Education

BBKA Basic Assessment

In order to take this assessment candidates should have completed a Beginners’ Course and managed at least one colony for 12 months. FDBKA Education Officer, Alan Baxter has been running sessions during 2025 to support this year’s candidates at his Teaching Apiary. This covered both practical and theory elements supporting all aspects of the syllabus. Seven of our candidates took the Assessment this year and huge congratulations to them as they all passed.
This assessment is highly recommended as it will help your beekeeping skills develop and thus become more confident and successful in your beekeeping adventures. We look forward to more FDBKA members taking advantage of this in 2026.
Basic Assessment Syllabus
For queries contact Alan at education@farehambka.co.uk or ring 07478961517.

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**********Introduction to Bees & Beekeeping (Beginners Course)**********

We have now reached the full compliment for the course starting in January 2026 and applications are now closed. We will reopen applications in the spring of 2026 for the 2027 course. We are sorry if this disappoints you but you are still welcome to join the association and learn about beekeeping from the passionate beekeepers at our regular indoor meetings or attend sessions at our Teaching Apiary. Please email the membership secretary for more details.

Beginners Course Part 1 – Theory & Hive Assembly

All sessions are held at Titchfield Community Centre, Mill Lane, Titchfield, Fareham, Hants, PO14 4AB commencing at 7.30pm and finish arounf 9.00pm.

Beginners Course Part 2 – Practical Beekeeping

Subjects covered are Colony Inspections, Swarm Control, Disease Recognition, Honey Harvesting and Processing.
The venue for practical sessions is in one of our members apiary’s at Manor Farm Country Park, Pyland’s Lane, Bursledon, Southampton SO31 1BH. Dates and times depend on weather constraints and the bees!

Suggested Reading:

Here are some suggested books that can make excellent Christmas presents! We highly recommend the first three initially and for those who want to progress a little further Ted Hooper’s A Guide to Bees and Honey for a little deeper reading.

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BBKA Assessments & Modules
We support FDBKA members wishing to take a BBKA theory or a practical assessment. Modules normally take place during March and November each year with practical assessments taking place in late spring or the summer months when bees are active. The latest updates are on the BBKA website and will also appear below.
Exam Framework Flowchart
Current Fees & Dates
Basic Syllabus
Honey Bee Health Syllabus
Advanced Husbandry / Microscopy

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Module Exams
The written exams of the BBKA are known as modules.
Starting in 2025 exams are online.  Modular Exams are held in March and November each year and we encourage you to form study groups to aid your preparation. Also, to enrol on a correspondence course for your module which can be run in study groups to share the cost.
Syllabi
The BBKA have released past exam papers that students can now access for free on their website. You will need your BBKA number and Post Code to gain access.

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Practical Assessments
Practical Assessment options include; Advanced Husbandry, Honey Bee Health, General Husbandry and Honey Bee Breading certificate and will either be at your apiary, a local apiary or at BBKA’s apiary in Stoneleigh depending on the assessment being taken. It is strongly recommended to take the Honey Bee Health certificate as this will help ensure you raise strong colonies capable of resisting the varroa mite and help fight off predation by the Asian Hornet.
In order to undertake any of the above practical assessments you must have completed and passed the Basic Assessment.
The BBKA is launching a new month-by-month program to support anyone who wants to work towards taking their GH assessment in the summer of 2026. During 2025 topics covered by the syllabus will be discussed so you can start to work on beekeeping practices this season, to get you assessment-ready for 2026. See HERE for details.

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Starting out in Beekeeping
For those wishing start beekeeping we strongly encourage you to take a beekeeping beginners course with a local Association. This will help you decide if beekeeping is for you before spending large sums on new kit and it will help you to understand how to handle used kit. 

Beekeeping is a fascinating hobby and the temptation of free honey is very irresistible.  Whilst we will always encourage anyone interested in taking up the hobby, it can be expensive so it is only fair that you are forewarned!   

• You can expect to spend around £100 to £200 on a bee suit, smoker, hive tools, gloves etc, depending upon quality, just to get started.  Much more on other bits and pieces.   
• A top quality Western Red Cedar full hive and supers (which should last 40+ years) as a flat pack will set you back around £400, other cheaper options such as English Cedar or Pine are available for a bit less but will not last as long (pine will need treating with a bee friendly wood preserver annually).  A poly hive and supers will set you back about £325 and will need painting.   
• You are advised to have at least two hives going into winter which means much more kit.   
• You can pay £100 – £200 for a starter colony of bees or wait for a swarm which is free (but may come with their own problems). 

We regularly receive donated equipment from retired beekeepers which we sell to new beekeepers and our members at significantly reduced costs.  An up to date list of what is available can be obtained by contacting the Membership Secretary via EMAIL or view our dedicated Members Only – Sales page.   

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We also run an Informal Mentoring Programme so that new or aspiring beekeepers can learn from the more experienced. If you would like to be mentored or are willing to act as a mentor please email the Mentoring Coordinator.