RHS Level 2 Practical: Practical assessments and how they work

The proof is in the pruning

The Manor Gardens at Capel Manor, on a late January day

The first week back to college this January began with a mock exam. Sounds a bit mean, but we found it really good practice! Tasks included single-digging and seed sowing, with a plant ident. I mixed up Prunus serrula and Acer griseum, and my dug patch was a bit sloped, but otherwise I'm pleased with how I did - and got some useful feedback.

But how do the practical assessments work? And what role do they play? Here's all that I know.

There are two sets of exams on the RHS L2 Practical course. One in March, one in June. The March exam is a practical assessment with a plant ident. The June one has both of those too, with the addition of an 'online competency assessment' (an on-screen exam paper). 

Your final grade (fail, pass, merit or distinction) is made up of:

Practical assessments x 2 (80%) 

Online competency assessment x 1 and plant idents (20%)

Three tasks

On the day, you'll be asked to complete three tasks, each lasting around half an hour. 

This won't be a one-to-one situation, so you won't feel like the examiner is breathing down your neck. Usually, a class is split into smaller groups, with half being assessed in the morning and half in the afternoon. Although you'll be under exam conditions - so silence, no phone, etc - you will all be completing each task in the same area together. You won't do any group work, though. 

You'll be given a written sheet, which will say something like, "You work in a garden and your manager has asked you to do X." Read this carefully to understand what you need to do - e.g. if the task is seed sowing, it might give you a hint as to how many trays/pots you should sow, etc. 

The examiners walk around the work area, observing what each person is doing. They'll be a mixture of external RHS examiners and course assessors from your college. You'll be given updates on how many minutes have passed to help you manage your time.

What you'll have to do

You could be tested on any three of the tasks you've been taught. You won't be tested on elements of the course you haven't been taught yet (that would be a bit harsh). So in the March exam, you can be tested on anything you've done from the beginning of the practical course right up to the exam date.

You can also use your noggin to predict which tasks are unlikely to come up. For example, your study of hort-related legislation tells you that it's illegal in the UK to cut hedges from 1 March to 31 July, which is bird nesting season. Therefore, you're not going to be asked to actually do hedge-cutting in exams that fall in March and June. It might still come up in a written assessment, though...and it's useful! So you should learn it anyway!

In total, there are around 15 tasks that you could be tested on (across both March and July exams). I can't find these listed publicly, and tutors say they aren't permitted to tell us. So we're all trying to guess, obviously! Here are the practicals my class has been taught so far, which we think might come up in the test. 

I'll update this later in the year. I'm also working through 'how and why' tutorials for each... bear with me!

1. Sowing seeds
2. Primary cultivation (aka single- or double-digging) or secondary cultivation (aka seedbed preparation)
3. Cuttings (leaf, hardwood, softwood, semi-ripe or conifer) 
4. Pruning (wind rock, roses, etc) [note: as I understand it, you will not have to work at height in the assessment]
5. Planting a tree (bare-root [March exam only] or container)  
6. Hedge planting 
7. Marking out beds
8. Setting out a planting area from a plan, e.g. a carpet bed
9. Creating a planted container (pot/hanging basket/etc)
10. Mowing a lawn (including pre-start lawnmower checks) [unlikely in March!]
11. Dividing perennials 

A misty day at Capel

What happens if weather is bad?

Don't presume that if it's a wet day, you won't be doing tasks outside. Examiners might choose to do something in a polytunnel - but gardeners work in all weathers, and the exam could involve working in the rain.

However, lightning, storms, waterlogging, snow and very high winds can all present hazards that may move an exam indoors, even unexpectedly. You might find that an 'alternative' task is found, like tool sharpening rather than pruning. If necessary, you might even be asked to write down how you would have done a task, rather than doing it!

I'm worried about failing

Let me set your mind at ease. 

Firstly, this is an entry-level course. 

Secondly, the pass rate for the RHS Level 2 practical assessment in June 2023 was over 95%. 

Of those who passed, 1.5% achieved 70%, 5% achieved 80%, 12.5% achieved 90% and 81% achieved 100%.

You only need 50% to pass! Anything over 80% is a distinction.

That doesn't mean you should be complacent or not revise for the exam (and ultimately gain learning for your career). It's also worth noting that this was the first set of June exams since the course changed in 2022, which probably skewed results. But it does mean you don't need to fear it! As long as you take the time to read over your class notes, practice and understand each task you're taught, you should be OK. You know more than you think!

You'll be given your results some weeks after each exam. These come in the form of pass, merit, distinction or fail. There are two different kinds of fail - 'red' or 'amber'. From what I understand, there's not usually any charge for retakes, which are done either at an RHS assessment site or on a video with your tutor, depending on what level of fail it is,  following 1:1 tuition.

'Red fails' are really quite rare and would normally result from doing something quite major, like not turning up or not doing the requested task. Bear in mind, though, I've heard you can get one for leaving your secateurs open while not holding them, which is a health and safety breach that could be easy to slip into when you're distracted. So be careful to keep your secateurs closed! 

Overall, the last thing you need to be doing when you're carrying out practical tasks is worrying about criteria and grading. So I recommend not thinking about it. Just focus on practicing and completing each of the tasks you're taught as well as you can, understanding the 'why' behind them to aid decision-making, and staying calm. 

If you have a disability or a current injury or illness that might affect how you complete the tasks, you can ask for reasonable adjustments. Talk to your tutor about this. 

An early plant ident test

What about the written exam?

I haven't done one of these yet, and unfortunately, although there are past papers for the theory half of the qualification, there are currently none for the practical. 

From a look at the syllabus, though, the 'online competency test' is likely to include questions on subjects like:

• assessing a site for things like drainage, compaction, light/shade and weeds
• calculating how many plants are needed for a hedge
• selecting the right plant species for the place (yes, you need to learn a bit about the plants in your idents!)
• plant labelling
• selecting the right propagation equipment (e.g. cold-frames, misters)

I'll update this post and add another in late spring/early summer, when I've found out more. Your tutor will also guide you - this blog is just a handy reminder!

In the meantime, there are lots of other useful posts on this blog, from how to double-dig to understanding qualification-wide outcomes. Do explore, and if you like the blog, add it to your bookmarks!