ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist — Practice Exam
Electrical utility pruning: practice questions
Our ISA Utility Specialist bank has 74 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
When should elms and oaks be pruned in areas with Dutch elm disease or oak wilt?
- In the dormant season, usually late fall and winter
- In midsummer
- In spring, when wounds close fastest and the beetles are not yet active
Show the answer
A. In the dormant season, usually late fall and winter — Fresh wounds attract beetles that spread the fungi.
Question 2
ISA's topping brochure says utility clearance reduction should cut back to what?
- A lateral at least one-third the diameter of the limb removed
- A stub about 12 inches long, so new sprouts form well away from the trunk
- Any bud
- The trunk
Show the answer
A. A lateral at least one-third the diameter of the limb removed — Small branches are removed back to their point of origin.
Question 3
Per Blair's rigging guide, what controls swing of a rigged piece?
- The load line alone, if it is tied tightly
- A tagline
- A lowering device
- A wedge
Show the answer
B. A tagline — Load lines carry the weight; taglines control swing.
Question 4
Why do proper cuts outside the collar matter for decay?
- They make the wound larger
- Stem tissue is not injured, so the tree can compartmentalize and seal faster
- They let decay spread into the stem, which helps the tree shed the branch stub
Show the answer
B. Stem tissue is not injured, so the tree can compartmentalize and seal faster — Cutting only branch tissue keeps the stem from decaying.
Question 5
Which part of a palm should never be cut during utility clearance?
- Dead lower fronds that hang below horizontal
- The terminal bud
- Flower stalks
- Fruit clusters
Show the answer
B. The terminal bud — Palms have one growing point per stem; injuring it often kills the palm.