Assessment dates
There are 2 assessment dates a year at the Berkenhorst facility. The main one runs each March in 3 groups: 16–17, 17–18 and 18–19 March 2027, each group arriving on the evening of the first day and assessed on the second. A second date follows, and places on it come off the waiting list.
| Group | Dates | Qualification | Location | Places | How to get one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | DSC1 | Berkenhorst, the Netherlands | Limited | Enquire | |
| Group 2 | DSC1 | Berkenhorst, the Netherlands | Limited | Enquire | |
| Group 3 | DSC1 | Berkenhorst, the Netherlands | Limited | Enquire | |
| Second date | DSC1 | Berkenhorst, the Netherlands | Limited | Join the list |
The March groups overlap on purpose: as one is assessed, the next arrives that evening for dinner, the briefing and visual training. You attend one group, not all of them — say which suits you when you enquire, or ask for whichever has room.
The second date is run the same way but is not open to book directly. Ask to go on the waiting list and you are offered a place as one comes free, in the order the list was joined. That is deliberate: the March groups fill first, and a second date that took bookings in parallel would split a group that is already small.
Planning around it
Both dates fall within a few weeks of each other, which makes the timing worth thinking about: missing them costs you twelve months rather than a fortnight.
- Enquire early. The list is how the date reaches you, and how places are allocated.
- Zero your rifle well beforehand — or say you want to hire one, which avoids taking a firearm across a border.
- Book the hotel through us. The evening before is part of the assessment, not an optional extra: the visual training happens over dinner.
- Leave time for DSC2. If you want both, the witnessed stalk is arranged separately and depends on finding a witness and a suitable animal, not on a date in March.
How booking works
- Send an enquiry with your preferred dates, the qualification you want, and whether you need the hotel.
- You receive the information pack, the joining instructions and the fee for your dates.
- Your place is confirmed on payment. The syllabus and the safety questions follow.
- Reminders go out before the assessment with the kit checklist.
Last reviewed .