ISA Certified Arborist — Practice Exam
Tree identification and selection: practice questions
Our ISA Certified Arborist bank has 24 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
How are the leaflets of a palmately compound leaf, such as buckeye, arranged?
- Singly at each node
- In pairs along a central rachis, like a feather
- Twice divided along side branches
- Radiating from one point, like fingers from a hand
Show the answer
D. Radiating from one point, like fingers from a hand — Pinnate leaflets attach along a central rachis.
Question 2
Which group of trees has opposite leaves, remembered as 'MAD Buck'?
- Maple, ash, dogwood and buckeye
- Magnolia, alder, dogwood and beech
- Mulberry, aspen, dogwood and birch
- Maple, apple, dogwood and basswood
Show the answer
A. Maple, ash, dogwood and buckeye — Opposite means two leaves at each node.
Question 3
How many aboveground growing points does a single-stemmed palm have?
- Hundreds, one at each leaf base
- One, the terminal bud at the top of the trunk
- One on each side of the trunk
- Two, at the top and the base
Show the answer
B. One, the terminal bud at the top of the trunk — If the terminal bud is injured, the palm often dies.
Question 4
What is the rachis of a compound leaf?
- The leaf margin
- The stalk of a simple leaf
- The bud at the base of the leaf
- The central stalk to which the leaflets attach
Show the answer
D. The central stalk to which the leaflets attach — The petiole is the stalk supporting a single leaf blade.
Question 5
Which leaf arrangement do most tree species have?
- Whorled
- Opposite
- Basal
- Alternate
Show the answer
D. Alternate — About one in eight species is opposite (Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 899).