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Thread: Reference books for exams

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    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Default Reference books for exams

    I saw a couple of expensive booklets called 'Beekeeping Study Notes' on Thornes. Would you recommend them for taking the exams? They're not listed on the SBA website.
    Kitta

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    Are they the yate's ones?

    I hear a lot if mixed reviews about them if so, but have never personally used them.

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    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Thanks Nellie - and I can see from your other posts that you clearly did not need them either. I'll use other books and information (such as the FERA leaflets you mentioned in the other thread).
    Kitta

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    Somewhere in my list of bookmarks, I have a link to one of the English association sites who put together a very thorough set of study notes for each Module Syllabus. That might well be a cheaper rival to the Yate's guides.

    What they are good at doing is covering the individual syllabus points, the criticisms that I've read about them is that they are sometimes slow to release updates to reflect the latest syllabus and that some of the information contained within them is either out of date or just plain wrong. Again I've not personally used them so I'm only going on what I've been told.

    I think for Module Three in particular it's an un-necessary expense, given the wealth of good material out there for free, for some of the other modules which tread off the beaten track a bit in terms of what you might want to know as a competent beekeeper (do you really need an indepth understanding of Honey Bee Biology? Perhaps not) they might have more value.

    I will perhaps get hold of one just to see what I think of them.

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    I think this is what your bookmark will be Nellie

    http://blog.mbbka.org.uk/category/education/

    Pretty good and free. I don't have the Yates Module 1-4 book as it was out of print when I was sitting Mods 1 and 2 this March. But I do have their Basic book and while it's ok it's quite opinion-based and for that reason I didn't like it. From what I've read their books covering the modules are in a similar vein. I'm trying to study for the modules using other sources. For module 3 I believe the Celia Davis book is a good source (together with the stuff Nellie referred me to in another thread)

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    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Thanks Nellie and Drumgerry - for the extra information and for the link. I hummed and hawed as to whether I should buy them or not, but your replies put my mind at ease - I won't. Thanks, K

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    Quote Originally Posted by drumgerry View Post
    I think this is what your bookmark will be Nellie

    http://blog.mbbka.org.uk/category/education/

    Pretty good and free. I don't have the Yates Module 1-4 book as it was out of print when I was sitting Mods 1 and 2 this March. But I do have their Basic book and while it's ok it's quite opinion-based and for that reason I didn't like it. From what I've read their books covering the modules are in a similar vein. I'm trying to study for the modules using other sources. For module 3 I believe the Celia Davis book is a good source (together with the stuff Nellie referred me to in another thread)
    That's the one.

    I did have a look at the guides on amazon and the basic one gets pretty bad reviews compared to the others. I hadn't realised that they covered multiple modules so the price perhaps isn't that bad if you're intending to do them all and in a relatively short space of time.

    One caveat would be that I know the BBKA is changing the modules soon. The intention is apparently to make them less focused around remembering facts as being more towards demonstrating understanding of the topic in question. Module 3 is supposed to become more focused around bee health rather then pests and diseases as it is now so in the longer term, they might not be worth the money until the programme is clearer.

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    I've got Yates that covers modules 1 - 4. It has lots of information in there but isn't a good read unlike Winstons Biology of the Honeyybee which is a cracking read IMO. There are mistakes too - it's more comprehensive than just brief notes. Yes there are opininons in there rather than just fact.

    The mbbka downlads are good.

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    And I'm going to throw a spanner in - the new edition of Yates 1-3 is very impressive. Up to date and everything in one book. The gen husbandry one is good too. S'pose it depends on when they were last reviewed. BTW have to agree on winston - excellent book.

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    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Back to square one! Thanks for all the opinions and suggestions.
    Kitta

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