ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) — Practice Exam
Soil treatment and irrigation: practice questions
Our ISA Board Certified Master Arborist bank has 12 questions on this topic. Here are 3 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
How should a construction-damaged tree be watered, per ISA?
- Frequent shallow sprinkling around the trunk every day
- A long, slow soak over the whole root zone
- No water until it recovers
- Flood it weekly
Show the answer
B. A long, slow soak over the whole root zone — Avoid overwatering; improve drainage if soil is poorly drained.
Question 2
How deep should mulch be on well-drained sites, per ISA?
- 8–12 inches
- Less than half an inch
- 2–4 inches
- Exactly 6 inches
Show the answer
C. 2–4 inches — Fine mulches 2–3 inches; coarse wood chips 3–4 inches.
Question 3
What does ISA say about watering a newly planted tree?
- Never; rain is enough
- Once a month in summer, with a deep soak, and not at all once the leaves have dropped
- At least once a week barring rain, more often in hot, windy weather, until mid-fall
Show the answer
C. At least once a week barring rain, more often in hot, windy weather, until mid-fall — Taper off as temperatures drop.