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The National Navigation Award Scheme

The National Navigation Award Scheme is a nationally recognised progression scheme in Land Navigation. The Scheme was first developed under the auspices of the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) but has since become a Governing Body in its own right. The award scheme is split into three levels;

Bronze (Level l) Award - National Navigation Standard

The candidate should be assessed on his/her ability to navigate round a simple line feature course in open countryside and/or woodland. The course should include a number of control points on distinct features which require the navigator to use a variety of line features (e.g. tracks, streams, field edges, banks) as handrails for precise navigation and location. The control points can be indicated by 5mm circles on the map, or grid references if an OS map is being used. The course should have frequent turning points to test map orientation and should be about 2 - 5 km depending on terrain, scale of map being used and the age and fitness level of participants.

The practical assessment can be backed up by questions on the basic skills outlined above, which can be answered orally or in writing. Both instruction and assessment could well start on a centre site and progress on to a local park or common.

Question papers will be supplied nationally and it is anticipated that to pass, candidates would have to achieve at least a 60% success rate. If first efforts result in failure, the assessment tests can be repeated at intervals to allow learning to be reinforced and a successful outcome achieved.

The Navigator Bronze Badge will be awarded to successful candidates.

Dates, venues costs etc....

Silver (Level 2) Award - National Navigation Standard

Assessment should be made on a continuous course in open countryside or forest which turns frequently, includes uphill and downhill sections and tests the ability to use attack points at the end of line feature routes to locate subtle control points. As for Level 1 any type of accurate map can be used and control points can be indicated by circles or grid references. The length of course will depend on age and fitness of participants as well as map scale, but will normally be between 5 and 8 km depending on terrain.

Assessors should note how frequently participants check the accuracy of their chosen route with reference to checkpoints (e.g. path junctions, field boundaries) and close attention to map, and assess their decisiveness at times when they are unsure or lost.

Practical Assessment can be supplemented by oral and/or written examination as for Level 1 and 3. A 60% pass rate or higher will be expected on the national written paper as for Level 1.

The Navigator Silver Badge will be awarded to successful candidates.

Dates, venues costs etc....

Gold (Level 3) Award - National Navigation Standard

Assessment should be based on a practical exercise in which the candidate follows a course in heavily contoured open or afforested terrain between control points located on subtle contour features. The assessor should judge whether the chosen routes represent the most effective choices taking into account height gain and loss as well as physical demands, and whether the candidate uses the full battery of basic navigational strategies with confidence and skill.

The length of course will depend on type of map and terrain, but as candidates at this level are expected to be very fit, it will normally be between 6 and 10 kilometres at an altitude of not more than 600 metres. Attention should also be paid to the candidate's ability to use large contour features like ridges, valleys or spurs as a means to locating smaller features like boulders or small crags i.e. following a long valley up towards a small marsh location at its head could give the attack point strategy a contour dimension. A ridge route to a summit could well be the "attack line" and the most effective route rather than a direct approach up a steep rocky hillside.

As with Levels 1 and 2, the practical assessment can be used as a teaching basis for future attempts, if a first attempt doesn't reach the standards required. An oral or written examination can supplement the practical element. Where inclement weather or testing conditions have not been encountered in the practical exercise, candidates should be questioned to judge their awareness of safety and physical factors involved in wilderness navigation with special attention to clothing, equipment, basic first aid and flexible decision making when circumstances demand it.

A pass mark of 60% or higher will be expected on the National Test Paper.

The prestigious Navigator Gold Badge will be awarded to successful candidates.

Dates, venues costs etc....