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The Junior Beekeeper Certificate was designed to encourage young people to become interested in bees and beekeeping and their natural contribution to the environment.

It provides a starting point for beekeeper education for young people and to meet the requirements of schools and groups such as scouts and guides.

There is no requirement for the candidate to be a member of the SBA however to sit the Junior Beekeeper Examination the candidate shall have reached their 10th Birthday but not yet their 16th birthday on the 1st of January of the year during which the examination is to be taken.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £5 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Junior Beekeeper Syllabus
• Junior Beekeeper – multiple choice answers
• Going for the SBA Junior Beekeeping Certificate

image is courtesy of Ian Rutherford Photography

The Basic Beekeeping Examination is your first step into the SBA examination system.

This assessment is completely practical and oral and will usually take place at your own apiary.

The syllabus may appear quite daunting however it simply lists all the basic requirements which a beekeeper should know.

Most of the beekeepers who sit their Basic Beekeeping Examination have usually kept bees for between 1 and 2 years.

Local Associations often organise classes at Basic Beekeeping level and either teach the classes themselves or arrange for one of the numerous Expert Beekeepers to take the classes for them.

There is no requirement for the candidate to be a member of the SBA.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £25 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Basic Beekeeping Certificate Syllabus
• Going for the SBA Basic Beekeeping Certificate
• Guidance Notes for Mentors
• Recommended Reading & Information Sources

The Modules are written examinations which are offered in two diets, one in March and the other in November.

Examinations for modules 1 – 8 will be held each year. (Note, module 4 is discontinued.)

Examination for module 9 will be held every second year and information will appear in the January edition of the Scottish Beekeeper on which examinations are to be held for that year.

Module No’s 1 to 7 can be taken in any order and must be held by the candidate before attempting to sit Module No 8.

After passing modules 1, 2, 3 and one other from 5, 6 or 7 you are awarded the Intermediate Certificate and once you have passed all the modules you are awarded the Advanced Certificate.

The requirements to sit any module examination is that the candidate must be a member of the SBA.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £28 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Syllabuses for Modules 1-8
• Plants and Pollinators Syllabus
• Guidance Notes for taking the SBA Exams 
• Recommended Reading & Information Sources
• The Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Beekeeping Prospectus

The Microscopy Examination is for beekeepers who have an interest in pollen, anatomy and disease relevant to the honeybee.

The candidates knowledge and skill will be put to the test through a series of practical tasks creating both pollen and anatomy slides along with an oral examination.

This examination usually lasts 2.5 to 3 hours and the candidate will need to provide suitable microscopes and equipment necessary to complete the examination.

A pass in the Microscopy Certificate gives the candidate exemption from the Adult Bee Diseases section of the Scottish Apiarian Examination.

The requirements to sit the microscopy examination is that the candidate must be a member of the SBA.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £55 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Microscopy Certificate 
• The Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Beekeeping Prospectus

Image courtesy of David Walker

The Honey Judge examination was designed to give beekeepers who have a comprehensive knowledge of the preparation of honeybee products for both show and sale the opportunity to obtain the Honey Judge Certificate.

The entry requirement to sit this examination is a Basic Beekeeping Certificate, or an equivalent qualification approved by the SBA Education Committee. The candidate shall have passed Module 2 of the SBA or BBKA Module examinations and will have completed a requirement list (see syllabus) which should prove evidence of having been awarded at least twenty prizes in six classes in honey shows at local or national level and of having acted as Steward to a certified Honey Judge in at least three local honey shows and one major honey show.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £55 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Honey Judge Syllabus
• Honey Judge Guidelines
• Recommended Reading & Information Sources
• The Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Beekeeping Prospectus

The Intermediate Practical Examination is designed for beekeepers who prefer to get hands on and follow a more practical route rather than sitting written examinations.

On the day of the examination there will be an inspection of the candidate’s apiary, equipment and honey processing equipment, manipulation of one or more colonies of the candidate’s bees, demonstration by the candidate of their method for raising nuclei plus an extensive oral examination.

The entry requirement to sit this examination is a Basic Beekeeping Certificate, or an equivalent qualification approved by the Education Committee and the candidate shall have owned and managed continuously bees for at least five seasons.

The Scottish Intermediate Certificate will be awarded at three pass levels, Pass 60%, Credit 70% and Distinction 80%. However the pass level will be determined by the lowest mark in the 4 sections. If any section is under 60% the exam will be Failed.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £55 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Syllabus Intermediate Practical Certificate
• Recommended Reading & Information Sources
• The Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Beekeeping Prospectus

The Advanced Practical Examination is designed to give knowledgeable beekeepers the confidence to mentor new and less experienced beekeepers and progress on to lecture and demonstrate the craft of beekeeping to others.

The examination will consist of four parts:

1. a practical examination
2. an oral examination
3. conduct an apiary demonstration
4. a lecture to a local association meeting

The entry requirement to sit the Advanced Practical Examination is a Scottish Intermediate Practical Assessment Certificate and the candidate shall have owned and managed continuously at least five colonies of bees for at least seven seasons.

The Scottish Apiarian Certificate will be awarded at three pass levels, Pass 60%, Credit 70% and Distinction 80%. However the pass level will be determined by the lowest mark in the 4 sections. If any section is under 60% the exam will be Failed.

Complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the £55 Fee to the Education Officer.

Further information and syllabus documents can be found using the links below:

• Advanced Practical Assessment – The Apiarian
• Recommended Reading & Information Sources
• The Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Beekeeping Prospectus

Introduction

Training of beginner beekeepers in Scotland usually occurs at local level in courses run by Local Beekeeping associations, most of who are affiliated to the SBA – Affiliated Beekeeping Associations (ABA’s). Training courses are also run by non-affiliated organisations operating on a commercial basis.

This works quite well as local locations contain the experienced beekeepers and most importantly, the bees.

However the SBA has no direct control over the quality of these courses, even the ones being run by ABA’s. Specifically there is no validation of the experience and capability of the course tutors.

We do of course support the ABA courses and have published a 23 page set of notes, specifically aimed at covering the syllabus of the Basic Beekeeping Certificate, but can also be used as beginner course guide notes. The SBA has also run “train the trainers” workshops, having recognised that even experienced beekeepers can be short on teaching skills.

The SBA is however sometimes asked by potential beginners to comment on the quality of local courses and local course tutors. This is of course difficult to do without formally assessing the courses or tutors.

One method of providing some assurance to beginners about beginner course value is to award lead tutors a certificate in recognition of the knowledge and experience they have gained in passing through the SBA education and certification system and to this end the SBA has introduced the SBA BEEKEEPING TRAINER CERTIFICATE.

Required Competence Level
The SBA Beekeeping Trainer Certificate (BTC) is awarded to beekeepers that can satisfy one of the requirements in each of the following two categories:

1. Attainment of the SBA Intermediate Practical Certificate or Attainment of the Intermediate Module Certificate or Attainment of the SBA Apiarian Certificate

2. Attendance at an SBA Train the Trainers workshop as witnessed by an attendance certificate OR Possession of a Scottish Education Dept. professional teachers training certificate.

Other professional trainer certificates will be considered on an individual basis but must contain basic teaching skills content, such as lesson planning and course construction and delivery.

British Beekeeper Association (BBKA) equivalent qualifications will be recognised.

Award
The certificate is awarded by request via application, on the relevant application form, to those able to satisfy the above requirements.

Complete the Trainer Application Form and send it with the £20 Fee to the Education Officer accompanied by copies of relevant documentation.