Trade certification · Arboriculture
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) — Practice Exam
The ISA Board Certified Master Arborist exam across its 17 domains of science, practice and management: tree biology, soils, diagnosis, PHC, pruning, risk, construction, safety, appraisal, inventories and business, weighted like the official outline.
Questions last checked against the official sources on October 11, 2026.
The real exam at a glance
- Questions
- 165 multiple choice (150 scored)
- Time
- 4 hours
- Pass mark
- 70%
- Eligibility
- ISA Certified Arborist plus 8 eligibility points
What you'll practise
Try a question
Above what soil pH does the USDA Forest Service say to plant trees that do best on neutral to alkaline soils?
- 7.2
- 5.0, which is where most urban soils start to turn alkaline
- 6.0
- 9.5
Show the answer
A. 7.2 — Examples: hackberry, basswood, ginkgo and most crabapples.
Sample questions by topic (in English)
- Exam format
- Tree biology
- Soils
- Tree identification and selection
- Abiotic disorders
- Biotic disorders
- Installation
- Soil treatment and irrigation
- Plant health care
- Pruning
- Tree risk
- Plant appraisal
- Safety
- Inventory and management plans
- Business relations
- Trees and construction
Ask the examiner
Ask about this exam: why an answer is wrong, a grammar point, or “quiz me on …”.
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Questions about the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist
Is this the official ISA Board Certified Master Arborist?
No. Semplr is independent and not affiliated with the exam body. We write every question ourselves, in the official format and at the official level.
What is the real ISA Board Certified Master Arborist like?
Questions: 165 multiple choice (150 scored). Time: 4 hours. Pass mark: 70%. Eligibility: ISA Certified Arborist plus 8 eligibility points.
How is my practice marked?
Instantly. You see your score against the pass mark, and an explanation for every question — including the ones you got right.
Can I take it on my phone?
Yes. The whole mock exam works on a phone, and your progress is saved in your browser.
Ready for a full run?
One sitting, real timing, then your score against the pass mark.
Start the free mock exam