BBKA basic exam. Worthwhile?

[BeeJayBee]

At the end of the day do what you like, sod what anyone else thinks. I did the basic simply because i wanted to but will not be doing any more as I dont have the time or need to.

I have no need for academic beekeeping to produce my honey.

Ely, please don't think I'm trying to persuade you to do something you don't have to do, and don't want to do, because I'm not. But, I don't want other people to be put off because they think it might be too hard.

The Basic isn't in the least 'academic'.

There is nothing written down and it's over and done with in about an hour - sometimes less. About half an hour is spent talking through a colony inspection, then about half an hour answering a few questions.

It's a simple practical assessment of basic beekeeping - stuff you already know and use in your day to day beekeeping. You need to be able to recognise drone and worker cells, maybe swarm/queen cells too, and to point out eggs and larvae, nectar and pollen. You need to know developmental timings and show an understanding of common diseases, and know what to do if you think you see foulbrood. You might be asked asked about artificial swarms. I didn't have to make a brood frame. The pass rate is high, a high 90% of candidates pass each year.

The modules are a different matter. You'd need to buy or borrow books and learn a lot of facts, which can take a lot of time. The module exams are timed. The pass rates are not as high, and results are graded.

 

[REDWOOD]

Do other countries do beekeeping exams and modules ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That's not the point. There are lots and lots of very excellent beekeepers who never took any exams. You don't need exams to be a good beekeeper - but to rubbish people who enjoy taking it as being insecure and needing a piece of paper is ignorant.

I refer you to the second quote of my signature

 

[Ely]

Ely, please don't think I'm trying to persuade you to do something you don't have to do, and don't want to do, because I'm not. But, I don't want other people to be put off because they think it might be too hard.

The Basic isn't in the least 'academic'.

There is nothing written down and it's over and done with in about an hour - sometimes less. About half an hour is spent talking through a colony inspection, then about half an hour answering a few questions.

It's a simple practical assessment of basic beekeeping - stuff you already know and use in your day to day beekeeping. You need to be able to recognise drone and worker cells, maybe swarm/queen cells too, and to point out eggs and larvae, nectar and pollen. You need to know developmental timings and show an understanding of common diseases, and know what to do if you think you see foulbrood. You might be asked asked about artificial swarms. I didn't have to make a brood frame. The pass rate is high, a high 90% of candidates pass each year.

The modules are a different matter. You'd need to buy or borrow books and learn a lot of facts, which can take a lot of time. The module exams are timed. The pass rates are not as high, and results are graded.

Hi. Thank you for the info

 

[Edwardking]

I think the Basic is crucial for all new beekeepers - it proves a competence level and encourages good practises for bee health. I fully support the EU adoption of licensed beekeepers with the Basic as the starter level exam.
And yes, other EU countries do have exams - in Germany you even need a license to play golf (Platzreife)!
Licenses are coming, get used to it!

 

[Swarm]

I think the Basic is crucial for all new beekeepers - it proves a competence level and encourages good practises for bee health. I fully support the EU adoption of licensed beekeepers with the Basic as the starter level exam.
And yes, other EU countries do have exams - in Germany you even need a license to play golf (Platzreife)!
Licenses are coming, get used to it!

Yeah, right.

 

[Ely]

I think the Basic is crucial for all new beekeepers - it proves a competence level and encourages good practises for bee health. I fully support the EU adoption of licensed beekeepers with the Basic as the starter level exam.
And yes, other EU countries do have exams - in Germany you even need a license to play golf (Platzreife)!
Licenses are coming, get used to it!

Post 18.....

 

[VEG]

JOY you altered what I wrote

Originally Posted by VEG View Post
At the end of the day do what you like, sod what anyone else thinks. I did the basic simply because i wanted to but will not be doing any more as I dont have the time or need to.

I put I was asked to, which I was as i was the apiary manager at the time and was/is a requirement of the post, and they were trying to encourage others to do it as well.

As I said in my original post do it if you want, it did not make any difference to the way I keep bees though.

 

[Madge]

I refer you to the second quote of my signature

Thanks for referring me to the quote. Now I understand how to read your posts.

 

[jd101k2000]

I do hope that this will calm down a bit.

Over the course of my life, I have seen people who thrived on exams and learnt a lot by preparing for them. I have seen people who knew the system and could pass exams with minimal study. Some of these were good in 'real life' because they used their skills to fill in their knowledge. Others rested on the fact that they had exams and were useless in 'real life'. I have seen people who could not do exams (for nerves or whatever) but were excellent in 'real life' and others who were useless.

