Master Beekeepers Certification Program

The purpose of the Master Beekeeper certification program is to identify and certify people who have an in-depth knowledge of honey bee biology, expertise in the proper practices of beekeeping, and who can present this information to the beekeeping and non-beekeeping public in a detailed, accurate, clear and authoritative manner. The goal of this program is to certify teachers – that those who are awarded the title of Master Beekeeper are competent at a college level in the four areas in which they are tested, and are able to pass that knowledge on to others.

The certification testing takes place during the annual EAS Conference and consists of written, laboratory, field, and oral examinations. It is administered and coordinated by Master Beekeeper volunteers who are designated by the Master Beekeeper Certification Committee and the organization’s Academic Advisor. Questions regarding the program should be directed to the Certification Committee Chairperson at mbcertification@easternapiculture.org.

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Any experienced beekeeper meeting the requirements is eligible to apply for certification as a Master Beekeeper. The applicant must be a member of EAS at the time the exam is taken.

Persons interested in applying should have a minimum of 5 years as a serious beekeeper in some aspect of apiary management such as a very dedicated hobbyist, a commercial beekeeper, working for a commercial beekeeper or as an apiary inspector. Also, it is helpful if applicants have completed the equivalent of a college-level course in beekeeping. An applicant should be well-read in apicultural literature.

In addition, a Recommendation of the Candidate for EAS Master Beekeeper Examination in support of the individual seeking Master Beekeeper Certification must be submitted by the application deadline. This recommendation may be supplied by a current Master Beekeeper, professional beekeeping specialist or current officer of a local, state or regional beekeeping organization with whom the applicant has a long-standing personal association. We recognize that some candidates in some parts of the world may have difficulty finding an appropriate person to make this recommendation. In such cases, the Certification Committee will accept the recommendation of a highly experienced local beekeeper who is very familiar with the candidate’s beekeeping skills and experience. This person should, if at all possible, be familiar with the applicant’s skills in the apiary. If no one individual is entirely familiar with the applicant’s qualifications and skills, it is acceptable to provide two recommendations if approved by the Master Beekeeper Certification Committee.

The recommendation can be submitted with the application or can be sent separately but must be received by the application deadline.

Persons wishing to take the Master Beekeeper Certification Exam should submit the application and recommendation by email to mbcertification@easternapiculture.org. The application and recommendation forms can be downloaded here: Application Form and Recommendation Form. If you are unable to download these forms, send an email to mbcertification@easternapiculture.org asking for an application.

The deadline for application is June 1st. All applications and letters of recommendation must be received by the deadline.
The number of applicants accepted may be governed by the facilities available for testing. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A section of the exam can be retaken. It is not necessary to repeat sections of the exam which have already been passed, however, candidates taking the exam as of 2014 must successfully complete all four sections of the exam within five years of first test attempt.

You must notify the Certification Committee of your intention to retake any section of the exam by June 1 of the year in which you intend to take the exam.

Notification should be made by email to mbcertification@easternapiculture.org. If you do not state your intentions by the designated date, you will not be permitted to retake that part of the exam.

Master Beekeeper applicants can find an outline of examination subjects and a list of references to study in preparation for the examination on the References page of this website.

Applicants who are accepted as candidates for certification are charged a fee that covers the cost of supplies and expenses for testing.

The initial examination fee for all four sections is $100. The fee for retaking a section of the exam previously failed is $25 per section. Once passed, it is not necessary to repeat any section.

Candidates must register and pay for all three days of the Conference in order to be tested.

Candidates that are accepted will be invoiced for the cost of the exam and can pay via Wild Apricot (The EAS online registration and conference software application.)

Certification testing takes place at the annual EAS Conference. Testing consists of:

Written Examination on knowledge of all aspects of beekeeping
Laboratory Examination on recognition of diseases, equipment and proper practices
Field Exam on the proper inspection, handling, and evaluation of honey bee colonies.
Oral Examination on one’s ability to communicate accurately and effectively to both beekeepers and public.