The BBKA Exam System
Test your bee knowledge with this bee quiz
Why do bees hum?
- Because they don’t know the words.
- Their wings beat at 180 beats/sec.
- A form of echo location.
- Audible warning of approach.
Answer
Their wings beat at 180 beats/min, which creates a sound near F on a keyboard.
Why do bees dance?
- Joie de vivre.
- To entertain us.
- To recruit foragers.
- Just showing off.
Answer
To recruit foragers. This is the well known ‘waggle dance’, where the direction of the waggle run on the vertical face of the comb tells potential foragers which direction to fly.
How do bees carry pollen?
- In a bag.
- In a box.
- In a basket.
- In a bucket.
Answer
In a basket. The pollen basket or corbiculum is on the hind legs of the worker bee.
What is the main constituent of Queen substance?
- 9-ODA
- 9-HDA
- 10-HDA
- 2-heptanone
Answer
9-ODA, or (E)-9-oxo-2-decenoic acid. There are many other chemical entities in Queen substance many of which play a role in colony cohesion and suppression of laying workers.
Where would you find the antenna cleaner?
- On the head.
- On the front legs.
- On the middle legs.
- On the mouth parts.
Answer
On the front legs. The antenna cleaner is a notch on the front leg of a bee with a peg or furcula that hinges to create a circular comb. The antenna is drawn though this comb to remove pollen.
How do bees navigate?
- By mental map.
- By geolocation.
- By magnetic north.
- By the sun.
Answer
By the sun. On a clear day, bees navigate by the sun, allowing for the movement of the sun while they are out foraging. On a cloudy day they can navigate by polarised light which is scattered by cloud.
How many eyes does a bee have?
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
Answer
Five. A bee has two compound eyes, one on each side of the head, and three simple eyes at the top of the head. These simple eyes or ocelli are thought to be sensitive to light intensity.
How many facets (ommatidia) does a drone have in each compound eye?
- 10,000
- 4,000
- 8,000
- 5,000
Answer
8,000. A worker bee has about 5,000 and a queen bee about 4,000. The drone needs better eye sight to spot the queen in the drone congregation area.
How many pairs of wax glands does a worker bee have?
- 4 pairs
- 2 pairs
- 1 pair
- 5 pairs
Answer
4 pairs. These are located on the sterna of segments 4 to 7 inclusive.
Did you score less than 100% and want to improve your knowledge? BBKA provide many different types of learning opportunities – see below.
BBKA Exam Structure
Items in Blue are practical assessments, Items in Cream are written examinations and Items in Green use an Assignment Record Book.
The BBKA exam structure is wide ranging, from Junior Certificate and Basic Assessment, up to General & Advanced Certificates in Beekeeping Husbandry. In parallel to the General and Advanced Husbandry Certificates there are 7 subject-specific Theory Modules. These are written examinations for those beekeepers who prefer a more academic approach. Supplementing these exams and assessments are special interest subjects which are not part of the progressive examinations. These are: Plants and Pollinators module, Honeybee Health Certificate, Microscopy Certificate, Honeybee Breeding Certificate and Show Judging.
The ultimate qualification is the National Diploma in Beekeeping, which is run separately from the BBKA structure. Below, are details of some of the BBKA exams and assessments.
Basic Assessment
This is an entirely practical and oral assessment and is the starting point and entry requirement for all other beekeeping examinations and assessments. It simply verifies that you have the basic skills and knowledge of the craft.
There are usually half a dozen members willing and able to take the assessment each summer and we would urge everyone who hasn’t yet done so to do it early in their beekeeping career. You meet the entrance requirement if you have kept at least one colony of honey bees for one year (more is equally acceptable!). It takes place at the Branch apiary over about an hour.
At first glance the syllabus seems daunting, but it merely lists the basic things which all beekeepers should know and requires that you can handle a colony of bees safely and sensibly. A few disease and general beekeeping questions rounds it off. To ensure success, preparation sessions are run by the Branch from April, with the assessment in late June or July. If you are interested, please contact the Branch Education Secretary (education@edbk.co.uk) by the end of April.
General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry
Have you been beekeeping for 5 years and passed your Basic Assessments?
The BBKA Examinations Board recommend you have also passed your Honey Bee Health Assessment before taking the General Husbandry Assessment.
It is designed for beekeepers who prefer the practical approach rather than the written examinations, although the same questions and topics that will arise must be equally familiar. 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.
- A short Q+A session on any honey bee related topic at a level consistent with the equivalent Module.
You will need to keep records of your hives for a year, as these may be used by the Assessors, and be able to present a minimum of three full, honey-producing colonies of bees. This means you should have a minimum of five colonies available in order to guard against colony failure, swarming, temperament issues etc.
The closing date is 28th February for each year. Contact the Branch Education Secretary (education@edbk.co.uk) for more information.
Modules – A chance to improve and test your knowledge in all aspects of apiculture.
The Modules are written examinations held either in person or online with sittings twice a year in March and November. Each paper takes 1hr 40 minute with a maximum of 2 in each session. There are seven module topics:
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
Module 8 must be the last module to be taken, otherwise they can be tackled in any order.
After passing modules 1, 2, 3 and one other from 5, 6 and 7 you are awarded the Intermediate Theory Certificate and after passing all modules you are awarded the Advanced Theory Certificate.
The entry requirements to sit the modules are the Basic Certificate and at least 1 year of beekeeping experience.
Dates for applications and sittings, together with current fees, are available on the BBKA website, see below.
To apply for an assessment or module examination please contact Branch Education Secretary, education@edbk.co.uk. They will be able to give you the details to apply and help you prepare. There may even be others willing to form a Study Group to work through the requirements together. You will get a receipt by email to confirm BBKA have your application and the Branch will reimburse your BBKA exam fees at the rate of 100% for the Basic Assessment and 50% for your first sitting of each Module.
Books suitable for those studying for the Exams and Assessments
Recommended reading lists can be found on the BBKA Member Hub, many of which can be borrowed free of charge from the Branch library. The lists are under the heading ‘Resources for Members’.
Information and Support
A large amount of information to help those studying is now available in the BBKA Member Hub. This includes:
- All module syllabi, reading lists, a sample paper and several past papers for each module.
- Links to online articles and subject matter which BBKA recommends you to read.
- Zoom talks for members – some of these are very relevant to certain modules.
- Beekeeper training videos on Hygiene, Pests & Diseases, Various Manipulations, Swarming, Queen Rearing and more.
- A quiz by which you can test your knowledge of each section of each module and the marking scheme for the quiz.
- A forum where you can discuss the subject with others who are studying for the same exam as you.
- Correspondence courses are also available to purchase from the BBKA shop. You would then be assigned a tutor who would advise you personally, answer your questions, and mark your past papers.
If you would prefer the support of a tutor from EDBK and to study together with other EDBK members for the same module at the same time, then we may be able to offer this locally. Please contact education@edbk.co.uk
To access the BBKA Member Hub, follow these links:
Go to BBKA Home page
Click the Member Hub button.
Enter BBKA membership number, including the dots,
followed by your post code.
Select your requirements from the nine Categories. Exams and assessments are middle left.
The BBKA Shop can be accessed by clicking the ‘Shop’ icon, top-right of the Home page.
