Basic exam...

[Queens59]

Anyone got hints for me? Doing the exam on Thursday...luckily the examiner knows about my 'issues' - but still want the best pass I can - All help gratefully received...

 

[parkranger]

If you are referring to the basic assessment, inspect with confidence but with a gentle hand and read up on artificial swarms and diseases which were prominent in the questions - Good Luck!

 

[REDWOOD]

Don't let your smoker go out

 

[Tim1606]

If you are referring to the basic assessment, inspect with confidence but with a gentle hand and read up on artificial swarms and diseases which were prominent in the questions - Good Luck!

And try to relax.

 

[Mike a]

Don't wind yourself about it enjoy it.

Just revise the brood stages for drones, workers and queen and the big ones EFB & AFB and then touch up on the diseases, viruses and pests you will be fine. After that all you need to do is point out the standard things in a hive, make a frame, explain a method of A/S a colony and your done.

You don't need luck you just need a nice calm day.

 

[susbees]

Don't let your smoker go out

Or light it with your veil closed. Glad to hear you decided to go for it....

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MuswellMetro]

Mid Buck BKA have a pdf of their study group, that our beginners find useful

http://modulenotes.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/bbka-basic-assessment-study-group.pdf

 

[djg]

Queens59,

If you have been viewing this site for over two years and have posted 1,720 times (and read all the threads which you have responded to, natch), then you will have quite enough bee-sense to pass the Basic with flying colours - just observe the sage comments of the previous posters amd you'll be fine !

 

[Luminos]

Good luck, Queens

 

[BeeJayBee]

Anyone got hints for me? Doing the exam on Thursday...luckily the examiner knows about my 'issues' - but still want the best pass I can - All help gratefully received...

Somebody I know told me that 'experienced' beginners tend to forget to mention the simple things during the inspection. So maybe you should make sure you talk about everything you see?

 

[Easy Beesy]

It's a chance to talk to someone about bees who actually WANTS to listen! Treat it like a chat to an interested neighbour who has come for a look at your hive. Talk them through what you are doing - they'll ask a few questions at the hive, and ask more formal questions away from the hive - remember it's an assessment NOT an exam. You can ask them questions too - its a two-way conversation and a learning experience. Afterwards you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Modules next?

 

[Nellie]

Agree with everything so far, only other thing I'd add is enjoy yourself, the assessors aren't monsters and aren't out to try and trip you up so don't be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify something.

The FERA booklets on varroa and foul brood are also worth a read as a bit of last minute revision.

Most of all, good luck from me I'll have my fingers crossed for you.

 

[Fahey]

Someone posted this a short while ago, might be a help to you

Basic exam

First question I was asked was how many hives do I own?
I said 15, he replied no need to ask you to put a frame together then.

Put together a frame with foundation.
Light a smoker and use as required (or water sprayer)
Then complete an inspection in your own time whilst holding the hive tool the whole time. Just talk out loud and say what you are looking for in the hive or on the frame you are holding.

Point out the following:
• Queen, Eggs, larvae, grubs, sealed worker brood, sealed drone brood, pollen, nectar, capped honey and queen cells if any.
• Count the number of frames of brood, amount of capped honey and pollen then say this is for updating the hive records after the inspection.
• Any visible signs of DWV, K wings, nosema marking
• General temperament of the bees (Don't be afraid to close up the hive if they are too much to inspect. Its possible they could be queenless or a vile colony and you should be offered another colony to inspect)
• Are the cappings a nice even colour and a good pattern and look ok.
• Drone and worker identification and the queen if you see her.
• Do you know the stages and days for a workers, drones and queen ie egg > capped > emerges.
• How do you know the queen is still in the hive if you don't see her.
• Explain a simple method of A/S
• Explain the difference between EFB and AFB how to identify them and what to do if you suspect you have it in your hive
• Queen marking colour for this year and next year (some examiners ask the colour sequence in full)
• Explain the various parts of the hive and why they are used and when
• Methods of treatment to deal with varroa and when they are given and how to test the levels of varroa
• What other things apart from varroa should we be on the look out for.
Probably one or two more questions I can't remember.

You can't fail unless you know nothing, if you make a mistake the examiner will often give you some help.

If you are unsure just remember the following answers:
Shook swarming
I would ask a fellow experienced bee keeper to give some advice.
AFB/EFB call in the RBI/SBI if in any doubt.

Its not a test to see that you know the correct answers to every question, but if you are unsure you would do the right thing and ask for help.

 

[BeeNice]

Hi, make up your frame without nailing together, you may need to trim the foundation but you will know that it all fits. Take it apart again before the assessment. If the examiner want to talk and tell you things, let him, it's interesting and takes up the time.
good luck and enjoy, I didn't, mind went blank on the most simple questions.
Steven

 

[psafloyd]

Did mine in May, Queens59 and I learned the following.

You know all of it anyway. Just be sure of the various brood stages.

They don't want chapter and verse. You just need to hit certain key words. So think in terms of soundbites with the most important words/information.

Cover all areas of a section until they ask you to stop. This may seem to go against what i just said, but lists will do it. Important for things like swarm control, so you stat with everything and don't forget things like rubber bands and frames for cut outs or secateurs, just in case.

Know your artificial swarm control methods, or at least one of them. Be confident about how you do it and even if you miss something , they may probe you to be sure you understand it.

Be confident in handling the bees. My examiner gave me one which looked like it was a DLQ, but was a real hodge podge. He admitted he didn't know what was going on in it and then asked me to quickly run through a textbook one. Still not sure he wasn't just testing me on a tricky colony.

Also, know how to spot and treat varroa, what AFB and EFB look like and your response, plus others like chalk brood, bald brood.

Not all of these things come up. I missed something which I knew I understood but couldn't always remember the details of. It was on the previous guy's paper, but not mine. This is because they randomise the questions somewhat.

Apart from that, relax. They want you to pass and it probably isn't as hard as you think it will be.

 

[Queens59]

Thanks all - a bit more confident. They have really gone out of their way to help me - arranging it where I am familiar with the bees, and the people know me etc...instead of locally in a strange place. Hopefully that is a good sign. I was just a bit worried that teh morphiine moment would strike and I'd forget everything...(I do that quite a bit - or say the same thing repeatedly!!)..

I'll let you all know on Thursday evening...

 

[DorsetB]

Keep talking while you go through the hive, "running commentary" style, what you can see, etc.

It does two things:

1) builds your confidence and
2) tends to stop the examiner asking questions! Although he will interrupt if he really wants to.

It will then relax you a little for when you sit down and you get the face to face questions.

I also got a fair old grilling on diseases, which then turned into a conversation about latin names and their origin, I think the examiner likes to introduce a bit of variety and also likes turning the exam into a chat if he feels you know your stuff - I can only imagine it gets really boring for them, discussing the same old questions all the time.

Best of luck, and remember, they want you to pass.

 

[MandF]

I would echo the advice to ask questions too. I think the main thing for them is that you can handle bees confidently, and have a good idea about what you are looking at - so if you have kept bees for over a season (which is part of the requirements) that should all take care of itself.

You will know most of the answers to his questions, but are not expected to know them all - and asking them a question or their opinion shows them you are a thinking beekeeper, and also massages their ego a little.

They are there to pass you, so relax

 

[bee56]

Good luck Queens
I wish I had a much knowledge as you.

 

[LauraB]

and read the record card before you start the inspection!

I started in such a flap when i did mine that i forgot to read the record card which was on top of the hive (i think because i don't keep mine there) and got part way through and realised it was waiting queen to start to lay, so no eggs/grubs to show him, information i could have got from the record card!