BJCP Tasting Exam

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WilliamWS

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I'm taking the the tasting exam in two weeks. Any of you guys have any tips that might help me prepare?
Thanks
 
Ok, no tips or advice.
So I'll ask a more specific question: From everything I've read I'm a little unclear on the procedure. It is stated that the tasting exam is "closed book" but it is also stated that we will be judging the six beers as though it was an actual competition. At a competition the style guidelines for the category are read before judging, not what I'd call "closed book." So I guess my question would be, are the style guidelines for each style being judged during the exam read like a competition or is it truly "closed book?"
 
My understanding is that it is truly closed book. You'll have to do it all from memory. Just like tests back in school, you'll get no help on it - but then later, when you actually need to use those skills, the "book" is available for reference.

Good luck. I've only just started studying for it in earnest.
 
The BJCP Beer Judge Exam was revised in March 2012, and now consists of three exams:

The BJCP Beer Judge Entrance Examination, an online examination to screen prospective candidates.
The BJCP Beer Judging Examination, a practical tasting examination of six beers.
The BJCP Beer Judge Written Proficiency Examination, a written examination consisting of 20 True-False and five essay questions used to test skills and knowledge necessary for higher ranks.
-http://www.bjcp.org/examcenter.php

Sorry Revvy, that information is out of date. They changed it on April 1, 2012. No foolin’
 
Ok, no tips or advice.
So I'll ask a more specific question: From everything I've read I'm a little unclear on the procedure. It is stated that the tasting exam is "closed book" but it is also stated that we will be judging the six beers as though it was an actual competition. At a competition the style guidelines for the category are read before judging, not what I'd call "closed book." So I guess my question would be, are the style guidelines for each style being judged during the exam read like a competition or is it truly "closed book?"

Yes, The tasting exam is closed book. You do not know what style of beer you will be tasting until it is served to you. There are no guidelines available to help you judge the beer. It all have to be done from your memory and knowledge of the 23 styles and substyles.

The judging sheet you will be using is slightly modified. The normal BJCP sheet has some helpful hints and check boxes you can use to pinpoint flaws. Those are blank on the test sheets.

The test is to determine your knowledge of the beer styles and how close to style the sample beers are. The test will also determine how well you pick up any flaws in the beer you judge.

It is a LOT more difficult than judging in a competition where you have the style guidelines in front of you to refresh your memory and descriptions of common flaws and their causes.

Good luck.
 
Thanks, Revvy. That was helpful (even though the exam has changed since that post). I guess I should have done a search.
I was mainly curious about the administration of the tasting. I took the written part of the new test in April and it was relatively easy and I'm still familiar with all the recognized styles but was curious if I need to brush up a bit before the tasting.

I feel like I'm pretty good at describing beers and have been scoring commercial examples and checking my sheets against examples for the same beers on the BJCP website. My descriptions have been pretty similar to the examples and my overall score has always been within 3 pts. of the example. But, then again, these are classic commercial examples that we're talking about with no major flaws so I don't know if what I'm doing is really all that helpful.
I am familiar with all the major off-flavors, what causes them, remedies, etc but I haven't actually scored a beer that exhibits them. Likewise, I haven't really attempted to score out-of-style/miscategorized beers. So I guess this gives me something to do this week.
 
Thanks, Wayne1. That's kinda what I figured (though I didn't realize that the score sheet would be modified).
 
Yes, The tasting exam is closed book. You do not know what style of beer you will be tasting until it is served to you. There are no guidelines available to help you judge the beer. It all have to be done from your memory and knowledge of the 23 styles and substyles.

The judging sheet you will be using is slightly modified. The normal BJCP sheet has some helpful hints and check boxes you can use to pinpoint flaws. Those are blank on the test sheets.

The test is to determine your knowledge of the beer styles and how close to style the sample beers are. The test will also determine how well you pick up any flaws in the beer you judge.

It is a LOT more difficult than judging in a competition where you have the style guidelines in front of you to refresh your memory and descriptions of common flaws and their causes.

