's are needed to check out trees on bldg projects, so he got the call, but subbed it to me so he could tag along and learn how to.

In a way I'm training my competition but no matter--we'll continue to refer work back and forth.

 

[Ekka]

I thought at your age it would be considered succession planning, if he's young enough that is. ?? :dunno:

 

[outofmytree]

Tafe in Australia is value for money, When you start your training with Tafe they tell you up front they will fail you if you do not meet industry standards, I know this seems very hard but these teacher have to uphold a high standard in the industry.

Level 2 is entry level for working in Arboriculture in Australia, all of your crew must have this as a minimum qualification to work to Australian standards.

At this level of training you are moreskilled than the average ISA cert worker/Arb in the states.
Only a few pull up short in the Tafe system and they generally drop out as they know they not up to scratch, most of the fails is in the climbing side of thing which is the second half of cert 2, surely you would want to be competent here?, if you are not you are kidding no one but yourself.

If you fail your climbing course you can still go on and study cert3 but you have to return to the climbing course next time it is run which is generally twice a year and pass.

The teachers that teach climbing here have twenty plus years of experience up their sleeves, there's generally 5 teacher on any given climbing day so all up they have amongst them around a 100 years of experience to teach student the ropes in the reall world, actually doing hands on treework in the field, can you see the difference starting to become clear here, hands on training as well as class room studies.

So now I have provided you with a little insight about the Tafe system, surely you can see it is value for money. I think the ISA is a good thing, It's just a shame some try and jam it down your throat all the time, and try and discredit other institutions.

Good luck Jim, with your studies and dont give up.

This an opinion and not backed up by a fairminded factual comparison.

This link is for the curriculum for the only TAFE in WA that runs ArbII to dipArb. http://psc.challenger.tafe.wa.edu.au/Search/CourseStudyPlan.aspx?from=cspcourse&courseID=S335&trainingProductID=106652&mode=&courseCourseTypeID=152454&showAll=&courseStudyPlanID=162417

As you can see the four compulsory course are OHS units. You can choose the remaining 9 units from the elective list and as you can see the units are mostly physical skills. Using this as a guide I would say that the TAFE course gives a better initial skills teaching than the ISA certified arborist course on offer via ISAAC. By contrast the most basic ISA course gives a great deal more theoretical knowledge than is available in TAFE cert II courses.

In conclusion then, you can opt to take an ISA course and back it up with practical climbing and equipment courses or, take a TAFE course and back it up with a more detailed theory study. Or best of all, do both. Cert II in your first year on the job, Cert III in your second year on the job and sit the ISA exam after your third year and when you succesfully pass all you may consider yourself well grounded.

I just reread this and thought I should qualify.

Level 2 is entry level for working in Arboriculture in Australia, all of your crew must have this as a minimum qualification to work to Australian standards.

JayD is on the right track but sadly the requirements only apply to the equipment used in the situation it is being used. What I mean is that if your groundies NEVER climb then the only mandatory qualifications to avoid a Worksafe fine or prosection is that they have a chainsaw ticket and the 4 OHS units completed (one of which includes chipper operation). The other CertII units are not MANDATORY to work in Australia.

In my opinion, it is long past time that Arboriculture became a trade with the same requirements as plumbers, painters, electricians and builders.

 

[Tree Machine]

In my opinion, it is long past time that Arboriculture became a trade with the same requirements as plumbers, painters, electricians and builders.

I couldn't agree with that more. Not a big fan of regulation, but all other professions have minimum standards to enter. For us, a saw and a pickup truck and you're a member of the industry.