Merit Badge Requirements and Workbooks



Click a merit badge name below for the current requirements. Right click on a workbook name to save or print the optional workbooks. Workbooks can help Scouts organize notes, listen actively, and document their work. These workbooks can help you but you still need to read the merit badge pamphlet. The work space provided for each requirement should be used by the Scout to make notes for discussing the item with his counselor, not for providing the full and complete answers. Each Scout must do each requirement.

Notes:

  • When working on merit badges, Scouts and Scouters should be aware of some vital information in the current edition of the Guide to Advancement (BSA publication 33088). In each workbook, we have inserted a note after the last requirement, with a link to a document with excerpts from the current edition of the Guide to Advancement. Click here to download the current version. You can download a complete copy of the Guide to Advancement from http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf. Some workbooks also include notes directed to the Counselor, and/or worksheets, checklists, and sample forms which may be used to complete various requirements.
  • Keep in mind that these workbooks are OPTIONAL aids. A Scout is expected to meet the requirements exactly as stated - no more and no less.
    If a requirement uses words like "show," "demonstrate," or "discuss," then every Scout must do that. Just filling out the workbook is NOT sufficient!

    Scouts should use the workbooks to prepare notes to themselves, and should not assume that filling in the workbook is sufficient to earn the badge.
  • Scouts STARTING a merit badge must use the CURRENT requirements, which are found on Scouting.org
  • Once Scouts have started a merit badge, they can continue to work on those requirements even if new requirements are published. The Scout must choose whether to complete the full set of new requirements or the full set of old requirements. Scouts cannot pick and choose from both sets. If  the new requirements are selected, they can, of course, use the work they have done on any of the old requirements, if the requirement is unchanged, or only had editorial changes which don't actually change the actual requirement.  For those Scouts who are using the older requirements because they've already started in the badge, the older requirements and workbooks are accessible by following links from the current requirements pages
  • If a merit badge pamphlet is updated during the year, a Scout can choose to use either full set of old requirements or new requirements in the pamphlet. Those will show an effective date of the following year (i.e. a pamphlet issued in June of 2024 will say "2025 requirements").   Once the new year begins, all Scouts starting the merit badge must use the new requirements.
  • If a BLANK appears in the lists below, it indicates that revisions to the workbook are pending, due to revised requirements.
  • The PDF versions of the workbooks have been designed with form fields.  Scouts may download these files and then type their notes into the form fields, and save their work locally. They have been tested successfully on Windows based systems with the Adobe Acrobat Reader, the Foxit PDF Reader, and the Nuance PDF Reader.  Each of those programs are available as free downloads. Other PDF readers may also work, however, we do know that the PDF reader native to the Firefox web browser does NOT allow data input. If you use a "Mac" computer, we strongly suggest that you use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac in lieu of the PDF reader built-in to the system.  The built-in pdf reader may not properly display or print the data entered into the workbook form fields.
  • In response to requests we have eceived, we have added light lines in the form field boxes to provide for those Scouts that wish to hand write their responses.

Since 2010, all new and revised workbooks have been prepared by Paul Wolf,  To our knowledge, they now reflect the current requirements in all cases. 

Please submit comments about errors, omissions, or suggestions about the format of any of the WORKBOOKS to: Workbooks@USScouts.Org
Comments or suggestions for changes to the wording of the requirements for any MERIT BADGE should be sent to the BSA at: Advancement.Team@Scouting.Org

We encourage Scouting websites to provide links to either this page or to the files identified below However, in order to ensure the material is up to date, we do not permit other websitess to provide copies directly. And since the workbooks are all are copyright. If you find copies on any other site, they have been placed there without our permission, and we would be grateful to be notified of those cases. Please write us at Workbooks@USScouts.Org with the website address.

The workbooks are all © Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
The requirements are all © Copyright - Boy Scouts of America – and are used with permission.


The name American Heritage™ is a trademark owned by American Heritage Publishing Company, Inc. and is used by permission.

