BBKA - General Husbandry Assessment

[eddiespangle]

I’ve just done a General Husbandry Assessment. It was very useful experience – almost enjoyable. The examiners were extremely nice – it was more of a discussion than assessment. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s done the Basic.

I now have to wait for a month to see if I've passed.

 

[psafloyd]

I’ve just done a General Husbandry Assessment. It was very useful experience – almost enjoyable. The examiners were extremely nice – it was more of a discussion than assessment. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s done the Basic.

I now have to wait for a month to see if I've passed.

Congratulations. So it's the next stage on, is it? Just heard today that I passed my basic assessment and apparently you get a badge. Yeah, to sew on to your suit!

Never having been interested in the scouts (or any other paramilitary children's group), I find it difficult to believe such a thing would be given out in this day and age. Very much with the Mexicans in Blazing Saddles on that one...

 

[Tim1606]

Done mine a few weeks ago and although it was stressful with all the questions i enjoyed it.
Just have a few more weeks to worry if i passed or not.

 

[Nellie]

Fingers crossed for you. I put off doing mine this year, I felt another years experience, especially around the queen rearing wouldn't hurt.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

When you get it, you can sew on your badge as a target for angry bees.

 

[Queens59]

I'd like to do it (to convince myself I know it really) but you have to a member don't you?

 

[Nellie]

You don't have to be a BBKA member but there is a surcharge for modules and assessments past the basic of, I think, £33 per year regardless of the number of exams/assessments taken. That's my understanding but it might be best to contact them direct.

You do need to have done the basic assessment before you can do the general husbandry or written modules. And there are further requirements past that for the general husbandry.

I know the Scottish Beekeeping Association use the same syllabus and I believe the Welsh Beekeeping Association do as well though they do tend to the assessments slightly different things.

 

[justme]

Wouldnt mind doing it myself one day. But I think a honey room/setup is needed. no such thing here yet:.)

 

[REDWOOD]

Well done all who have the nerve to get up and do something good, It's not about the badge, just the achievement. There are some beekeepers who have never done basic training, I am not saying they are rubbish beekeepers but it certainly helps to do one or have a mentor. you will never learn everything there is to know and some have forgotten more than we know but it puts us on the right track.

 

[susbees]

Wouldnt mind doing it myself one day. But I think a honey room/setup is needed. no such thing here yet:.)

Not so. Ought to be easier to pass with a clean kitchen...otherwise you need all the regs.
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[eddiespangle]

No need for a honey room.

The examiners were cool about my kitchen set up. They realised than I’m a small scale beekeeper and were happy with my set up. I laid most of my spare bits and pieces out on the kitchen table and I had my extractor, filter, settling tank etc all packed away in the broom cupboard. My only concession was to keep the dogs outside.

I had three hives and a nucleus ready but they only asked to look at two. I had to find, clip and mark a queen (I could have used a drone but I had a queen that was relatively new to this world), I also had to go through a hive looking for brood disease. I explained how to do an AS and that was about it for the practical assessment.

There were lots of questions on honey production, diseases, pests etc but no surprises for me as I had read the assessment specification.

 

[justme]

Wow, thanks for that Susbees & Eddie spangle:.) Guess i complicated it more than I needed (when I read the syllabus thingy). Maybe look to do that next year then:.)
ES, nothing on queen rearing?

 

[Queens59]

Just checked. Each module is £45...and the BASIC is 12 papers (!!!!!) Yes, you read correctly...12 papers!!!! Mmmm, may rethink...

 

[susbees]

Just checked. Each module is £45...and the BASIC is 12 papers (!!!!!) Yes, you read correctly...12 papers!!!! Mmmm, may rethink...

The Basic is a simple part practical part oral test...no idea where the 12 papers comes from as there are only eight modules....

 

[Nellie]

Susbees is right (except there's now only 7 Modules, Module 4 no longer exists)

The Basic is a practical assessment, about an hour with an assessor, no written part, cost £15.

The modules are 1 exam paper each, 7 modules in total, £20 a module.

General Husbandry is £40 and takes the form of a practical assessment, no written exam that I'm aware of. The guys who've just taken it can give you a better idea how long it takes, I've not done it yet.

If you want the correspondence course material (useful but I'm not sure it's worth the money) that can whack £45 on top, but it's optional, you could just download the syllabus for free.

oops forgot the Advanced Husbandry certificate, think that one's £50 and that's about as much as I know about it as I'm miles off being ready to take it.

 

[Queens59]

I was looking at the distance learning section on the website - as appearing for classes etc is not possible...

 

[Nellie]

Right. Gotcha.

You don't have to go to classes though a lot of associations do run study groups, you do normally have to go somewhere to sit the exam and that appears to be where the confusion is coming in.

Just found the bit you were looking at and I must admit I know bugger all about the correspondence courses and the BBKA page seems a bit vague as to whether you still need to go and sit a paper somewhere or whether the correspondence element of it counts as the "exam".

When it comes to the normal basic Assessment, I get an application form from a county member, I send it off to the BBKA and then get in contact with an Assessor or two close by to arrange the assessment. There's no formal need to go to classes or do preparation courses and I'd be very surprised if the correspondence course for that replaces the actual assessment.

I have seen the papers that they use though and they're a decent study guide, in so far as they're structured in a similar manner to the general exam paper, but not worth £45 on their own and they aren't "knowledge packs" from what I've seen of them, you still very much need to get your own study material. Whether the contact with a tutor does make it worth £45 I don't know, I don't think I've ever met anyone who's tried it out.

 

[Nellie]

Right, had a bit of Clarification, the correspondence courses don't replace the exams or assessments themselves, they're designed purely as distance learning in preparation to take the appropriate exam or assessment. So you still have to go somewhere on the relevant date to sit the actual exam.

The assessments are arranged to find a suitable time and place to do them in the case of the Basic as you don't normally do it at your own apiary.

On that Basis, I'd opine that the course for the Basic Assessment definitely isn't worth £45. Get the Defra leaflets and understand Swarm Prevention and Control and you're halfway there

 

[Queens59]

Oh well in that case I am out...it would be just my luck for the 3 daily attacks to strike just when I need to be compos mentis...rather than compost minded (hubby joke)...To be honest at 50+ bee books and 3.5 years bee-keeping I think I know the basics...

 

[susbees]

Fair cop Nellie...7 it is. Queens...the BBKA are excellent on accommodating disability and similar needs into the exam system...a doc or consultant letter and Val is a really nice person and very understanding.

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