Good luck.

Agreed that it is a LOT harder than judging in a competition. No guidelines, no hints.

You could be given a Baltic Porter and be told to judge it as an American Lite Lager. You could be given a beer that has been intentionally oxidized (hard to identify in the early stages of your judging career) or a beer with acetaldehyde or diacetyl. From what I understand the new exam is 6 beers within one and a half hours.

That being said, taste and critique A LOT of beers. Write down your thoughts. Use the style guidelines. Take notes on the style guidelines. Time yourself while "judging" beers. You should be able to complete a score sheet in 12 minutes. Repeat process 20-30 times. Dream about the nuances between a Robust Porter and American Stout.

I kid, but seriously, it's hard. I studied for 7 months with a Grand Master II tutor, judged in a competition, critiqued a lot of beer, took enough notes to fill a 1.5" binder and still only managed to score an 88 on the tasting exam.
 
Is there a copy of the modified exam score-sheet available somewhere? I'd like to spend these last few days scoring beers without the little hints, etc that are on the normal score-sheet (I've been trying to ignore them but I'd prefer practicing as though it's the real thing).
 
Thanks. That's actually not as different as I thought it might be.

One last question:eek:n the score-sheets, under "Descriptors," it says "Mark all that apply" but none of the example score-sheets that I've looked at on the BJCP site have any of the descriptors marked. What's up with that? If you mention it in your written description do you not need to mark it or something? Just curious-I've been marking them on the sheets I've been filling out.
 
The examples on the BJCP website are using very old scoresheets.

I would check the descriptions that pertain to the beer you are judging. The administrator will tell you precisely how the score sheets are to be filled out.

You will be marked on how complete the scoresheet is filled out.
 
Thanks. That's actually not as different as I thought it might be.

One last question:eek:n the score-sheets, under "Descriptors," it says "Mark all that apply" but none of the example score-sheets that I've looked at on the BJCP site have any of the descriptors marked. What's up with that? If you mention it in your written description do you not need to mark it or something? Just curious-I've been marking them on the sheets I've been filling out.

You do describe whatever you mark! Be as descriptive as possible.

Al Boyce, coordinator of the BJCP exams in the midwest described taking this tasting test to me this way: " 'Malty' is not a good description. "High level of maltiness" is better. "High level of maltiness reminiscent of Munich malt" is best".

You'll also be judged on how closely you come in scoring to the proctors' scores. Which can be a good or bad thing.

Yes, but it's only 1/5 of your score. And the points subtracted from that part of your score are something like 0 if you 'miss" by 3, 2 if you miss by 5-7, etc. I didn't write down exact scores/points, but that's what I remember.

The rest of the score comes from the actual scoresheet- adding the scores correctly, being descriptive, being correct, etc.

I have no idea what I scored on the tasting portion- it'll be months go get my results- but a couple of tips I could give pretty easily! One is to know your styles! You don't need to know the exact OG/FG but be able to talk about the characteristics of each style. In our case, a Russian Imperial Stout (and it was really pretty good!) was entered as a schwartzbier. So I had a pretty nice beer to judge, but it was NOT a schwartzbier so it scored low. I scored it 25, as did the Proctors!

The next tip- know your off flavors and be descriptive about it. You will probably get at least one infected/oxidized beer. Our exam site did, as I know Pappers_' exam did too. Describe it in great detail- the color, the flavor, etc. Score appropriately, but at 13 or higher. I think I scored this one at 16, while the proctors gave it 19.

Make sure you fill out the scoresheet! I almost missed the bottom for "stylistic accuracy" on the bottom.

One hint that Al Boyce gave us was to give a corrective suggestion for each 10 points you subtract from 50. So, for a beer that scores 30, give at least two solid corrections. For example, you could mention that some oxidation was noted in the beer and say, "transfer quietly, without splashing, to help avoid potential oxidation" and then if you mentioned astringency in the finish say, "avoid sparging above 170 degrees, and check the alkalinity of the brewing water to help combat astringency" or something like that. But make sure these suggestions/fixes are from a flaw noticed earlier and commented on!

