As a basic examiner a few tips....
Knowing the parts of a hive, the types of brood, and making a frame should be easy. These are your guarenteed marks. That said, I've seen frames with half the nails missing so there is potential to get it wrong.
You get no marks for silence. Talk through what you are doing & what you can see. The examiner (hopefully) has seen (and probably made) every mistake in the book. So don't worry about your inexperience. If you get stuck, tell then what you do know. Often you then remember the rest of it, and the examiner can also use it to nudge you along until you remember a key detail or two.
The main failing point for many candidates is the diseases section. You need to be versed (to the syllabus level) on Nosema, Acarine (the ones everyone forgets) as well as EFB & AFB (the ones everyone remembers)
Make sure you can talk through some form of swarm control. Such knowledge is a core competancy for a beginner beekeeper once they acquire their own colonies.
It sounds obvious but it's having a basic understanding of beekeeping. Advanced level knowledge is not required.
I suppose another weakness is beekeepers who have not yet harvested honey. Although the syllabus requires management of a colony, often the beekeeper has not yet had the opportunity to harvest honey. If so, it can be beneficial to either accompany someone who is harvesting or do a bit of extra revision on the methods (& basic legislation).
None of the above should be unexpected, it's all in the syllabus.
Adam
:hurray