Please note that the dates listed below represent when the workbooks were last revised and uploaded.
The PDF files will indicate that date in the first page header.
The WORD processor files, however, will always indicate the CURRENT month, whenever the file is opened for editing.

 
The workbooks listed below reflect the CURRENT requirements.

If a Scout is working on a merit badge using a previous version of the requirements, and wishes to use a workbook that reflects those requirements, the workbook can still be downloaded from this site. To do so, follow this procedure:
  1. Click on the merit badge name in the listing below, to bring up the web page with the current requirements.
  2. On that page, click on the link below the title, that reads "For the previous requirements, Click here."
    If the Scout is using earlier requirements, repeat this step until the correct version of the requirements is visible.
  3. The workbook that matches the requirements on that page can be downloaded by clicking on one of the links in the box near the bottom of that page.
 
Merit Badge Requirements
(Click on a merit badge name below)
Workbooks
Last updated
Word Processor Format
(DOCX)
Portable Document Format
(PDF)
Pages
ID# Scoutbook ID# Merit Badge Name
Eagle Required Merit Badges
1 20 Camping February 2024 Camping.docx Camping.pdf 21
160 154 Citizenship in Society Checklist February 2024 Cit-Society-checklist.docx Cit-Society-checklist.pdf 4
Workbook February 2024 Cit-Society-workbook.docx Cit-Society-workbook.pdf 10
2 24 Citizenship in the Community February 2024 Cit-Comm.docx Cit-Comm.pdf 5
3 25 Citizenship in the Nation February 2024 Cit-Nation.docx Cit-Nation.pdf 8
4 26 Citizenship in the World February 2024 Cit-World.docx Cit-World.pdf 11
5 30 Communication February 2024 Communication.docx Communication.pdf 11
38 38 Cooking February 2024 Cooking.docx Cooking.pdf 32
39 35 Cycling February 2024 Cycling.docx Cycling.pdf 13
6 42 Emergency Preparedness February 2024 Emerg-Prep.docx Emerg-Prep.pdf 14
7 46 Environmental Science February 2024 Env-Science.docx Env-Science.pdf 18
129 47 Family Life February 2024 Family-Life.docx Family-Life.pdf 8
8 51 First Aid February 2024 First-Aid.docx First-Aid.pdf 17
61 62 Hiking February 2024 Hiking.docx Hiking.pdf 13
9 72 Lifesaving February 2024 Lifesaving.docx Lifesaving.pdf 9
10 84 Personal Fitness August 2023 Pers-Fitness.docx Pers-Fitness.pdf 13
11 85 Personal Management February 2024 Pers-Manage.docx Pers-Manage.pdf 21
152 142 Sustainability February 2024 Sustainability.docx Sustainability.pdf 14
14 116 Swimming February 2024 Swimming.docx Swimming.pdf 8
All Current Merit Badges in Alphabetical Order
15 3 AMERICAN BUSINESS February 2024 Am-Business.docx Am-Business.pdf 10
17 4 AMERICAN CULTURES February 2024 Am-Culture.docx Am-Culture.pdf 5
16 5 AMERICAN HERITAGE February 2024 Am-Heritage.docx Am-Heritage.pdf 14
121 6 AMERICAN LABOR February 2024 Am-Labor.docx Am-Labor.pdf 8
28 7 ANIMAL SCIENCE February 2024 Animal-Science.docx Animal-Science.pdf 18
158 152 ANIMATION February 2024 Animation.docx Animation.pdf 5
