RHS FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the RHS Level 2 courses.

1. Who are the courses for? Do I need to take them at the same time?
2. What format do the courses take?
3. Attendance: What if I can’t make every single class?
4. Waiting List: What happens if the course I was interested in is fully booked?
5. Self-study: How much self-study is required?
6. Timetables: What does the year look like? When are the holidays?
7. My employer or a funding agency is paying my course fees – how do I pay my deposit?
8. Application: What does the application process involve?
9. Accessibility: I have a disability, health condition or learning difficulty.
10. Privacy Policies
11. Course content: Where do I find out more about the course content?
12. Assessments
13. Other costs and equipment – all students
14. Other costs and equipment – practical only

1.Who are the courses for? Do I need to take them at the same time?

The RHS Level 2 courses are designed to be suitable for anyone with an interest in horticulture. They attract a wide range of students, including current gardeners and horticulturalists looking to get qualified, career-changers, school-leavers, and people who just want to learn more in their spare time or retirement. We can take students who are under 18, but please get in touch at lease 6 weeks before the start of your course.

Both the theory and practical courses are designed so they can be taken as stand-alone courses, one after the other (in either order), or together in the same year.

Before taking both courses at once, you may want to consider if you have enough time for self-study, and also that the final assessments will be a few days apart.

2. What format do the classes take?

Both the theory and practical courses involve classroom learning that is a mixture of lectures, class discussion, plant handling/identification, group activities and garden tours/observation.

• For the evening theory, this is 100% of the course.
• For the daytime theory there are 7 enhancement topics, extra to the RHS syllabus, and these may be more practical – like propagation or fruit pruning.
• For the practical, about 50% of the course is classroom based, and 50% practical work.

3. Attendance: What if I can’t make every single class?

We do encourage attending as many classes as is possible, but we don’t set any attendance limits, and understand our students may sometimes have other commitments. If you do have to miss a session, notes are always provided on Blackboard, our online learning environment.

Depending on the sessions missed, and if there is space in the classroom, it may sometimes be possible to join one of the other classes to make up some of the topics missed. However this option is not guaranteed, and will depend on the schedules and space available.

4. Waiting List: What happens if the course I was interested in is fully booked?

If a course becomes fully booked, we will open a waiting list. Email botanic-gardens@bristol.ac.uk to join.

5. Self-study: How much self-study is required?

The RHS recommends around 1.5 hours of self-study a week, however this will vary by student – some of our students report they have felt they needed to do at least double this.

6. Timetables: What does the year look like? When are the holidays?

We are currently finalising our course schedules, but the general format is:
• Evening theory courses break only for Christmas and Easter.
• Daytime theory and practical courses break for half terms holidays as well as Christmas and Easter.
• Courses finish in the last class before the final assessment (Tuesday 23rd of June 2026 for the theory, Friday 19th June for the practical).
You can find Bristol City Council term dates below:
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/files/documents/7831-bcc-term-dates-2025-2026/file

7. Employer funding: My employer or a funding agency is paying my course fees – how do I pay my deposit?

Please get in touch with the Botanic Garden office immediately to arrange (botanic-gardens@bristol.ac.uk).

8. Application: What does the application process involve?

At Level 2, there are no formal prerequisites aside from an interest in horticulture. You will not need to provide a personal statement or qualifications – application is by payment of the course deposit.

9. Accessibility: I have a disability, health condition or learning difficulty.

During enrolment we will ask if you have any access requirements due to health, disability or learning difficulties. If you have a condition that will affect your learning in class, please let us know as soon as you have booked so we can make arrangements to support you. If you have a condition that will affect your exams, we will make an application for access arrangements to the RHS. We can also put you in touch with the University’s Disability Services team.

10. Privacy Policies

During enrolment, you will be asked to confirm you have read the University and RHS privacy policies.
Privacy Policy – University of Bristol Botanic Garden
RHS Privacy Policy / RHS

11. Course content: Where do I find out more about the course content?

You can find out more about the course content, including the full syllabus on the RHS website: RHS Level 2 Qualifications

12. Assessments

RHS exams are set nationally and may not be at the same time or on the same days as your class. Assessment dates for 2025/26 are:

Theory:
Unit 1: Monday 9th of February 2026
Unit 2: Tuesday 23rd of June 2026

Practical:
Practical Competency Assessment 1 (PCA1): not yet confirmed – usually early March.
Practical Competency Assessment 2 (PCA2): not yet confirmed – usually early June.
Online Competency Assessment (OCA): Friday 19th June

13. Other costs and equipment – all students

Your course fees include your tuition, RHS course registration, and a first sitting of your exams.

You will need to provide:

• Stationery for notetaking.
• A device with internet connection. Lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard, the University’s online learning environment – this is best viewed on a desktop or laptop PC, or large tablet rather than a mobile phone.
• For those who prefer printed notes, you will need to have access to a printer.
• For online exams (optional for theory, mandatory for practical) you will need to a laptop or desktop computer, internet, and a private room (this does not need to be in your house).

RHS Additional Charges:

• For those who prefer to sit theory exams online, this is at extra charge.
• For those requiring exam feedback or resit exams, this is at extra charge.
• For late changes to exams, there is an extra charge.

14. Other costs and equipment – practical only