Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC)
Thursday 9th July 2026 – 09:30 – 17:00
Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, OX14 4TE
£250 + VAT
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. The FISC assesses your real-life botanical skills and is not designed to be part of a training course. Conducted over a day, the FISC is an enjoyable experience.
There are three separate elements to a FISC. There are two lab tests, the first of which is ten specimens that should be identified without using any books or keys. Then there are twenty specimens that may be identified using any books or keys, but no reference collections or on-line resources may be used. This will take place at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, which is 10 minutes by regular bus from Didcot railway station.
The third test is in the field – after lunch you will spend approximately two hours surveying a small site and recording the vascular plant species. Information on the location of the site will be provided at the morning session.
Further information including risk assessments will provided on the day or you can read about the FISC process in full here: FISC Information Booklet 2026
How to Book
All places have now sold out
Payment
If you have successfully reserved a place we will send you an invoice. Payment is by bank transfer and must be made within 30 days of receipt of the invoice.
Trial FISC grant discount code
If you have been provided with a discount code by BSBI for the trail FISC grants, this must be provided in your initial booking email. The discount cannot be applied once an invoice has been issued.
What to Bring
A hand lens, clipboard and your preferred plant identification books, for example: Stace: New Flora of the British Isles plus a picture guide such as Rose: The Wild Flower Key is an appropriate combination. Poland: The Vegetative Key to the British Flora can also be a useful resource for plants not in flower.
Be prepared for any weather for the field test.
Please bring a packed lunch. Tea/Coffee/Biscuits provided at the morning session.
You cannot use electronic resources (phones, tablets, laptops etc.) during any part of the day. During the FISC you will not be allowed to use a phone or other electronic device, so please bring along a watch to keep track of your time.
Results
Provisional marks will be provided to each candidate within 8 weeks of the assessment day by BSG Ecology. Marks will be kept confidential.
These provisional marks will be quality assured by BSBI at the end of the field season to ensure consistency of tests and marking across all FISCs. Provisional marks may be moderated and revised during the QA process to ensure all results meet consistent standards. BSBI will send you your final score in your FISC Certificate by December.
Data Protection
BSBI and your FISC Provider are joint Data Controllers for your data associated with a FISC you have attended. Further information on data protection is available in the FISC Information booklet.
Important Information
Please arrive at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre at 9:30 am for a 10am start. There is parking available at the centre.