132 8 ARCHAEOLOGY February 2024 Archaeology.docx Archaeology.pdf 16
19 9 ARCHERY February 2024 Archery.docx Archery.pdf 9
20 10 ARCHITECTURE February 2024 Architecture.docx Architecture.pdf 7
21 11 ART February 2024 Art.docx Art.pdf 7
22 12 ASTRONOMY February 2024 Astronomy.docx Astronomy.pdf 13
23 13 ATHLETICS February 2024 Athletics.docx Athletics.pdf 10
127 14 AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE February 2024 Auto-Maint.docx Auto-Maint.pdf 17
25 15 AVIATION February 2024 Aviation.docx Aviation.pdf 9
26 16 BACKPACKING February 2024 Backpacking.docx Backpacking.pdf 13
27 17 BASKETRY February 2024 Basketry.docx Basketry.pdf 2
29 18 BIRD STUDY February 2024 Bird-Study.docx Bird-Study.pdf 16
32 19 BUGLING February 2024 Bugling.docx Bugling.pdf 2
1 20 CAMPING February 2024 Camping.docx Camping.pdf 21
33 21 CANOEING February 2024 Canoeing.docx Canoeing.pdf 11
34 22 CHEMISTRY February 2024 Chemistry.docx Chemistry.pdf 10
147 135 CHESS February 2024 Chess.docx Chess.pdf 6
160 154 CITIZENSHIP IN SOCIETY Checklist February 2024 Cit-Society-checklist.docx Cit-Society-checklist.pdf 4
Workbook February 2024 Cit-Society-workbook.docx Cit-Society-workbook.pdf 10
2 24 CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY February 2024 Cit-Comm.docx Cit-Comm.pdf 5
3 25 CITIZENSHIP IN THE NATION February 2024 Cit-Nation.docx Cit-Nation.pdf 8
4 26 CITIZENSHIP IN THE WORLD February 2024 Cit-World.docx Cit-World.pdf 11
133 27 CLIMBING February 2024 Climbing.docx Climbing.pdf 8
35 28 COIN COLLECTING February 2024 Coin-Collect.docx Coin-Collect.pdf 6
128 29 COLLECTIONS February 2024 Collections.docx Collections.pdf 8
5 30 COMMUNICATION February 2024 Communication.docx Communication.pdf 11
137 31 COMPOSITE MATERIALS February 2024 Composite-Mat.docx Composite-Mat.pdf 15
38 33 COOKING February 2024 Cooking.docx
Cooking.pdf
32
131 34 CRIME PREVENTION February 2024 Crime-Prev.docx Crime-Prev.pdf 9
39 35 CYCLING February 2024 Cycling.docx Cycling.pdf 13
40 36 DENTISTRY February 2024 Dentistry.docx Dentistry.pdf 10
154 148 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY February 2024 Digital-Tech.docx Digital-Tech.pdf 16
60 37 DISABILITIES AWARENESS February 2024 Disability-Aware.docx Disability-Aware.pdf 8
41 38 DOG CARE February 2024 Dog-Care.docx Dog-Care.pdf 15
42 39 DRAFTING February 2024 Drafting.docx Drafting.pdf 6
43 40 ELECTRICITY February 2024 Electricity.docx Electricity.pdf 8
44 41 ELECTRONICS February 2024 Electronics.docx Electronics.pdf 5
6 42 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS February 2024 Emerg-Prep.docx Emerg-Prep.pdf 14
45 43 ENERGY February 2024 Energy.docx Energy.pdf 18
46 44 ENGINEERING February 2024 Engineering.docx Engineering.pdf 9
134 45 ENTREPRENEURSHIP February 2024 Entrepreneur.docx Entrepreneur.pdf 7
7 46 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE February 2024 Env-Science.docx Env-Science.pdf 18
159 153 EXPLORATION February 2024 Exploration.docx Exploration.pdf 10
129 47 FAMILY LIFE February 2024 Family-Life.docx Family-Life.pdf 8
48 48 FARM MECHANICS February 2024 Farm-Mech.docx Farm-Mech.pdf 4
