Exams all done, now bring on the bees.

[garethbryson]

I did my written and practical exams for the preliminary beekeping course this morning, I strongly recommend any newcomer that you go and do it. Yes you can read books and learn things, but you cant beat the hands on experiance with a compitent beekeeper. Also i now have a full class worth(30) of beekeping friends that i will be able to turn to if i need something, Not to mention the instructors themselves and i will be only to happy to help my class mates too.

Gareth..........................

 

[garethbryson]

I know i passed the practical but have to wait till august for the written result.

 

[davethegas]

garethbryson

Well done, great sense of acheivement. Onward & upward is the only way to go!

 

[garethbryson]

I'm thinkin about goin on to do the intermediate course next. Is it much harder does anybody know???

 

[snoop]

I did the prelim as well yesterday in Southern Ireland , the guys doing the intermediate have been studing for a year for it , ( it was on as well yesterday)

 

[davethegas]

garethbryron

It matters not if the next bit is hard or not, all that matters is whether you want to progress in your chosen field or not.....I think you do. Just do it!

 

[MuswellMetro]

i thought the BBKA basic exam required you to have 1year experiance with Bees...

Conditions of Entry
1.1 The Candidate shall have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum
of 12 months.
1.2 The entry form and fee shall have been received by the Local Examination
Secretary, or the Secretary of the BBKA Examinations Board.
2. The Assessment
2.1 An Assessor, approved by the Board, is required to conduct the Assessment

 

[garethbryson]

There was 30 of us on the course and only 2 had bees already. I did the course through the local agricultural college so dont know if that makes it any different. But what i do know is that i'm glad i did the course before i get any bees and not the other way round.

 

[FROGDOGDIVER]

i thought the BBKA basic exam required you to have 1year experiance with Bees...

Conditions of Entry
1.1 The Candidate shall have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum
of 12 months.
1.2 The entry form and fee shall have been received by the Local Examination
Secretary, or the Secretary of the BBKA Examinations Board.
2. The Assessment
2.1 An Assessor, approved by the Board, is required to conduct the Assessment

That might be the case but GarethBryson took the exam and course in Northern Ireland and that is run under FIBKA not BBKA.

 

[MuswellMetro]

That might be the case but GarethBryson took the exam and course in Northern Ireland and that is run under FIBKA not BBKA.

in the words of Kirstie alsop...location location location

i wish all english course were more standardised with a prelimenary exam at the end

 

[garethbryson]

here is a link to the syllabus for the preliminary exam from the fibka web site.

http://www.irish**************/education/prelimsyl.html

 

[jezd]

i thought the BBKA basic exam required you to have 1year experiance with Bees...

Conditions of Entry
1.1 The Candidate shall have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum
of 12 months.
1.2 The entry form and fee shall have been received by the Local Examination
Secretary, or the Secretary of the BBKA Examinations Board.
2. The Assessment
2.1 An Assessor, approved by the Board, is required to conduct the Assessment

you are correct, bees for 1 year before you can consider taking the bbka basic exam, not sure what the point of an exam is if you have never even kept bees - I assume it mean you listened in class

 

[garethbryson]

Whats the use in having bees and having no clue as to what to do with them???

 

[jezd]

lol, aggh in that case your really are a beekeeper, exams say nothing other than you did the course - as my PRINCE2 week will soon show

 

[garethbryson]

i totall agree, but i did the course during the winter when i couldnt get hands on experience. but now when i am geting experiance i understand everything i am being told so much better that i think i would have if i had not done the course.

 

[mannky]

I am hoping to do my BBKA Basic at the end of July I too have made some great bee keeping buddies through going to the local club. Plus I am able to use the club's extraction facility and "Thornes" outlet.

 

[justme]

Hi.
I live in a part of Cornwall where if I had wanted to do my basic before keeping bees I could have travelled a round trip of 40 miles every week for 30 weeks to do a course at the agri college with exam at end.
Luckily for me for me I decided (as did the BBKA )it was better to have looked after bees for a season before I took it so I went to a much more local course, mainly theory though. But added to apiary meetings, club winter meetings and the odd bigger event it ment I at least had some hands on experience and knowledge before i got any bees myself.

I do know that I need much more experience before i would be happy to accept a certificate though, knowledge can only do so much:.)

 

[garethbryson]

I didnt do it for the certificate, Like i say it was during thw winter, and it was 10 monday nights in a row followed by 2 practical nights in a club apairy.A few eeeks later we then had a half hour written exam and a practical examination. All they were looking for in the practical exam was. Confidence working with bees, Being able to tell distinguish sealed brood, stores, eggs etc. The ability to distinguish the 3 different castes of bees, and things that you'd be looking for that might indicate disease. All things that i think people should know before getting bee's of their own.The written exams was was quite simple too. Again, just things i'm glad i knew before i had bees. If not for my sake, then for the sake of the welfare of the bee's..

 

[shonabee]

Congratulations on passing etc! I reckon more knowledge can only be a good thing for bees and beek, whether done beforehand as preparation or alongside the first-year-won-bees experience.

 

[tonybloke]

I took my BBKA basic exam yesterday!