It is possible to retake parts of the New RHS theory and practical qualifications if these are not passed at the first attempt.
The next sitting for the online theory exams will be in February 2026 . After this, exams will be in June 2026 (no October session) and then February 2027.
You can only enrol for exams through a centre, so you need to make sure that you take your exams and any resits during your 18 month study period (or extend it to 24 months by arrangement).
Unit 1 takes place on Monday 9 February at 9.30 am
Unit 2 takes place on Tuesday 10 June at 9.30 am
Online exams for Unit 1 and Unit 2 will be in February 2026. The next opportunity will be June 2026, then February 2027.
Unit 1 takes place on Wednesday 11 February at 9.30 am
Unit 2 takes place on Thursday 12 February at 9.30 am
The current RHS exam fee (2025-6) for retaking a single Unit exam at either level 2 or 3 level is £85. BEST will charge £5 to cover Paypal fees* and exam administration, so the full fee for a Unit exam resit is £90.
These are very infrequent so rather than set up Paypal booking we will contact any of our students who require practical retakes and ask them to make payment via bank transfer for their specific resits. This will not incur extra costs for Paypal transactions.
The next rounds of Level 2 and 3 OCA will be in June 2026. Resits for both OCAs will be in December 2026. The current resit fee for a complete OCA taken at home, for either level 2 or 3, is £75. If only Section A needs to be retaken the resit fee is £30, if only section B, the fee is £45.
Dates (and possible fee increases for the academic year 2026-7) have not yet been confirmed.
Failures for practical tasks are graded by the RHS according to a traffic light system.
A ‘green’ failure is where one task is below pass mark but the other two tasks are above this, and is averaged out to a pass and does not need a retake; for an ‘amber’ fail on one or two tasks, a retake of those tasks can be staged and photographed at the centre for submission to the RHS, to be graded by the Lead Assessor; where one task is failed with less than 5/20 this is a ‘red’ fail and there is a chance to retake the whole PCA at a regional centre, or retake it at the centre next year if the option is available.
Please note ‘Red’ retakes will involve a new set of PCA tasks.
*Paying through Paypal is a relatively simple and secure transaction which does not require a Paypal account (you can use a credit or debit card) and gives both parties a record of the payment to ensure everyone is registered for the exams they need. However Paypal charges a small percentage on all transactions, and the RHS expects its exam fees to be paid in full when it invoices us, so we have to charge a small premium to cover the shortfall.
When you use the online booking form, you may be asked if you have a student number. Please enter the first five digits of the BEST enrolment number you will find on your dashboard page of the VLE.
We have collected together some quick links to useful pages that you should find helpful.
B.E.S.T in Horticulture Education Limited, Registered in England No 14088275. (A not for profit organisation)
B.E.S.T. in Horticulture Ltd. Registered in England № 7739766.
