Journeyman is the second level in the Master Beekeeper Program.
In order to become a Journeyman Beekeeper, you must:
- Maintain an uninterrupted membership in the NCSBA since receiving the Certified Beekeeper Level of the MBP, or three consecutive years of membership prior to being qualified to take any Journeyman Exam. Membership must be maintained through the Journeyman certification process or the three-year rule referenced above will be applied.
- Hold a Certified level Beekeeper certification for a minimum of one year before being permitted to take any Journeyman Level Beekeeper Exam.
- Pass a written examination, administered by an NCSBA MBP representative at one of the statewide conferences or special testing events. Written exams cannot be taken on consecutive days at the Spring or Summer conferences.
- Pass a Practical Examination administered by an NCSBA MBP representative. Candidates must take the written Journeyman Beekeeper Level exam before being permitted to take any part of the Journeyman/Master Practical exam. Only five Journeyman/Master Practical sections will be offered at one sitting. Those may be repeated until four have been passed. No further Practical sections will be offered until the candidate qualifies for and takes the Master written exam. Practical exams cannot be taken on consecutive days at the Spring or Summer conferences.
- Have a minimum of two years of beekeeping experience.
- Have completed five public service credits.
- Passing grade for the written Journeyman Level exam is 75% effective January 1, 2020.
NCSBA Regional Directors have access to the Official Advanced Curriculum journeyman prep course. These courses should be offered as a regional course rather than a chapter-oriented course.
Whether you choose to take this course or not, the following is helpful as well.
In order to prepare for the journeyman level, the following materials are available:
- Journeyman/Master Written Exam Study Guide (the prep course mentioned above covers most of this material)
- Journeyman Practical Test Form
- Instructions and Form for Reporting to the MBP Committee
- List of Valid Public Service Credits
Testing will be done at the spring and summer NCSBA conferences and regional special testing sites in the fall.
Master Beekeepers will issue the written and practical test to Journeyman applicants. The NCSBA MBP Coordinator will review and grade the test, public service hours credits, and practical examination results to determine if applicant has completed all requirements to receive Journeyman Level.
On passing, a certificate of completion will be forwarded to the affiliated Regional Director and arrangements will be made with the beekeeper’s association president for presentation to the Journeyman. The Journeyman’s name will be added to the NCSBA list of “JOURNEYMAN BEEKEEPERS”.
If you have questions, please contact mbp@ncbeekeepers.org.