Our exam had three lagers, a hybrid, and 2 ales. I was surprised to have 3 lagers, but I know that they can really give you any style (except sours).
 
All very good advice, Yooper. I've judged with Al before and I learned an awful lot. About both judging and raccoons. :) He is a great judge an really helped me understand how to judge very subjective styles like Smoke & Wood Aged. It's now my favorite style to judge.
 
Thanks guys.

I know you meant "guys" as in plural for "folks" but I do think it's interesting to point out that some of the most passionate judges (and a couple of BJCP nerds in this thread) are women! :D

It's so cool seeing more women getting BJCP recognized/certified. One of the proctors in the tasting exam was a woman, for example.

Two in the Sunday AM tasting exam in Minneapolis were women (out of 12 testers total), so it's not a huge amount but we're getting there!

I know some excellent male judges, or course, but I think women often can bring some more to judging with them. It seems like the women I know can easily pick up nuances and subtleties in flavor while sometimes the men I know are more struck by the bigger flavors. I think women are often good at naming or recognizing a flavor (that's like the mint tea my grandma drank!) or aroma, while some men might not immediately place an unusual aroma.

For guys who have spouses who dislike beer and complain about the brewing smell, they probably agree that some women can be "super smellers" and very good at picking up aromas!
 
I know you meant "guys" as in plural for "folks" but I do think it's interesting to point out that some of the most passionate judges (and a couple of BJCP nerds in this thread) are women! :D

Yep. I grew up in Texas saying "y'all" but after a decade in New York it's "guys" or "you guys" (and I was aware that both you and AmandaK are women, btw).
I know they're out there but I just wish I could meet a few more of these ladies who are really into beer!
 
Yep. I grew up in Texas saying "y'all" but after a decade in New York it's "guys" or "you guys" (and I was aware that both you and AmandaK are women, btw).
I know they're out there but I just wish I could meet a few more of these ladies who are really into beer!

Here in the UP, the expression is "Youse guys". Even my own daughter says that, and it makes me crazy. I told her the plural of "you" is "you" and she said she knew that. And then wrote us a note, signing it "Love you'se guys!". :confused:

You may not want to meet a woman who is really into beer- imagine two total beer geeks sharing a household. Or worse, if they have a great palate and can pick out your brewing flaws!

Bob is doing that now- picking out certain flavors and asking about it. He'll mention to me, "I like this beer, but I think it could benefit from some warmth and depth in the malt bill- have you thought about adding Munich malt to this?" Um, no, Bob. Just STFU and drink your beer. :D

I told him that he would be a great BJCP judge, and even though he doesn't brew he knows so much about my process he probably could brew a great batch!
 
I just wanted to say that this is some really awesome info. I recently passed the entrance exam and am currently trying to get a spot for a tasting exam. I'm on something like 5 waiting lists and the latest of them is November of next year! Well, at least I have plenty of time to study. I'm reading through Mosher's Tasting Beer right now and I plan on reading at least a few more from the recommended reading list. What is the general opinion on the FlavorActiV kit? I've been considering getting it, but wasn't sure if the flavors would be representative once you actually put them in a beer. I'm also judging as a novice in a competition in October, so that will be a valuable learning experience.
 
The "doctoring" kit is great- but there is a link on the BJCP website that lets you do it yourself, with "prescriptions" for adding diacetyl flavor, alcohol flavor, etc. Try that, in case you're not sure of each and every one.

Judging is the best teacher, and you'll learn a lot just by learning the process from experienced judges as well as seeing if your tasterbuds match up with those at the table. You'll get plenty of bad beer, and possibly a few decent ones, so you'll have lots of experience to draw on for "off flavors" :D
 
You may not want to meet a woman who is really into beer- imagine two total beer geeks sharing a household. Or worse, if they have a great palate and can pick out your brewing flaws!

