Education

BBKA Basic Assessment

For 2025 FDBKA Education Officer, Alan Baxter is running training sessions to support candidates. The training consists of practical and theory sessions covering all aspects of the Basic Assessment syllabus. Candidates should have completed a Beginners’ Course and managed at least one colony for 12 months. Further details are in our events calendar with the session dates being:
Session 1: 23rd March
Session 2: 13th April
Session 3: 11th May
Session 4: 18th May
Location is Alan’s Teaching Apiary at Ranvilles Lane, PO14 3EA / what3words: birthing.kite.gurgled
Cost: Free to Fully Registered members of FDBKA.
Applications to enrol on the Basic Assessment can be submitted up to 1st July but HBA have requested they are done by the end of April to give prior notification to assessors. To enrol, or for more details regarding the training, contact Alan at education@farehambka.co.uk or ring 07478961517.
Basic Assessment Syllabus

This assessment is highly recommended as it will help your beekeeping skills develop and thus become more confident. We try to arrange all FDBKA candidates to take the assessment at a local apiary but if we have only one candidate they may need to go to a neighbouring association to join in with their assessments.

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Beginners Course – Commencing every January

The theory element of the 2025 course, with a full compliment of students, has concluded. The practical element will commence soon at Manor Farm.
We will be running the course again commencing in January 2026 and details of how to apply will appear here later in 2025.

For those thinking about becoming beekeepers here are some suggested books. 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
2024 Fees & Dates
Basic Syllabus 2024
Honey Bee Health Syllabus 2024
Advanced Husbandry / Microscopy

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Module Exams
The written exams of the BBKA are known as modules.
Exams are normally online but candidates could take them in-person at BBKA’s head office in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. However, please note that from 2025 all modules will be 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 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.