Fees
The DSC1 assessment at Berkenhorst is €700 all in: the briefing and visual training, all five modules, range use, the accredited witnesses and certification through the awarding body. The hotel, your travel, your ammunition and the DMQ manual are separate. DSC2 is quoted per booking rather than listed.
DSC1 is a fixed fee; DSC2 is not. DSC2 depends on how many animals and which species you need and where you stay, so a single figure would mislead — it is quoted per booking, in writing, before you commit to anything. What each option includesis below, and it matters as much as the number.
What each option costs
| Option | Fee | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| DSC1 | €700 | Evening briefing and visual training, all five assessment modules, range use, assessor and verifier time, certification through DMQ. |
| DSC2 | on enquiry | Accredited witness for the cull, portfolio support and submission. Priced per booking: it depends on the number and species to be culled and the lodging required. |
What is not included
- The hotel at Stakenberg. Candidates get a rate negotiated for them; the room is booked and paid separately.
- The printed DMQ manual, €65. A digital copy of the material comes with the fee; this is the hard copy.
- Your travel to and from the Netherlands, and any permit needed to bring a rifle across a border.
- Your ammunition. Bring 50 rounds.
- The DMQ manual and revision material.
- Rifle hire, if you need it — see below.
Hiring a rifle
You do not have to bring your own. A rifle can be hired for the assessment, which solves the problem of moving a firearm across a border and the paperwork that goes with it. Say so when you enquire and it is arranged with your booking. The rifle itself carries no charge; you pay for what you shoot, about €0.70 a round for a .223 and its ammunition on the range. That is an indication rather than a quotation.
If you do bring your own, bring 50 rounds and arrive with it zeroed — the kit list has the rest.
Paying, and cancelling
Your place is confirmed on payment. No VAT is added: the fee you are quoted is the fee you pay.
Cancel more than 8 weeks before the assessment and 70% of the fee comes back. Between that and 4 weeks before it, 35% comes back. Inside that, none does — by then the assessor, the verifier and the range are committed and the cost has been incurred whether you come or not. This follows the BASC scale, counted from the date of the assessment.
Cancel as early as you can either way: the place goes straight to whoever is next on the waiting list, and somebody usually is. If the organiser cancels or moves the date, you choose between the new date and your money back. None of this affects the rights you have by law.
There are 2 assessment dates a year: the main one each March, and a second afterwards whose places come off the waiting list. Both are small, so it is worth asking early — places are offered in the order enquiries arrive.
Common questions
What does it cost?
The DSC1 fee is published on the fees page, and covers the assessment all in. DSC2 is quoted per booking instead, because it depends on how many animals and which species you need and where you stay, so a single figure would mislead. You are told what your booking costs, in writing, before you commit to anything.
Last reviewed .