Passed the BJCP Online Entrance Exam

[kombat]

I took and passed the BJCP Online Entrance Exam this weekend (first try - I should have been more confident. I purchased the $20 "3-attempt" package). I'm also signed up to take the tasting exam in March.

I was under the impression that the style guidelines would be provided/accessible to us during the tasting exam, but now I'm reading that that's not actually correct, and we'll be expected to evaluate 6 beers relying entirely on our memorization of the style guidelines. This is causing me to panic a little. That's a ton of information to memorize in a month and a half!

Can anyone offer any advice? Should I devote/waste energy memorizing IBU and SRM ranges? Characteristic ingredients? Or should I just focus on the general descriptions, the appropriate carbonation levels, mouthfeel, acceptable levels of various off-flavors, that sort of stuff? Or should I just memorize everything? Can I at least just focus on the more popular styles (i.e., don't bother studying things like Gueuze at all, because it's unlikely the exam organizers will be able to procure an example)?

 

[kombat]

Bump? Nobody's gone through this?

 

[poptarts]

http://www.wahomebrewers.org/learn/bjcp-classes/488-kent-bjcp-class-info-oct-2015-exam

This site has everything you ever wanted along with online mp3s of the classes and a binder document with tons of info. Just listen to the MP3s and follow along and you will crush the exam. but no don't focus on exact ibu srm etc, just know the gist of each style. alot more of scoring is getting what you perceive on paper in a meaningful way, focus on that. But seriously that class is everything and anything you will need and its free!

 

[IslandLizard]

Congrats on passing the Online Exam and persuing your BJCP certification. I tip my hat to you!

I took a BJCP study class last year, and although very interesting and educational to learn about beer styles and judging them, I concluded not owning the right mindset for becoming an official beer judge. So the more respect for those who do!

 

[Pappers_]

Don't freak out about the style guidelines. Focus on your perceptions and describing them. That is what is required for most of filling out the sheet. You don't need to get to the guidelines until you get to the final section, the overall impression.

 

[bob1852]

I was under the impression that the style guidelines would be provided/accessible to us during the tasting exam, but now I'm reading that that's not actually correct, and we'll be expected to evaluate 6 beers relying entirely on our memorization of the style guidelines. This is causing me to panic a little. That's a ton of information to memorize in a month and a half!

Remember, most of the score sheet has to do with how you describe the beer you're given; not necessarily the style.

Can anyone offer any advice? Should I devote/waste energy memorizing IBU and SRM ranges?

Don't bother, because it's largely irrelevant. You're not given IBU or SRM for any samples anyways; so it's not really important to know the numbers. What's more important is to know generally what's within style for many of the given blocks of styles (American ales, English dark beers, lagers, etc.) on the four main categories (aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel)

Characteristic ingredients? Or should I just focus on the general descriptions, the appropriate carbonation levels, mouthfeel, acceptable levels of various off-flavors, that sort of stuff?

The most important thing is to learn how to properly fill out a score sheet. That's going to be the most important thing to pass the exam. Really focus on all the attributes you're supposed to hit on in all of the categories (aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel); and how to descriptively characterize them. Even if I enter a stout into a pale ale category, the vast majority of the aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel sections of the score sheet will be you describing that stout (it's the mostly the scores and overall impressions sections where you make the "to style" comments/scores)



Good luck, and have fun with it! I passed mine with a ~76, so I'm recognized, not certified; but hopefully with some judging and maybe another test down the road, I can score high enough to get certified. Not really interested in pursuing National at this point.



EDIT: tl;dr -- what Pappers_ said.

 

[dammBrewer]

Congrats. As someone who passed it on the 4th try; doing it on the first go is a huge accomplishment.

As for studying, I took my tasting and noticed that they tend to mix it up pretty good. You are not allowed any references during the exam so you are in fact, on your own. I would say study what you can, they do have the right to put any style in front of you they wish to. Also, they have the right to mix in Homebrew, Commercial Brew and even doctored up examples.

They aren't going to test you, as someone else commented here, on IBU's or SRM's directly, but, when "judging" a style, you will need to have a basic understanding of them to as to know if the example in front of you is correct or flawed and how you perceive it.

For another reference, I recommend listening to a few Podcasts on Brewnology.com or doing an iTunes search (or wherever you get your podcasts from) for Brewnology. That should help you also.

Good luck on the tasting exam. Sounds like you are on the right track!

 

[poptarts]

Remember, most of the score sheet has to do with how you describe the beer you're given; not necessarily the style.



Don't bother, because it's largely irrelevant. You're not given IBU or SRM for any samples anyways; so it's not really important to know the numbers. What's more important is to know generally what's within style for many of the given blocks of styles (American ales, English dark beers, lagers, etc.) on the four main categories (aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel)



The most important thing is to learn how to properly fill out a score sheet. That's going to be the most important thing to pass the exam. Really focus on all the attributes you're supposed to hit on in all of the categories (aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel); and how to descriptively characterize them. Even if I enter a stout into a pale ale category, the vast majority of the aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel sections of the score sheet will be you describing that stout (it's the mostly the scores and overall impressions sections where you make the "to style" comments/scores)



Good luck, and have fun with it! I passed mine with a ~76, so I'm recognized, not certified; but hopefully with some judging and maybe another test down the road, I can score high enough to get certified. Not really interested in pursuing National at this point.



EDIT: tl;dr -- what Pappers_ said.

You get certified rank with a minimum of 70 on score and 5 judging points

 

[bob1852]

You get certified rank with a minimum of 70 on score and 5 judging points

Huh, guess is should be able to get that!

 

[Brettomomyces]

Lot of good advice so far. When you get to the tasting exam you've got 15 mins per beer, which seems like a lot but if you haven't done a lot of judging before the score sheet can be overwhelming. I would recommend looking up any local contests you can find before the exam and sign up to judge just to get the experience, you'll be way more confident. Or you could do some practice tastings with commercial beers or other homebrew.

On my exam they didn't throw a lot of curve balls, but you'll probably get at least one. We had an English barley wine given to us as an American, that was an easy catch. And then one of my beers had an obvious flaw, I forget what. But I would expect to see a pretty common style handed to you for most of the six.