49 49 FINGERPRINTING February 2024 Fingerprinting.docx Fingerprinting.pdf 4
50 50 FIRE SAFETY February 2024 Fire-Safety.docx Fire-Safety.pdf 13
8 51 FIRST AID February 2024 First-Aid.docx First-Aid.pdf 17
51 52 FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT February 2024 Fish-and-Wildlife.docx Fish-and-Wildlife.pdf 7
52 53 FISHING February 2024 Fishing.docx Fishing.pdf 10
136 54 FLY FISHING February 2024 Fly-Fishing.docx Fly-Fishing.pdf 10
54 55 FORESTRY February 2024 Forestry.docx Forestry.pdf 9
151 140 GAME DESIGN February 2024 Game-Design.docx Game-Design.pdf 14
55 56 GARDENING February 2024 Gardening.docx Gardening.pdf 5
56 57 GENEALOGY February 2024 Genealogy.docx Genealogy.pdf 10
145 58 GEOCACHING February 2024 Geocaching.docx Geocaching.pdf 11
58 59 GEOLOGY February 2024 Geology.docx Geology.pdf 7
59 90 GOLF February 2024 Golf.docx Golf.pdf 6
122 61 GRAPHIC ARTS February 2024 Graphic-Arts.docx Graphic-Arts.pdf 6
161 155 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS February 2024 Health-Pro.docx Health-Pro.pdf 6
61 62 HIKING February 2024 Hiking.docx Hiking.pdf 13
62 63 HOME REPAIRS February 2024 Home-Repair.docx Home-Repair.pdf 3
63 64 HORSEMANSHIP February 2024 Horsemanship.docx Horsemanship.pdf 7
64 65 INDIAN LORE February 2024 Indian-Lore.docx Indian-Lore.pdf 12
65 66 INSECT STUDY February 2024 Insect-Study.docx Insect-Study.pdf 8
144 67 INVENTING February 2024 Inventing.docx Inventing.pdf 10
66 68 JOURNALISM February 2024 Journalism.docx Journalism.pdf 12
149 136 KAYAKING and Kayaking BSA February 2024 Kayaking.docx Kayaking.pdf 13
67 69 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE June 2020 Landscape-Arch.docx Landscape-Arch.pdf 4
68 70 LAW February 2024 Law.docx Law.pdf 8
69 71 LEATHERWORK February 2024 Leatherwork.docx Leatherwork.pdf 5
9 72 LIFESAVING February 2024 Lifesaving.docx Lifesaving.pdf 9
71 73 MAMMAL STUDY February 2024 Mammal-Study.docx Mammal-Study.pdf 8
74 75 METALWORK February 2024 Metalwork.docx Metalwork.pdf 9
155 147 MINING IN SOCIETY February 2024 Mining-in-Society.docx Mining-in-Society.pdf 14
75 76 MODEL DESIGN AND BUILDING June 2020 Model-Design.docx Model-Design.pdf 5
76 77 MOTORBOATING April 2021 Motorboating.docx Motorboating.pdf 12
156 23 MOVIEMAKING February 2024 Moviemaking.docx Moviemaking.pdf 4
77 78 MUSIC August 2023 Music.docx Music.pdf 7
78 79 NATURE December 2022 Nature.docx Nature.pdf 7
24 80 NUCLEAR SCIENCE February 2024 Nuclear-Science.docx Nuclear-Science.pdf 16
79 81 OCEANOGRAPHY June 2020 Oceanography.docx Oceanography.pdf 10
80 82 ORIENTEERING November 2020 Orienteering.docx Orienteering.pdf 10
81 83 PAINTING June 2020 Painting.docx Painting.pdf 4
10 84 PERSONAL FITNESS August 2023 Pers-Fitness.docx Pers-Fitness.pdf 13
11 85 PERSONAL MANAGEMENT February 2024 Pers-Manage.docx Pers-Manage.pdf 21
82 86 PETS June 2020 Pets.docx Pets.pdf 6
83 87 PHOTOGRAPHY February 2024 Photography.docx Photography.pdf 11
84 88 PIONEERING May 2022 Pioneering.docx Pioneering.pdf 7
85 89 PLANT SCIENCE February 2024 Plant-Science.docx Plant-Science.pdf 10
86 90 PLUMBING February 2024 Plumbing.docx Plumbing.pdf 7
