RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture – New Syllabus starting September 2022 (Friday AM)

From this course, you will gain a range of horticultural skills and knowledge relevant to employment in various roles in the horticultural sector. The qualification also supports progression to level 3 courses in horticulture or entry onto various horticultural training programmes. Please note that whilst there are no formal prerequisites for entry to the RHS Level 3 qualification it is strongly recommended that students have studied the content covered by the Level 2 Certificate.

Please note that the Level 3 RHS courses are in the process of being updated and will be replaced by September 2023.

Plant Identification: provides the skills and knowledge to enable learners to identify a wide range of plants.

1. Plant identification

Plant Establishment: provides learners with the skills involved in the establishment of plants in containers and the open ground.

1. Site-based assessment  
2. Preparing a site for planting 
3. Position plants prior to planting 
4. Seed sowing in the open ground 
5. Establishing new hedge plantings 
6. Planting in containers 
7. Planting and staking standard trees 
8. Labelling.

Plant Propagation: provides learners with the skills and underpinning knowledge to propagate plants professionally.

1. Environmental conditions 
2. Selection and suitability of propagation equipment
3. 3. Selection and sustainability of growing media
4. Propagating plants by seed in containers 
5. Propagating plants by vegetative means 
6. Equipment for propagation.

Plant Health: provides the skills to be able to identify and prevent a range of threats to plant health.

1. Ensuring plant health 
2. Nutritional deficiencies 
3. Monitoring, identifying, and controlling pests, pathogens, and diseases 
4. Implementation of IPM/Garden Health Plans.

Plant Care: equips learners with the skills and knowledge to be able to implement garden maintenance plans.

1. Following maintenance plans 
2. Water management 
3. Fertiliser application 
4. Staking and supporting 
5. Promoting plant health 
6. Mulching 
7. Weed control 
8. Potting off and potting on 
9. Green waste management.

Plant Pruning: equips learners with the horticultural skills and knowledge to be able to prune a range of plants.

1. Principles of pruning 
2. Pruning practices 
3. Pruning hedges 
4. Use and maintenance of hand tools and hedge trimmers.

Garden Features: provides learners with the skills and underpinning knowledge to be able to care for and maintain a wide range of garden features.

1. Principles of maintenance of garden features 
2. Timber elements 
3. Paved and hard surfaces 
4. Plant supports 
5. Pond maintenance.

Grassed Areas: provides learners with the skills required to establish and maintain grassed areas in private and public garden settings.

1. Turf species and seed mixes for different purposes 
2. Establishing grassed areas 
3. Mowing grassed areas 
4. Scarifying/aerating 
5. Weed control 
6. Maintaining turf health 
7. Repairing turf.

The RHS has updated its Level 2 Qualifications in line with Ofqual regulations and from September 2022 BCA will only be offering these new courses. Full details of the course contents are now available on the RHS website.

Learn more at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/pdf/qualifications/level-2/level-2-certificate-in-practical-horticulture.pdf

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the assessment method for the Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture is changing. Please see full details of how this qualification is assessed under the Assessment tab.

To read the BCA Booking Terms & Conditions for RHS courses, please click here.

On successful completion of the course you will have obtained an RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture

The assessment method for the Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture is changing from continuous in-house assessment throughout the year to three separate external assessments. In simple terms, this means that there will be one Online Competency Assessment Test – OCA and two Practical Assessment Tests – PCA.

The ‘Online Competency Assessment Test’ will be on 28 June 2023 (there will also be additional opportunities for re-sits on dates to be advised by RHS). The online test will be 75 minutes long and learners have to secure a minimum of 50% of the marks on this paper to pass this element. In overall terms, the online test represents 35% of the overall marks for the qualification,

The two ‘Practical Competency Assessment tests’ will be 2 hours long and conducted by a visiting RHS examiner. The first Assessment ‘PCA 1’ will be run at a date to be agreed between BCA and RHS sometime between January and March and the second one ‘PCA 2’ will be run sometime between May and July. The Practical Competency Assessment tests provide the opportunity for the learner to physically demonstrate the skills they have acquired, the practical tests represent 65% of the total marks.

Anyone signing up for these new courses will need to be available for the assessment tests which may or may not be run on the same day of the course they are signed up to. 

All resits will be at an additional cost.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)