Yes, you can challenge the CORE exams in BC without taking the full course. The challenge is for people who already know the material: experienced hunters, students who have self-studied the CORE manual, and those who have completed the online CORE course. You sit the same provincial exams to the same standard, 75% on the written and, unless you are exempt, 23 out of 30 on the practical firearms handling test.

This is worth knowing because it is unusual. The federal firearms safety courses have no challenge option; everyone takes the full CFSC in person to earn a PAL. BC's hunter education program is different. If you can meet the standard, the CORE challenge lets you prove it without sitting through 16 hours of instruction you may not need.

A word of honest self-selection before you book. The full course exists for a reason, and the people who do well on a challenge are the ones with genuine field experience or real study behind them. Wildlife identification and the regulations trip up experienced hunters more often than the firearms handling does. If you are coming in cold, take the CORE Hunter Education course instead. If you want to test your knowledge first, our CORE exam study guide with 300 practice questions will tell you quickly whether you are ready.

CORE challenges are scheduled individually to meet the needs of students. You will receive 1 hour to complete the written exam as per BCWF regulations, closed book, with the BC Hunting and Trapping Synopsis permitted as a reference and provided by Silvercore. Silvercore offers challenges after every CORE course and at our Delta facility on a regular basis. Call us to book a date, time and location, or register online.