ISA Certified Tree Climber (formerly Tree Worker Climber Specialist) — Practice Exam
Tree removal: practice questions
Our ISA Certified Tree Climber bank has 66 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
Why should limbs and trunk sections be sized to the work plan when removing a tree?
- Size and weight must suit extraction, site, weather and the crew's abilities
- Bigger is always faster
- Pieces should all be one length
- Size does not matter
Show the answer
A. Size and weight must suit extraction, site, weather and the crew's abilities — The outline lists removing parts to a size and weight appropriate to the plan.
Question 2
Which felling aids does the ISA outline list?
- Pole pruners and loppers
- Ascenders and pulleys
- Wedges and felling bars
- Friction savers
Show the answer
C. Wedges and felling bars — Felling aids help lift the tree and keep the backcut open.
Question 3
Which aerial dismantling technique does the ISA outline give as an example?
- Free fall (cut and fall)
- Flush cutting
- Pollarding
- Topping for size control
Show the answer
A. Free fall (cut and fall) — Pieces are dropped directly into a clear drop zone when nothing below can be damaged.
Question 4
What is a 'dutchman' in felling?
- A spot where the sloping and horizontal cuts don't meet, leaving an overcut
- A wedge placed in the backcut
- A notch on the back of the tree
- A broken hinge
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A. A spot where the sloping and horizontal cuts don't meet, leaving an overcut — It makes the fall harder to predict and can cause a barber chair.
Question 5
Why does Blair say to know your wood when using a top cut on a limb?
- All wood breaks the same way
- Dead wood always holds a hinge
- Only conifers can tear
- Species and condition change how the hinge breaks, from holding to tearing or snapping
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D. Species and condition change how the hinge breaks, from holding to tearing or snapping — Dead oak can snap without warning; elm can tear a long strip.