I'd imagine two beer nerds together would have one AWESOME brew rig. :D Oh, and it would probably save me money on sending beers out to comps for feedback! :rockin:
 
The "doctoring" kit is great- but there is a link on the BJCP website that lets you do it yourself, with "prescriptions" for adding diacetyl flavor, alcohol flavor, etc. Try that, in case you're not sure of each and every one.

Yooper,
I can't seem to find the link you speak of. I'll keep looking and post here if I find it, but could you provide the link if you see this before I find it? Thanks.
 
D'oh! I didn't realize that was right there in the study guide, which I've started to read through, but didn't get that far yet. Thanks very much!
 
Well...I went in moderately confident and left much less so.
I quickly realized that I didn't spend nearly enough time scoring substantially flawed beers. I spent most of my time scoring commercial brews and decent homebrews that were nearly all over 30pts.

I got pretty good at picking up and describing the subtle nuances of good beers doing this but only one of the six beers we were presented fell into this range. The next highest in the exam I had scored as a 25 and one was downright disgusting (my pee later smelled like this gross beer-sorry if tmi). I was able to identify the flaws, etc but it makes it a lot harder to pick up the positive points (malt, hops, etc) and relate them to the style when you've got these flaws in your face.

Add in the task of trying to resolve just how many points to deduct for these big flaws and time became a HUGE issue. With decent beers I was hitting 12min like clockwork at home but really ran short on time with these poorer examples. I think I was too generous on most.

I still think I probably passed but am not super confident about scoring over 70 (I think I did but just don't know) and would be a bit surprised if I scored over 80.

At least I know what to expect if I need to retake it.
 
Something my basketball coach used to say was this, "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

Now you know exactly what to practice for if you need to retake it. It sucks, but drinking flawed beers really makes you a better judge. My favorite is when a club will bring in an expert in the field to do 'off-flavor analysis' before a comp. At the last KC Bier Meister competition, they brought in an older woman who had worked on the off-flavor tasting panel for Anheuser-Busch for 25+ years. Now if that's not someone to learn from, I don't know who is!
 
You'll also be judged on how closely you come in scoring to the proctors' scores. Which can be a good or bad thing.

Yeah. The difference between an 80 and a 100 is which side of bed the proctors woke up on. A good example of this occurred at my tasting exam: we judged a bock entered as a "baltic porter". I dinged it hard for no roast, no hints of dark fruit, no alcohol warmth/complexity, and even suggested that it might place better as a bock! The proctors (2 Masters and a Grand Master) gave it a score of 35.
 
Yeah. The difference between an 80 and a 100 is which side of bed the proctors woke up on. A good example of this occurred at my tasting exam: we judged a bock entered as a "baltic porter". I dinged it hard for no roast, no hints of dark fruit, no alcohol warmth/complexity, and even suggested that it might place better as a bock! The proctors (2 Masters and a Grand Master) gave it a score of 35.

That's unfortunate. I'd hope the proctors would take the mis-categorized and seriously flawed beers and rate them as they'd expect the student to rate them.


I'm just now looking into studying for BJCP, so I'm still a long ways off from any tasting exam! Are there any hints (beyond the BJCP resources) for studying given the recent exam changes? What about for a non-brewer studying for and taking the exam (my brother is also interested, but he does not brew beer)?
 
That's unfortunate. I'd hope the proctors would take the mis-categorized and seriously flawed beers and rate them as they'd expect the student to rate them.


I'm just now looking into studying for BJCP, so I'm still a long ways off from any tasting exam! Are there any hints (beyond the BJCP resources) for studying given the recent exam changes? What about for a non-brewer studying for and taking the exam (my brother is also interested, but he does not brew beer)?

The Study Guide is a great resource, and if you can take a "tasting class" I'm sure that would be very helpful. I live in the middle of no-where so no tasting class or teachings have been available, and I think it would be easier to do it with an expert, and other people, to see how we compare.

