Field Identification Skills Certificate

All queries related to FISC should be sent to fisc@bsbi.org

A FISC is a one day assessment that determines your botanical skill level ranging from 1 (beginner) to 5 (professional), with Level 6 awarded in exceptional circumstances.

You can find out everything about how FISCs are run and FAQs in the FISC Information Booklet which is updated annually.

FISCs are delivered by partner FISC Providers.  All FISCs undergo a end of season Quality assurance check, undertaken by a panel of expert botanists and experienced FISC Assessors. This ensures that all FISCs are set at the appropriate standard.

Take a FISC in 2025

Please find all the 2025 FISCs listed below. This is the final list.  We are working hard to continue to expand FISC provision to help meet demand and to also make FISCs available in Wales and Ireland in the not too distant future.

30 May - Oxfordshire. Provider: FSC. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) with the Field Studies Council – Field Studies Council. FULLY BOOKED

4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 June - Preston Montford. Provider: Field Studies Council and Arvensis Ecology: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) – Field Studies Council

11 June - Devon. Provider: Devon Biodiversity Record Centre. Booking Link: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Registration, Wed, Jun 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED

16 June- Coventry. Provider: RSK Biocensus. Register to attend – RSK Biocensus FISC in Coventry – RSK Environment Coventry

17 June-Coventry. Provider RSK Biocensus. Register to attend – RSK Biocensus FISC in Coventry – RSK Environment Coventry

17 June- Rutland. Provider: Natural England. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Tickets, Tue, Jun 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite FULLY BOOKED

25 and 26 June - Hartpury University, Gloucester. Provider: Hartpury University. Field Identification Skills Certificate (Botany) | Hartpury University

26 June - North Devon. Provider: FSC. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) with the Field Studies Council – Field Studies Council

27 June - Budleigh Salterton. Provider: FSC. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) with the Field Studies Council – Field Studies Council. FULLY BOOKED

2 July - Cassington. Provider: BSG Ecology, Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) - Oxfordshire Tickets, Wed 2 Jul 2025 at 09:30 | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED.

9 July-Wallingford. Provider: Natural England. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Tickets, Wed, Jul 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED

9 and 10 July - Preston Montford. Provider: Field Studies Council and Arvensis Ecology: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) – Field Studies Council. FULLY BOOKED

9 and 10 July-Clitheroe. Provider Bowland Ecology. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) - Clitheroe, July 2025 Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite FULLY BOOKED

11 July - Devon. Provider: Devon Biodiversity Record Centre. Booking Link: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Registration, Fri, Jul 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED

17 and 18 July - Leatherhead, England. Provider: Surrey Wildlife Trust. Booking link: Field Identification Skills Certificate | Surrey Wildlife Trust. FULLY BOOKED

18th July - Southport. Provider: Styles Ecology Ltd. Booking Link: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) | British Botany. FULLY BOOKED

21 July - University of Galway, Ireland. Trial FISC in Ireland - one place has become available (NO certificate): Register to attend – FISC in Ireland Trial – University of Galway

23 July - Warrington. Provider: Environment Bank. Booking Link: Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Tickets, Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite FULLY BOOKED

23,24 July-Brighton. provider: CIEEM. Booking Link: FISC Assessments | CIEEM

25 July - Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Provider: FSC. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) with the Field Studies Council – Field Studies Council FULLY BOOKED

29 July-Somerset. Provider: Natural England. FISC booking link. FULLY BOOKED

5th and 6th Aug - Northumberland. Provider: E3 Ecology. Field Identification Skills Certificate 2025 Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite FULLY BOOKED

6 Aug- Ingleton. Provider: Natural England. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Tickets, Wed, Aug 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED

12 Aug-Norwich. Provider: Natural England. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Tickets, Tue, Aug 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite. FULLY BOOKED

13,14 Aug - Eden Project, Cornwall. Provider: CIEEM. FISC Assessments | CIEEM

29 Aug - Hertford, England. Provider: HMWT. Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC). FULLY BOOKED

Please note that FISC Providers are free to set their own fees and many are choosing to pay their FISC Assessors and Gold Standard Surveyors, who are all Level 5 botanists, professional rates to reflect their expertise. There will be a range of prices across the Providers and some discounted places too for students and eligible volunteers.

Please use the button below to register your interest in hearing updates when available.

Mock FISCs and Bringing FISCs to Ireland

If you are new to FISCs and are interested in learning more about how a FISC works before you do the exam, you may want to consider attending a mock FISC. Any level indicated through this process is for guidance only and cannot be used in any other way.

Mock FISC dates:

21st May - Wiltshire. Provider:  Plantlife Mock FISC Assessment: Wiltshire Tickets, Wed, May 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

6 and 13 June - Shropshire. Provider: Preston Monford FSC Mock Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) – Field Studies Council.

9 July - Somerset. Provider: Plantlife Mock FISC Assessment: Somerset Tickets, Wed, Jul 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite FULLY BOOKED

Bringing FISCs to Ireland:

We are also working towards bringing FISCs to Ireland for the first time and a trail FISC was held at the University of Galway in 2025 on 21 July.

Past FISC candidates

If you undertook a FISC in previous years, your data may have been transferred to BSBI by Providers and is now held in a secure database according to our Privacy Policy. If you would like to update your details you can do so using this form, or if you would like your details removed from our database, please get in contact by emailing FISC@bsbi.org.

Building capacity for delivery of FISC- can you help?

Capacity is limited by the number of BSBI approved FISC Assessors and Providers. If you have a FISC level 5 and are interested in becoming an Assessor or Gold Standard Surveyor, please get in touch via fisc@bsbi.org.

In addition to FISC Assessors, we would love to also hear from anyone willing to help with delivery of FISCs, whether that be as someone who grows a selection of native plants, parts of which you may be willing to share for FISC lab tests; as someone able to provide a venue from which a FISC can be run, or as an owner or manager of a suitable species rich field site which could be surveyed as part of a FISC. Please get in touch via fisc@bsbi.org.

Find out more...

What is a FISC?

The FISC is a test that assesses your botanical proficiency on a scale from 1 (beginner) to 5 (professional), with a level 6 awarded in exceptional cases. Originally developed by Sarah Whild and Sue Dancey, the BSBI's FISC Development Working Group (including a number of experienced FISC Assessors) now supports and oversees the running of FISCs.

The FISC assesses your real-life botanical skills and is not designed to be part of a training course. It's gaining popularity, with some consultancies sending their staff annually to encourage skill development.

Conducted over a day, the FISC is an enjoyable experience. It consists of two lab sessions where candidates identify 30 fresh specimens from across Britain and Ireland. Following this is a field survey where you spend a couple of hours building a species list on an interesting local site. Your identifications are then compared to a list generated by the Gold Standard Surveyor to determine your skill level.

Results are confidential, but you can choose to share them with potential employers and colleagues. With no pass or fail, the FISC is open to everyone, regardless of skill level. Upon completion, you receive an electronic certificate from the BSBI indicating your skill level, along with advice on activities you are competent to undertake and further studies for progression.

FISCs assess achievement of the field element of the Levels described in the Botanical Skills Ladder (also available in Welsh).

FISC data has been used to study the accuracy of recording by people of all skill levels, summarised in the poster below: