Massachusetts arborists Association |
CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION FAQS
I AM CONSIDERING BECOMING AN ARBORIST. SHOULD I GET CERTIFIED FIRST?
No. The MA Certified Arborist exam is not an entrance exam to the profession. It is not rudimentary or introductory; rather, it is reputed to be one of the most rigorous arboriculture exams, testing knowledge that one can only gain through considerable study or field experience. It is a certification that denotes accomplishment and knowledge in the field. Candidates for the MCA Exam are expected to have either a degree in arboriculture or a related field or considerable work experience in the industry.
I BOUGHT A STUDY GUIDE AND I CAN'T LOG IN.
Study Guide access is not automatic at purchase. Settings must be adjusted by our office team. In general Study Guide access should be available within 1-2 business days. If you're having problems after that time, please contact the office!
HOW DO I MAINTAIN MY CERTIFICATION?
MCAs are required to complete an annual Recertification Tally Sheet (RTS). This recertification sheet is now entirely ONLINE. MCAs are required to obtain ten (10) recertification credits within a calendar year (January 1 – December 31). Two credits must be safety credits and two must be in the education category. Incomplete tally sheets will not be processed. Please make sure you have covered all minimum requirements (e.g safety, education, etc). Accumulated credits do not carry over from year to year.
I JUST PASSED THE MCA EXAM - WHEN IS MY FIRST TALLY SHEET DUE?
Congratulations! New MCAs have a grace period before submitting their first tally sheet. The year you pass the exam is your grace YEAR. The next year is the year you start to complete the tally sheet. You can include all credits earned from the date of your exam through the end of the current year. Your first tally sheet is due by February of the FOLLOWING year.
Example: pass exam in April 2020. Accumulate credits from April 2020 - December 31, 2021 (the remainder of 2020 and ALL of 2021). First tally sheet is due by February 15, 2022. We recommend marking your calendar for February 15 when you receive your exam results - and make it an annual repeating calendar alert!
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION TALLY SHEET?
MCAs may submit their RTS electronically via this website. The deadline for submission is February 15 of the following year. Once the MAA office has received a completed tally sheet and required fees, an MCA card is mailed.
HOW DO I KNOW IF YOU RECEIVED MY CREDITS?
When you submit your recertification credits through the online Google Form, you will immediately receive a confirmation email. You should be able to search “GOOGLE FORMS” in your emails for that confirmation. If you don't receive this confirmation email, go back and submit your form again.
WHAT ARE THE FEES FOR RECERTIFICATION?
Current MAA members pay nothing to recertify. Non-members pay an annual administrative fee of $75.00 when they submit their recertification. All MCAs are assessed a $50 late fee for RTS forms received after the February 15 deadline.
I NEED TO RE-CERTIFY. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY CREDITS HAVE I EARNED THIS YEAR?
MAA does not maintain these records for you. We can verify events you attended with MAA, but to keep track of all your CEUs, you must maintain your own file (electronic or physical) of all CEU granting events. You may keep registration confirmations, badges or post-event emails. If you’re missing information, you can try checking your email inbox for confirmations of webinar form submissions, registration receipts or similar from MAA / MLP.
DO YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION WITH MY RECERTIFICATION FORM?
No. The recertification program operates on the honor system. Proof of attendance is not required at the time the RTS is submitted. The MCA Examining Committee conducts random audits on an annual basis. If you are audited, you may be required to provide proof of attendance or participation for some credit claimed on your RTS. Accurate record keeping is the responsibility of the individual MCA.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS TO EARN CREDIT THAT I MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF?
There are a variety of ways to obtain recertification credit during the course of a year. In addition to the organizations and events listed on the MCA Recertification Tally Sheet, arboriculture seminars produced by the following Green Industry associations, organizations or institutions are approved for MCA credit. Membership in any of the following is approved for 1 MCA credit per year. Proof of attendance and/or membership may be requested at an annual MCA audit.
Arboreta (i.e. Arnold Arboretum, Morton Arboretum, Morris Arboretum, etc.)
Botanical Societies
Horticultural Societies
Independent Tree Care Seminars (i.e. Shigo & Assoc., ACRT)
Land Grant Universities
State or Community Colleges
State/Regional/National Arboriculture Trade Associations
State/Regional Cooperative Extension Systems
State/Regional/National Allied Green Industry Trade Associations
I TOOK A CLASS / WEBINAR / ETC. CAN I GET CREDIT FOR IT?
If you take a course that falls into the general topics covered in the MCA / MCLP study guides, you can include that course on your recertification form (in the "other" category) and receive credit for that continuing education. The education or safety must relate directly to your industry expertise. We would not, for instance, grant credit for learning software to run your business. The general formula for credit awards is outlined in the chart below.
In the event that you are audited, you must be able to provide documentation of taking this course. Unlike a large scale conference, where proof of your attendance can typically be provided by the event organizer or via a group sign in sheet, YOU are responsible for producing proof of attendance for education you find on your own. This proof can take the form of a registration receipt, a screen shot of the webinar presentation, any follow up email or correspondence that thanks you for your participation. For a webinar, the easiest way to prove your attendance is to complete the Webinar Confirmation Form at the website here:
WHAT IF I MISS THE DEADLINES OR DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CREDITS?
After February 15th, an MCA has the remainder of the calendar year to re-certify, albeit with a late fee. After December 31, if the annual recertification credits are not submitted, your MCA designation could be revoked. Sometimes we hear that an MCA is not submitting their credits because they do not know what to do about having earned fewer than the required credits. In this case, revocation is at the discretion of the MCA Committee. ANY EARNED CREDITS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED along with a note of explanation in the recertification form.
One of the best ways to stay current is to make sure MAA has a current, working email address for you. We will send regular reminders of deadlines and upcoming credit-earning opportunities. Don't let your hard-earned credential expire - and please let our office help you with any questions at all.
An individual whose certification has been revoked may elect to re-take the MCA examination at the regular fee and may renew their certification status upon successful completion of the examination. In certain circumstances, an expired MCA may be reinstated without a re-exam, if the lapsed period is under three years, if missing credits can be documented or if extenuating circumstances (illness, extended time out of the country, for example) can be explained. All reinstatements are at the discretion of the MCA Committee and require a $250 reinstatement fee.