87 91 POTTERY February 2024 Pottery.docx Pottery.pdf 9
153 144 PROGRAMMING February 2024 Programming.docx Programming.pdf 13
89 71 PUBLIC HEALTH February 2024 Public-Health.docx Public-Health.pdf 14
90 193 PUBLIC SPEAKING June 2020 Public-Speaking.docx Public-Speaking.pdf 1
91 94 PULP AND PAPER February 2024 Pulp-and-Paper.docx Pulp-and-Paper.pdf 7
93 95 RADIO February 2024 Radio.docx Radio.pdf 17
94 96 RAILROADING February 2024 Railroading.docx Railroading.pdf 13
95 997 READING May 2022 Reading.docx Reading.pdf 5
96 98 REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN STUDY December 2022 Reptile-Amphibian.docx Reptile-Amphibian.pdf 18
123 99 RIFLE SHOOTING June 2020 Rifle-Shooting.docx Rifle-Shooting.pdf 13
146 112 ROBOTICS
October 2021 Robotics.docx
Robotics.pdf 10
98 100 ROWING August 2021 Rowing.docx Rowing.pdf 11
12 101 SAFETY February 2024 Safety.docx Safety.pdf 9
99 102 SALESMANSHIP December 2022 Salesmanship.docx Salesmanship.pdf 8
100 104 SCHOLARSHIP February 2024 Scholarship.docx Scholarship.pdf 6
143 103 SCOUTING HERITAGE February 2024 Scouting-Heritage.docx Scouting-Heritage.pdf 7
138 105 SCUBA DIVING June 2020 Scuba.docx Scuba.pdf 7
101 106 SCULPTURE February 2024 Sculpture.docx Sculpture.pdf 3
150 137 SEARCH AND RESCUE June 2020 Search-Rescue.docx Search-Rescue.pdf 13
124  107 SHOTGUN SHOOTING June 2020 Shotgun-Shooting.docx Shotgun-Shooting.pdf 11
157 151 SIGNS, SIGNALS, AND CODES June 2020 Signs-Signals-and-Codes.docx Signs-Signals-and-Codes.pdf 12
103 108 SKATING February 2024 Skating.docx Skating.pdf 12
105 109 SMALL-BOAT SAILING December 2022 Small-Boat-Sailing.docx Small-Boat-Sailing.pdf 12
135 110 SNOW SPORTS February 2024 Snow-Sports.docx Snow-Sports.pdf 17
106 111 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION October 2021 Soil-Water.docx Soil-Water.pdf 10
107 112 SPACE EXPLORATION June 2020 Space-Explore.docx Space-Explore.pdf 10
13 113 SPORTS February 2024 Sports.docx Sports.pdf 11
108 114 STAMP COLLECTING February 2024 Stamp-Collecting.docx Stamp-Collecting.pdf 6
109 445 SURVEYING February 2024 Surveying.docx Surveying.pdf 5
152 142 SUSTAINABILITY February 2024 Sustainability.docx Sustainability.pdf 14
14 116 SWIMMING February 2024 Swimming.docx Swimming.pdf 8
110 117 TEXTILE June 2020 Textile.docx Textile.pdf 10
111 118 THEATER January 2021 Theater.docx Theater.pdf 5
112 120 TRAFFIC SAFETY May 2022 Traffic-Safety.docx Traffic-Safety.pdf 14
113 121 TRUCK TRANSPORTATION Jul y 2020 Truck-Transport.docx Truck-Transport.pdf 9
114 122 VETERINARY MEDICINE June 2020 Vet-Medicine.docx Vet-Medicine.pdf 6
115 123 WATER SPORTS June 2020 Water Sports.docx Water Sports.pdf 8
116 124 WEATHER February 2024 Weather.docx Weather.pdf 4
148 133 WELDING June 2020 Welding.docx Welding.pdf 7
125 125 WHITEWATER June 2020 Whitewater.docx Whitewater.pdf 16
117 126 WILDERNESS SURVIVAL February, 2018 Wilderness-Survival.docx Wilderness-Survival.pdf 7
118 127 WOOD CARVING June, 2017 Wood-Carving.docx Wood-Carving.pdf 4
119 128 WOODWORK January  2021 Woodwork.docx Woodwork.pdf 9

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