In House Training is offered to Members in the Club Apiary and at Club Members Apiary visits, when possible The Area Bee Inspector will allow small groups of Club Members to accompany them on their tours of inspection, this is a must for all Beekeepers.
There are also lectures given by experienced Beekeepers during the winter months.
There are a Number of Courses that Beekeepers’ can pursue and there are Club Members who will offer assistance.
Junior Certificate
Under 18 and want to test your beekeeping knowledge? Then this could be the one for you
The Junior certificate consists of 4 elements
- 10 minutes of oral questions
- A short written paper
- Making a frame
- Present your beekeeping diary Further information click
- Further information click
Basic Assessment
To take the Basic Assessment you should have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum of 12 months
The Basic Assessment syllabus can appear daunting at first glance but closer inspection will show that it merely lists the basic things which all beekeepers should know.
Further information click https://www.bbka.org.uk/basic-assessment
General Husbandry Certificate
Have you been beekeeping for 3 years and passed your Basic Assessment? Then this is the next practical step.
This assessment is designed for beekeepers who prefer the practical approach rather than the written examinations. On the day, your assessment is conducted by two BBKA Assessors and consists of:
- inspection of the candidate’s apiary, equipment and honey handling equipment.
- manipulation of one or more colonies of the candidate’s bees
- demonstration of a method of selective queen rearing Further information click
- Further information click
Advanced Husbandry Certificate
So, you have the General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry and want to pass on your knowledge
Open only to those who have passed the General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry. This assessment is designed for beekeepers aspiring to lecture and demonstrate the craft of beekeeping to others. The Assessment will be conducted at a suitable location and will consist of the following tasks:
- Manipulation of one or more colonies as required by the Assessor
- Short presentation on a practical topic to a small audience
- Demonstration of dissection for acarine and nosema analysis
- Discussion and practical on methods of queen rearing
- Discussion on other aspects of beekeeping as given in the syllabus Further information click
- Further information click
Modules
A chance to test your knowledge on all aspects of apiculture
The Modules are written examinations held at a centre in your region with each paper taking 1½hrs. You can take up to 4 modules in each session. There are seven modules to be studied:
Module 1 – Honey bee Management
Module 2 – Honey bee Products and Forage
Module 3 – Honey bee Pests, Diseases and Poisoning
Module 5 – Honey bee Biology
Module 6 – Honey bee Behaviour
Module 7 – Selection & Breeding of Honey bees
Module 8 – Honey bee Management, Health and History
Microscopy Certificate
Never has bee health and disease diagnosis been more important
This assessment provides a qualification and measure of achievement for those beekeepers with an interest in pollen, anatomy, and disease relevant to the honey bee. Knowledge and skills are tested through a number of practical tasks and oral questioning. The candidate will need to prepare 6 pollen slides and 3 anatomy slides during the year prior to the assessment. For the assessment, which lasts between 2 and 2 ½ hours, the candidate will need to provide 2 suitable microscopes and equipment necessary to carry out dissections and make slides. Full details are in the syllabus.
Prospective candidates should have passed the Basic Certificate
Show Judge Certificate
Take you experience in showing honey and honey products to the next level
In order to commence the assessment you must meet a number of entry requirements and hold the Basic Certificate. For full details please download the syllabus.
Candidates wishing to take the Show Judges Assessment must apply for a record book from the Examinations Board Secretary to record the following over a five year period
- Stewarding for a number of BBKA Judges at county or national level or honey shows with more than 100 entries.
- Judging at a number of Honey shows where 3 of the shows are assessed by 3 different BBKA Show Judges.
- A final supervised judging and viva voce.
- Record of awards at honey shows at third prize or higher at County or National level
- Record of other relevant experience such as Show Secretary
Master Beekeeper
Do you hold the Advanced Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry and Advanced Theory Certificate
As a Master Beekeeper you can now study for the National Diploma in Beekeeping
Fees & Applications
Download the Fees and Application Forms for each of the courses from the Documents panel on this page.
Examination Dates
BBKA Examinations and Assessments are taken at specific times of the year. All assessments are taken by suitably qualified Assessors.
For an up to date list of application deadlines, assessments and examination take place please refer to the further reading document. Within this section you will also find related fees.