Introduction
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wine Exam is a significant step up for those deepening their wine knowledge. This guide aims to provide essential information for candidates preparing for this advanced-level exam.
Exam Overview and Format
The WSET Level 3 Award in Wine Exam is more comprehensive and challenging than its predecessors, consisting of two main parts:
- Tasting Portion
- Nature of the Exam: This section requires candidates to produce a tasting note on two wines.
- Duration: Candidates are allotted 30 minutes for this portion.
- Passing Criteria: A minimum of 55% is required to pass the tasting portion.
- Written Portion
- Exam Components: This part includes 50 multiple-choice questions and 4 short written answer questions.
- Duration: Candidates have two hours to complete this section.
- Passing Criteria: A minimum of 55% must be achieved in both the multiple-choice and short answer sections to pass.
Exam Venue
- In-Person Only: Unlike the Level 1 and Level 2 exams, the Level 3 exam can only be taken in person.
Preparation Tips
- In-Depth Study: Due to the exam’s complexity, an in-depth study of the course material is crucial.
- Skills and Drills Exam Prep Resource: (available in your course) Leverage our ‘Skills and Drills’ exam prep resource, which provides targeted exercises and materials to sharpen your knowledge and test-taking abilities for the Level 3 exam.
- Practice Tasting Notes: Regularly practice writing tasting notes to enhance your ability to accurately describe wines under exam conditions.
- Mock Exams: Engage in practice exams, particularly for the written portion, to familiarize yourself with the types of questions and time management.
- Understand Scoring Criteria: Familiarize yourself with the scoring criteria for both the tasting and written portions to understand what is expected.
Conclusion The WSET Level 3 Award in Wine Exam is a challenging but rewarding milestone for wine enthusiasts and professionals. It requires thorough preparation, a deep understanding of wines, and the ability to articulate this knowledge under exam conditions. By meeting the passing criteria in both the tasting and written sections, candidates can achieve this prestigious qualification.