The ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (ISA TRAQ) is a voluntary qualification program designed to train and assess candidates in a specialized field of arboriculture. When a professional earns the ISA TRAQ credential, they should be recognized by their peers and the public as a tree care professional who has specialized knowledge in tree risk assessment. To earn the qualification, eligible candidates must complete a training course, and pass both a comprehensive written assessment and a performance-based assessment. To maintain the qualification, current credential holders must retrain and retest every five years.

The program offers tree care professionals the opportunity to learn a standardized, systematic process for assessing tree risk and providing information to tree owners and risk managers when making decisions that will promote the safety of people and property and enhance tree benefits, health, and longevity. Upon successful completion of the program, qualified professionals:

• are proficient with the fundamentals of limited-visual and basic tree risk assessment, as defined in ISA’s Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment;
• understand the principles of advanced diagnostic techniques for assessing tree risk;
• know how to gather and synthesize information needed to assess tree risk; and
• can make reasoned judgments and recommendations for mitigating identified risk.

Eligibility

Eligibility can be met by having earned one of the following credentials or designations:

• ISA Certified Arborist® or ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®
• ISA TRAQ
• A degree in arboriculture, urban forestry, traditional forestry, or horticulture that is part of a national qualifications framework or is from a college or university
• A national certification or certificate in arboriculture
• An approved arboriculture licensing or certification granted by a state/province

For a complete list of eligibility requirements and accepted credentials, please access the  Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide.

Course and Assessment

The full program consists of a two-day educational course followed by a half-day of assessments that include both written and performance-based components. Eligible candidates must attend the course and successfully complete both assessments in order to receive this qualification.

When registering for an ISA TRAQ event, candidates must agree to the terms, conditions, and policies outlined in the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide.

All course registrants will receive a copy of the Tree Risk Assessment Manual and a course workbook.

Fees

Qualification courses are offered through ISA via ISA chapters and associate organizations, and other hosts. Pricing may vary by course and host.

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Maintaining Your Qualification

The ISA TRAQ credential is valid for five (5) years from the date it is earned. A credential holder must retrain and retest every five years in order to renew their credential. Maintaining this qualification does not require earning ISA CEUs; however, ISA certification holders can earn ISA CEUs for attending the training portion of both initial (full) and renewal programs.

Current ISA TRAQ credential holders may register for and complete an ISA TRAQ Renewal Course or Full course as early as 18 months prior to their expiration date.

ISA TRAQ holders who do not take the renewal course and exam before their expiration date will be required to retake the full ISA TRAQ course and pass its exam to requalify.

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Additional Resources

Record and categorize information while performing a basic tree risk assessment with the ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form. This tool builds on the tree risk assessment methodology outlined in ISA’s Best Management Practices and is used throughout the ISA TRAQ program.

Tree Risk Assessment Form

Tree Risk Assessment Form Instructions