22 Jul Supporting Professional Development: Delivering FISC in partnership with BSBI 2026
BSG Ecology is delighted to be delivering Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) in partnership with the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) for the fourth year. Over the last three years thirty-nine of our Ecologists have taken part in our assessment days with twenty-seven achieving Level 4 – 5. This year we were pleased to once again open up our assessment day to external candidates who joined ecologists from across BSG to undertake the day-long test.
The FISC test comprises two laboratory-based tests and a field test to assess a candidate’s skill level in identifying UK plants. The lab tests include plant specimens from a range of habitats across the country, and the field test requires candidates to produce a species-list for a local site under timed exam conditions. Marks for the field test are standardised against a professional-level botanist who also undertakes the test. FISCs are graded on a scale from 1 (beginner) to 5 (professional), FISC can also detect level 6 botanists, but this is not common.
FISCs are established as the industry standard for assessing botanical survey skills. These skills are vital for ecologists who undertake habitat survey and monitoring, habitat condition assessment for biodiversity gain work, and more specialized botanical and vegetation surveys. BSG Ecology is rolling out company-wide FISC assessment to help us provide clear evidence that our survey work is robust, appropriately resourced, and that our ecologists develop the experience and training they need to progress their ecological careers.
Results of the assessments will be available following the issuing of FISC certificates by BSBI later this year.