A non-brewer may have some difficulty, as you need to give helpful corrective action. Some of that is easy for non-brewers (a sour beer can have a suggestion of "make sure everything that touches the beer after the boil is sanitized!") but for an astringency issue it would help if he knew the basics of brewing, as the answer for corrective action might be more along the lines of checking sparge pH, or keeping the sparge temperature under 170, lowering the amount of roasted grains, etc.

If he wants to sit on a few brew sessions, and really study the study guide on mashing and sparging, he may be able to do it. There are many brewers I know who have great theoretical knowledge but can't brew very well themselves, so if he is the type to really delve into cause and effect in brewing, then he could probably do it.
 
Are there any hints (beyond the BJCP resources) for studying given the recent exam changes? What about for a non-brewer studying for and taking the exam (my brother is also interested, but he does not brew beer)?

Outside of the BJCP, I would highly recommend looking into beerjudgeschool.com.

It is ran by a Grand Master II out of California who proctors, administers and grades exams. By studying with him, I nearly got a Master score on my first attempt on the Legacy exam - 90 written and 88 tasting. He is on the forefront of the new exams and could be a great resource for you and your brother.

After 6 months of studying, he met me at a comp in Iowa for real, live judging. That experience was invaluable.
 
Thanks for all the tips, y'all have been helpful. If anybody has taken an exam lately I'd love to hear from them, I take my exam in two weeks
 
Thanks for all the tips, y'all have been helpful. If anybody has taken an exam lately I'd love to hear from them, I take my exam in two weeks

Mine was in September, so not all that recently- but I don't think it's changed much.

The good thing was the results- when they analyzed my scoresheets, I got great feedback on the judging I did. I now see why it takes so very long to get the score back!

Pappers tested in July, and I tested in early September, and we both got our results around the 6th of January. I"m "certified" so the score was pretty good but I could have done better in my opinion.
 
I am scheduled to take the tasting exam in August. One thing that I think would help is too see how high ranking judges scored the commerical beers mentioned in the BJCP style guidelines. I realize that Zymurgy has the Commercial Calibration section but a lot of times they aren't judging the "classic" beers. My idea is to fill out a score sheet for a classic style beer say Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Once filled out I would look to see how experienced beer judges scored the beer, their comments and how close my own score/comments were to theirs. Does anyone else think this would be helpful? Even if some of the BJCP judges on HBT were to do it I think it would be great.
 
I also took the test in September and got my scores back a couple of weeks ago. My score places me at certified also but I need a couple more experience points to reach that rank.

Here are my thoughts:
It's a lot harder than you'd think. I studied and practiced on my own, mostly tasting and scoring the commercial examples on the bjcp website where they had sample score sheets. Mine always looked very similar in the comments and my scoring was almost always within 2 pts of the experts'. However, this didn't prepare me for scoring very flawed beers.

I was/am very familiar with off flavors, causes, remedies, etc. but it really is hard, if you haven't done it, to not only identify/suggest possible causes and possible remedies for off flavors but also pick out those beery elements hiding beneath the flaws, describe them and relate them to the stated style all while battling the clock.

In my case, most of the beers I'd been practicing on we're low-mid 30's and up. Of the six beers I was tested on, I scored only one over 25 (I gave it a 28) and two were under 20...and my scoring wasn't off. My numerical scores were National level. Where I lost points was on my descriptions and I generally feel like I'm very good at describing beers but with so much going on between flaws AND the normal nuances it's really tough to do well in the time given.

I think the only way to become more proficient is to judge more comps and gain more experience with bad (as well as good/great) beer.
 
Mine was in September, so not all that recently- but I don't think it's changed much.

The good thing was the results- when they analyzed my scoresheets, I got great feedback on the judging I did. I now see why it takes so very long to get the score back!

Pappers tested in July, and I tested in early September, and we both got our results around the 6th of January. I"m "certified" so the score was pretty good but I could have done better in my opinion.

Does anyone know why it takes so long to get results? 4-6 months seems like way too long. I think my buddies got their Bar Exam results back faster!! :D Honestly though are the scoresheets sent out to Grand Master judges or do the proctors grade the score sheets?
 

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