# More ... > Beekeeper education >  Expert Beemaster

## Mellifera Crofter

I've just had a look at the SBA education structure and it seems to me that, with the new structure, you can become an Expert Beemaster without having to sit any exams at all - you only need to pass two practical assessments.  There is also no link from the exams to the final Expert Beemaster Certificate.  What is the route now from sitting all the exams to Expert Beemaster?  Do we have to apply for both practical examinations or just the Apiarian one as before?  (The website is a bit confusing because some of the other papers still give the old structure and no mention of the Intermediate Practical Examination.)
Kitta

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## Neils

I think you missed a bit.  You need both the Advanced Practical (Apiarian) assessment AND the Advanced certificate which you get from passing all of the module exams (no mean feat!).

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## Mellifera Crofter

Thanks Neil - your description of the structure is how I understood it to be as well - but if you click on that link above, you'll see on page 2 that that's not how it is described.  According to that structure you can bypass the exams with an Intermediate Practical Certificate.  Also, according to that structure, there is no link from the exams to Expert Beemaster.

Looking at the syllabus for the two practicals I can see that for the Apiarian we'll be orally quizzed on all the modules, but not in the Intermediate Practical Certificate.  That means that those of us who sat all the exams (assuming there is a link from the exams to Expert Beemaster) will be quizzed twice on the content of all the modules, but the people who bypassed the exams, would not have to do that.

I think there must be a mistake in the way the structure has been depicted but if not, what is the point of the Intermediate Practical Certificate?

Kitta

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## Neils

Hang on...

That syllabus still has Module 4 on it, while on the charts above it recognises that it's been discontinued as a separate Module.

I'm doing my usual convert the BBKA format which I am familiar with into the SBA equivalent on the basis that I understand all the UK National Associations are working to the same syllabus and exam structure but what's on the link above is significantly different in structure to the BBKA version of the Intermediate Practical (General Husbandry) where no formal knowledge of the Module structure is required though there will obviously be some overlap of knowledge between the assessments and the theory papers.

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## Mellifera Crofter

> Hang on...
> 
> That syllabus still has Module 4 on it ...


Oh dear - I'm getting a bit confused here!  I can't see Module 4 being mentioned, Neil.  That's one thing it didn't get wrong.




> ... the BBKA version of the Intermediate Practical (General Husbandry) where no formal knowledge of the Module structure is required ...


The SBA schedule says the Intermediate practical reflects the year's work - so probably the same as the BBKA's General Husbandry.  It's for the next practical, The Apiarian, that candidates will be quizzed on the modules.

What really confuses me is that it seems that the Intermediate Practical (General Husbandry) is considered to be the equivalent of having passed seven exams (or two certificates).  So, Basic Beemaster, wait five years, Intermediate Practical, Apiarian practical = Beemaster.  Is that right?
Kitta

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## Neils

I'd say no it is not correct that you can just do the assessments to get the Expert Beemaster Certificate.

if you just do the Intermediate and Advanced practicals you get the Apiarian Certificate. If you just do the exams you get the Advance certificate. If you do BOTH the Advanced Certificate (theory exams) and the Apiarian (practical Assessments) then you are now an Expert Beemaster. The lack of an Arrow from the Advance Certificate to the Expert Beemaster probably doesn't help.

The only "shortcut", so to speak, that I'm aware of is that if you have already done the Microscopy exam then you do not have to repeat the Microscopy Module in the Advanced practical, at least in the BBKA programme so I'm again assuming that the same is true on the SBA programme.

The "Module discussion" on the BBKA notes for the Advanced Practical is listed as a 40 minute interview on a range of topics covered by the syllabus as a whole.

[edit] now I can't find the paper that still listed elements of Module 4, typical.

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## Mellifera Crofter

Thanks Neil. 




> ... if you just do the Intermediate and Advanced practicals you get the Apiarian Certificate.


And along this route, Neil, how do you proceed to Master Beekeeper?




> If you just do the exams you get the Advance certificate. If you do BOTH the Advanced Certificate (theory exams) and the Apiarian (practical Assessments) then you are now an Expert Beemaster. The lack of an Arrow from the Advance Certificate to the Expert Beemaster probably doesn't help.


Until last year the route was Advanced Certificate (= all the written modules) + Apiarian Certificate (one practical) = Expert Beemaster.  They've since added the Intermediate practical.  Does that mean the Apiarian Certificate now consists out of two practicals (Intermediate and Advanced)?

Sorry Neil.  I won't continue banging my head about this.  Perhaps I should just wait until somebody has updated that diagram so that it makes some sense.
Kitta

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## Neils

> Thanks Neil. 
> 
> Until last year the route was Advanced Certificate (= all the written modules) + Apiarian Certificate (one practical) = Expert Beemaster.  They've since added the Intermediate practical.  Does that mean the Apiarian Certificate now consists out of two practicals (Intermediate and Advanced)?


That's how I read it. The BBKA certificate names are slightly different, but I'm led to believe that the content is the same.





> And along this route, Neil, how do you proceed to Master Beekeeper?


In a nutshell: Advanced Husbandry plus modules 1-8.

If you do modules 1-3 plus one other you get the intermediate theory certificate. That, coupled with the General Husbandry makes you a "qualified beekeeper" in the eyes of the BBKA.

If you complete all of the written modules you get the Advanced Theory Certificate. if you couple that with the Advanced Certificate then you're now a Master Beekeeper.

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## Mellifera Crofter

> ... The lack of an Arrow from the Advance Certificate to the Expert Beemaster probably doesn't help. ...


Neil, I'm definitely more visual-minded than literal-minded.  I stared at the diagram and didn't even notice the text in brackets next to 'Expert Beemaster Certificate'.  Sorry.

I finally saw the light after asking the Education Convener's help.  He also said that we have two years left in which to receive The Apiarian Certificate as one practical.  From 2016 it will consist of the two practicals (the Intermediate and the Advanced) as published in the new diagram.

Kitta

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## Neils

I was beginning to wonder : D

A while back I checked with both SBA and BBKA people around the crossover between the education programmes hence using the BBKA version to cross check and not just because I'm more familiar with it  :Smile:

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