BPCA Certificated Advanced Technician (CAT) in Pest Management

The Certificated Advanced Technician (CAT) accreditation tests your ability to apply advanced pest management knowledge, think critically under pressure, and demonstrate competence across a wide range of real‑world scenarios.

You will be assessed on your ability to:

• Identify a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate pests, evidence of infestation, and pest control equipment
• Recognise and interpret different types of sites you may be required to survey
• Identify health, safety, and environmental risk considerations
• Demonstrate knowledge of pest behaviour and biology
• Apply relevant legislation and stewardship principles
• Provide safe, effective, and responsible pest management strategies to customers

Successful candidates will receive a BPCA Certificated Advanced Technician award at PASS or DISTINCTION level.

This accreditation was previously known as the Advanced Technician in Pest Management (ATPM).

Candidates may follow one of three routes:

1. Classroom Assessment Preparation course only
2. Online Assessment only
3. Preparation course + Assessment (recommended).

Classroom Preparation Course

This intensive one‑day programme prepares candidates for the BPCA Certificated Advanced Technician (CAT) Assessment. It focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to demonstrate competence across pest identification, equipment recognition, site inspection, diagnosis, treatment planning, reporting, and the professional discussion.

The course blends tutor‑led instruction with hands‑on identification practice, scenario‑based exercises, and guided discussion. It reinforces existing knowledge of health, safety, and legislation while emphasising how to apply this understanding in real‑world decision‑making and risk assessment.

Topics covered include:

• Assessment module breakdown
• Pest and equipment identification
• Site inspection and evidence gathering
• Root cause analysis
• Treatment options, recommendations, and follow‑ups
• Health, safety, and legislation refresher
• Writing treatment reports and risk assessments
• Professional discussion preparation

Upon completion of the course, delegates will be able to:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the assessment structure, expectations, and marking criteria
• Apply technical knowledge effectively to unfamiliar scenarios, showing clear reasoning and justification
• Produce structured, accurate treatment reports and risk assessments within typical assessment time constraints
• Communicate professionally and confidently during the discussion element
• Accurately identify species and equipment under exam conditions
• Integrate learning from all modules to reflect the competence expected at this level

Candidates completing this course may then progress to the BPCA Certificated Advanced Technician online assessment or may choose to take the course as standalone professional development.

CAT Assessment  

The CAT assessment is delivered online and remotely. Candidates may take the assessment independently or after completing the preparation course.

You must pass five modules:

1. Multiple‑choice identification examination (13 minutes)
2. Multiple‑choice knowledge‑based examination (10 minutes)
3. Written treatment report based on a site scenario (30 minutes)
4. Written risk and environmental assessment (15 minutes)
5. Professional discussion via video call (30–45 minutes).

Module 1: Identification

This module tests your ability to identify vertebrates, invertebrates, infestation evidence, and pest control equipment.

• 13 minutes
• 50 items across 32 questions
• Photographs and size references provided

Module 2: Knowledge

An online assessment of 30 randomly selected multiple‑choice questions covering:

• Pest behaviour
• Pest management
• Stewardship
• Health & safety legislation

You will have 10 minutes to complete this module.

Module 3: Treatment Report

You will be provided with a site diagram and several scenarios. You will have 30 minutes to complete a treatment report including:

• Identified pests
• Pesticides required (formulations, active ingredients, concentrations)
• Non‑chemical control measures
• Locations where each measure would be applied

Module 4: Risk and Environmental Assessment

You will produce a risk and environmental assessment based on the scenario provided.

• 15 minutes
• Hazards, risks, and mitigation measures must be clearly outlined
• Site images remain available during the task

Module 5: Professional Discussion

Delivered via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, the professional discussion is a structured, one‑to‑one conversation designed to assess a candidate’s depth of understanding and their ability to apply advanced pest management principles in context.

During this element, the assessor will use targeted questioning to explore the candidate’s knowledge of the pests involved, their approach to risk and environmental considerations, and their ability to interpret and apply relevant legislation and regulation appropriately.

Candidates will also be expected to justify their decisions, explaining the reasoning behind recommended control measures, or the rationale for avoiding certain actions, and demonstrate confidence in communicating this information as they would to a customer.

The candidate’s treatment report and risk assessment may be referenced throughout the discussion to test the relevance, accuracy, and consistency of their decision‑making.

Duration: 30–45 minutes.

Accreditation and Certification

Upon successful completion of all modules, you will receive the Certificated Advanced Technician (CAT) accreditation.

Pass Award

Awarded when candidates achieve 65%–84% in all modules.

Distinction Award

Awarded when candidates achieve 85% or above in all modules. Note: If any module requires a re‑sit, a distinction cannot be awarded.

Re‑sits

• If you fail one module, you may re‑sit just that module. If you fail more than one module, you must re‑sit the entire assessment.
• Candidates may take the assessment up to three times within a 12‑month period. If all three attempts are unsuccessful, a 12-month cooling‑off period and additional training are required before attempting the assessment again.
• All re‑sits must be completed within 12 months of the original assessment date. If the 12‑month window expires, the full assessment must be taken again.

Reasonable Adjustments

BPCA is committed to ensuring fair and accessible assessment for all candidates. Where reasonable adjustments are required, the CAT assessment can be taken as a paper‑based or classroom‑based assessment while still incorporating the mandatory remote professional discussion element.

Candidates wishing to explore this option should contact training@bpca.org.uk in advance to make appropriate arrangements.