How to Prepare for the Q Grader Course
Interested in registering for a Q Grader course but don’t know how to prepare? This page outlines each of the course’s exam components and provides recommended reading and activities to help you get ready.
Read on to get recommendation on how to prepare for the cupping skills, physical assessment, roasting problems, descriptive assessment, affective assessment, olfactory category examples, triangulation, main taste solution practicals, and written exams.
Preparing for the Written Exam
The written exam focuses primarily on Coffee Value Assessment. Cupping procedures (including setup) are also covered in detail.
Review the CVA Protocol, Standards SCA-102, SCA-103, and SCA-104, and/or the CVA Theory Video Series on YouTube.
Download the CVA Forms. If you don’t have prior experience using the forms in a professional setting, try conducting CVA Physical, Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments on coffees at your workplace.
The CVA for Cuppers Course provides experienced cuppers with a thorough introduction to the Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments. If you’re an experienced cupper looking for hands-on practice, this course is recommended.
Preparing for the Cupping Skills Practical Exam
This exam evaluates your conduct during cuppings. While this exam doesn’t cover setup, you will need to demonstrate a high level of focus and professionalism during the course’s cupping-centric activities.
Those who are new to cupping should register for an Intro to Cupping Workshop and investigate whether any coffee businesses in their area host public cuppings.
Beginners and experienced cuppers alike should review Standard SCA-102 to get a sense of what practices will be expected.
While a video tutorial is no substitute for training from an experienced professional, many are available, and can be a good resource along with practicing at home. Keep in mind that you should reference Standard SCA-102.
Beginners and experienced cuppers alike should review Standard SCA-102 to get a sense of what practices will be expected.
If you have access to a cupping lab at your workplace, use the lab to practice setting up, conducting, and cleaning up cupping sessions.
Preparing for the Physical Assessment Practical Exam
This exam evaluates your ability to accurately perform a CVA Physical Assessment, also known as “green grading.”
Review the “Physical Assessment of Green Coffee” section of the CVA Protocol.
Download the Physical Form. If you don’t have prior experience using the form in a professional setting, try conducting a CVA Physical Assessment on green coffee samples at your workplace. If a moisture-content measuring instrument or set of sieves is available, practice identifying the moisture and/or bean size of green coffee samples to build your familiarity with this equipment.
Familiarize yourself with the SCA Washed Arabica Green Coffee Defect Guide.
Green Coffee Foundation and Intermediate courses are useful for those seeking a structured learning experience that exposes them to a variety of physical tests. Green Coffee Foundation includes moisture and size identification, as well as distinguishing between samples with low and high physical-defect counts. Green Coffee Intermediate includes moisture, size, the identification of particular physical defects, and other physical tests.
Preparing for the Roasting Problems Practical Exam
This exam evaluates your ability to recognize a correct cupping roast using smell and taste alone.
Review the “Sample Preparation” section of the CVA Protocol or Standard SCA-102.
Taste a variety of coffees roasted to achieve a ground Agtron of 63 (about 58 whole bean Agtron) to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of a standard cupping roast. Compare the sensory characteristics of this standard roast with those of coffees that have been roasted too light, too dark, too fast, or too slow.
| Profile | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Optimum/Standard | Roast to achieve a ground Agtron of 63 (about 58 whole bean Agtron). |
| Too Light | Roast to achieve a ground Agtron of about 75 (about 68 whole bean Agtron). |
| Too Dark | Roast to achieve a ground Agtron of about 55 (about 45 whole bean Agtron). |
| Too Fast | Roast to achieve a ground Agtron of 63 (about 58 whole bean Agtron) in half the normal roasting time. |
| Too Slow | Roast to achieve a ground Agtron of 63 (about 58 whole bean Agtron) in twice the normal roasting time. |
Preparing for the Descriptive Assessment Practical Exam
This exam evaluates your ability to accurately perform the CVA Descriptive Assessment. This includes both form use as well as your descriptive accuracy.
Review the “Descriptive Assessment” section of the CVA Protocol and Standard SCA-103.
Download the Descriptive Form. If you don’t have prior experience using the form in a professional setting, try conducting a CVA Descriptive Assessment on coffee samples at your workplace.
Sensory Skills Foundation and Intermediate courses are useful for those seeking a structured learning experience that exposes them to the Descriptive Form and helps them develop their sensory acuity.
The CVA for Cuppers Course provides experienced cuppers with a thorough introduction to the Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments. If you’re an experienced cupper and looking for hands-on practice, this course is recommended.
Preparing for the Affective Assessment Practical Exam
This exam evaluates a participant’s ability to accurately perform the CVA Affective Assessment. This includes both form use as well as the participant’s consistency.
Review the “Affective Assessment” section of the CVA Protocol and Standard SCA-104.
Download the Affective Form. If you don’t have prior experience using the form in a professional setting, try conducting a CVA Affective Assessment on coffee samples at your workplace.
Sensory Skills Foundation and Intermediate courses are useful for those seeking a structured learning experience that exposes them to the Affective Form and helps them develop their sensory acuity.
The CVA for Cuppers Course provides experienced cuppers with a thorough introduction to the Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments. If you’re an experienced cupper and looking for hands-on practice, this course is recommended.
Preparing for the Olfactory Category Examples Practical Exam
This exam evaluates your ability to accurately recognize and describe olfactory sensations.
Set up olfactory category examples using the suggested ingredients or products in the CVA Olfactory Example Library. Practice blindly identifying the Descriptive Form CATA box represented by each example.
Preparing for the Triangulation Practical Exam
This exam evaluates a participant’s ability to detect subtle differences among coffee samples.
At your workplace, ask a colleague to set up triads at varying levels of difficulty for you to evaluate. Blindly evaluate each triad and identify the different cup.
Sensory Skills Intermediate is a useful course for those seeking a structured learning experience that exposes them to triangulation and provides opportunities to practice.
Preparing for the Main Taste Solutions Practical Exam
This exam evaluates a participant’s ability to detect and describe main tastes and their intensities in both simple and complex solutions.
Prepare sweet, salty, and sour solutions according to the “Taste Basics” section of the WCR Lexicon. Vary the quantities of sugar, salt, and citric acid used to create and practice with different intensities.
Sensory Skills Foundation and Intermediate courses are useful courses for those seeking a structured learning experience that exposes them to main taste solutions and provides opportunities to practice.
