Examination Dates 2010

Module Examinations – 20 th March 2010

(Applications in by 10th February 2010)

Advanced Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry – 19 th June 2010

(Applications in by 28th February 2010)

General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry in middle of beekeeping season and Microscopy usually in October dates

arranged with the Examinations Board Secretary

(Applications in by 28th February 2010)

Basic and Junior Certificate date by arrangement with the County Examinations Secretary

(Applications 1 month before assessment

Feedback from Basic Assessments

Some poor answers on swarm control this year

Plus the usual difficulties with disease

Advice for new Exam Secretaries – please try to arrange Basic Assessments as near to midday as possible to give the bees chance to get out (weather permitting) I know this is sometimes difficult when you have several to fit in but try and wait until 10am at least. Assessors, please help secretaries with advice on assessment arrangements.

I thought you might like to see the yearly spread of Basic Assessments. 32 took place in September, with the last one on the 24 th . The warm Autumns mean some colonies are sufficiently active for the Basic later in the season

but it does give me problems getting the Certificates prepared and delivered, So I would appreciate it if you could try and keep the assessments no later than the first week in September.

A number of Basic Assessors did more than 20 assessments each this year with one taking 34! Too many. Please try and keep to no more than 20 per assessor. You can bring in assessors from a neighbouring area if necessary.

Feedback from Discussions for the Exam Board in 2009

The exam Board held extra meetings this year to work on reorganising the module syllabi. Module 4 will be dropped

as of 2011 and its contents have been redistributed. All of Module 4 has always been covered in module 5 but the

Board has taken the opportunity to make some sensible modifications to the other modules. Hence for example,

some essential bee anatomy has been put into Module 3 Pests and Diseases. All the new syllabi are available on

the BBKA website. In addition, the Board has decided to make more significant changes to the Module 8 syllabus for 2011. See the article on syllabus changes overleaf for more details. The ability of beekeepers to take the Basic assessment using unconventional hives (such as a top bar hive) was discussed. The outcome was that should this prove difficult for the examiner, the examiner should examine the candidate on a conventional hive. However, as long as the candidate was able to do all the practical exercises there was no reason why the candidate should not be examined on their own hive. It is reasonable to refuse to conduct the examination on a hive where the frames are not removable (skep beekeeping etc.).

Advanced Husbandry Certificate

Guidelines similar to those for the General Husbandry, will be available for the Advanced assessment sometime in

February. All applicants will automatically receive a copy.

Change to the entry requirements for the Basic Assessment

The entry requirements for the Basic have been a matter of some debate on the Exam Board for a number of years. Each year, one or more Basic Assessors raise concerns about the lack of experience of some candidates, despite some excellent courses. The Exam Board has reviewed the situation and feels that in order to maintain a minimum

standard, all candidates should have a minimum level of beekeeping experience. Hence the entry requirement has

been adjusted to:

1.1 The Candidate shall have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum of 12 months.

General Husbandry and Basic Assessor Training

This will take place on May 9 th and 10 th 2009 respectively. Invitations will go out shortly to invitees.

We also include some Basic and General Assessors who did the training some time ago and may be in need of

a refresher.