In short there is a poor correlation between people who pass exams and those who are good at the subject in hand.

Bee keeping is, of its nature, a practical subject. There are those who will learn at the feet of masters and become excellent. There are those who will want to know about the finer points of bee anatomy.... great. There will be those who have never taken exams but are widely read on bee keeping matters.

I will probably take a few exams. I tend to enjoy them. They will help me deal with my insecurities about my bee keeping. I may also need a piece of paper in order to satisfy a council that I am a fit person to have a hive at an apiary. (Meeting the expectations of their tick-box culture. Having a piece of paper will not make me keep bees well and considerately of people)

I probably won't be the best bee keepers. Among those who are the best will be people who have never taken an exam in their life. I would not wish to see them forced out of bee keeping by the bringing in of licensing or compulsory exams.

Here endeth the epistle.

 

[Edwardking]

I do hope that this will calm down a bit.

Over the course of my life, I have seen people who thrived on exams and learnt a lot by preparing for them. I have seen people who knew the system and could pass exams with minimal study. Some of these were good in 'real life' because they used their skills to fill in their knowledge. Others rested on the fact that they had exams and were useless in 'real life'. I have seen people who could not do exams (for nerves or whatever) but were excellent in 'real life' and others who were useless.

In short there is a poor correlation between people who pass exams and those who are good at the subject in hand.

Bee keeping is, of its nature, a practical subject. There are those who will learn at the feet of masters and become excellent. There are those who will want to know about the finer points of bee anatomy.... great. There will be those who have never taken exams but are widely read on bee keeping matters.

I will probably take a few exams. I tend to enjoy them. They will help me deal with my insecurities about my bee keeping. I may also need a piece of paper in order to satisfy a council that I am a fit person to have a hive at an apiary. (Meeting the expectations of their tick-box culture. Having a piece of paper will not make me keep bees well and considerately of people)

I probably won't be the best bee keepers. Among those who are the best will be people who have never taken an exam in their life. I would not wish to see them forced out of bee keeping by the bringing in of licensing or compulsory exams.

Here endeth the epistle.

If you were a bee would you choose a keeper who had a guaranteed tested education, or take a chance on one who did not?

 

[REDWOOD]

If you were a bee would you choose a keeper who had a guaranteed tested education, or take a chance on one who did not?

Now that depends on whether the exam was done in a class room, Also depends on whether the person doing the exam keeps bees

 

[REDWOOD]

Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you were a bee would you choose a keeper who had a guaranteed tested education, or take a chance on one who did not?

I doubt I'd choose one who was obsessed with bits of paper

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I reserve my right to feel a little insecure, I can then call the bee inspector and say "I am not sure".
By the way the colony that was "queenless" has a queen she was not laying as the hive was too cold where it was.

 

[jd101k2000]

If you were a bee would you choose a keeper who had a guaranteed tested education, or take a chance on one who did not?

Of course, I would choose one who knew about bees and put that experience and knowledge into good use.

An exam is no guarantee of a a 'guaranteed tested education'. That was the entire point of my post.

Bees tend to swarm and move into chimneys, old trees, walls and a range of other things. They do that through a democratic process evolved over millions of years. So I guess that bees would choose not to have a bee keeper.

 

[Heather]

Bees tend to swarm and move into chimneys, old trees, walls and a range of other things. They do that through a democratic process evolved over millions of years. So I guess that bees would choose not to have a bee keeper.

That as fine.. pre varroa... difficult to help the bees keep that problem at a minimum in a chimney. We just have to hope evolution teaches them to groom better more quickly.

 

[Father Fox]

Do all Bee Inspectors have BBKA qualifications?

or what else do they need?

 

[Ely]

If you were a bee would you choose a keeper who had a guaranteed tested education, or take a chance on one who did not?

If I were a bee I wouldn't be capable of logical thought. But if I were capable, I'd prefer to live in a tree away from people. Mind you, same goes for being a human.

 

[alanf]

or what else do they need?

There's an ad still listed in Bee Craft for seasonal bee inspectors. http://www.bee-craft.com/fera-vacancies-seasonal-bee-inspectors/ has a link to the PDF for the job.

The job is inspecting for disease and education of beekeepers about disease mainly. Much of the theoretical stuff in BBKA exams is irrelevant. Essentially they have to pass an interview and whatever other assessments that the NBU want to throw at them. The stated requirements include practical experience as far as bees are concerned. Beyond that proven communication and organisation ability probably rate higher than exams.