Exam by Alberto G. on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Changes to Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.2

Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.2 is dated November 20, 2017.

There were minor formatting changes throughout, plus two key changes you need to know.

Minor formatting changes throughout

Imperial measurements in the syllabus now also have metric equivalents shown in parenthesis.

It’s kind of weird. Here in the U.S., we’re the global odd ones out with the Imperial system, but it is the nationwide standard. Now that the Cicerone® Certification Program has syllabus for several countries, I don’t see much need for the USA syllabus to show the metric measurements.

Currently, the Cicerone website has versions for:

• USA: English
• Canada: English
• Australia: English
• International: English
• Internacional: Español

With Certified Beer Server becoming more popular outside of the USA, and Beer Exam School accessible worldwide, I also updated the study lessons on the website to include metric measurements in parenthesis.

Please let me know if you see something that I missed. Just make a comment below this post and I’ll get it updated for the peeps on the metric system.

Using a glass washing machine

Instructions were added for using a glass washing machine.

For when your employer doesn’t use the 3-sink method for getting the glasses to beer clean, but they have a glass washing machine dedicated to the task.

Pouring a beer from tap on nitro

Instructions were added for pouring a beer from tap on nitro.

It’s very similar to pouring a beer from tap on CO2, but there’re are a couple key steps that are required by the super sudsiness of those creamy beers we love on nitro.

One beer style added

The Cicerone® Certification Program has stated that the beer styles in their syllabus reference the BJCP Guidelines rather than the Brewers Association’s because BJCP Guidelines don’t change very often. BJCP is still operating from their 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. So there’s not a lot of updates to this section of the Certified Beer Server Syllabus.

However, one new style was added: International Pale Lager. The style is basically a copy of the widely popular, American Pale Lager.

What you need to know:

So that’s it! That’s all of the changes to the Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.2. Thankfully, it was not a whole lot this time.

After 10 years of conducting exams, I guess the Cicerone® Certification Program is still honing their syllabi. I don’t see much other need for changing the Certified Beer Server syllabus as often as they do. I mean glass washing machines have been around a while, beer on nitro has been around a while, although it is getting more popular. The Cicerone Certification Program isn’t a program of lifelong learning, they don’t require continuing education credits for keeping your status. But I guess it’s good that they keep up with the latest in the industry.

I already updated my study notes and flashcards on this website to reflect these changes. So if you haven’t already started studying for the Certified Beer Server exam, now’s your chance!

Use my free study notes and flashcards on this website for the best way to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time! Get going and let me know when you pass.

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with my notes–pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post What was changed in Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.2? appeared first on Beer Exam School.

Exam by Alberto G. on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The Certified Beer Server Syllabus is rarely updated

I started gathering my study materials for the exam in October 2014. The latest version of the syllabus was 2.0, dated June 1, 2013.

The Cicerone® Certification Program had stated that the beer styles in their syllabus reference the BJCP Guidelines rather than the Brewers Association’s because BJCP Guidelines don’t change very often. Well, BJCP released new style guidelines in 2015. So Cicerone updated their syllabi. Here are the changes to Certified Beer Server Syllabus.

Changes to Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.0

Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.0 is dated July 1, 2015. It hadn’t been changed in a while, so this was a major overhaul.

Programmatic changes

In August 2015, Cicerone® Certification Program announced that it would add a fourth level to the program: Advanced Cicerone^TM. The highest level was too hard, so they added another level for people who want to go beyond Certified Cicerone®, but perhaps not all the way to Master Cicerone®.

“While we have seen tremendous demand for the Master Cicerone® exam, the additional degree of knowledge and skill required to pass is too great for the vast majority of candidates to achieve,” says Ray Daniels, Founder and Director of the Cicerone® Certification Program. In fact, in the prior two years only 3 individuals have passed out of 46 attempts. “The new exam level gives serious beer professionals recognition for additional learning and skill development beyond the Certified Cicerone® level.”

Minor changes throughout

Storage for bottled beer is specified at 43° F unless otherwise stated for a specific style.

“Lift off” caps are now referred to as “pry-off” caps.

Basic grammatical corrections and organizational changes were made as in listing the steps to remove a wire cage and cork.

Qualitative style parameters now includes “appearance.”

The following changes were made to quantitative ABV ranges:

Lower <4.4% is now <4.5%

Normal 4.4% – 5.9% is now 4.5% – 6.0%

Elevated 6.0% – 7.4% is now 6.1% – 7.5%

High 7.5% – 9.9% is now 7.6% – 10.0%

Very high remains >10.0%

Acid flavor was removed from the syllabus. Previously, it was mentioned with sour. Two of the merging flavors, Carbonic and Metallic, were also removed. But I kept them in the study guide.

Aroma evaluation techniques were elaborated to include:

• Distant sniff
• Short sniff
• Long sniff
• Covered sniff

Traditional traits of regional hops were changed as follows:

• American hops added tropical fruit and catty.
• German/Czech hops no longer have woodsy characteristics.

Beer styles renamed

Several beer styles were renamed to match BJCP Guidelines.

The following beers were deleted:

• Munich Dunkel
• English Mild
• Scottish ale(s)

The following beers were added:

• Munich Helles
• Berliner Weisse
• American Barleywine

And:

American Lager was simplified from “Light, Standard, Premium” to simply “American Light Lager.”

Beer styles reorganized

The beer styles were also reorganized:

• The order of the countries was changed.
• American beers were previously subcategorized as just “historic” and “modern.” Now they’re broken into better subcategories that reflect the beer styles.
• German Bocks subcategory was added.
• “Spontaneously ferments” is now called “Lambic Beers” (Belgium/France).
• “Farmhouse beers” is now called “Unique beers” (Belgium/France).
• “Other Belgian beer” is now called “Pale Belgian beers.”
• Oatmeal Stout moved from America to England. We’ll miss you.
• Porter moved from England to America, and is no longer robust. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Changes to Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.1

Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.1 is dated September 1, 2016.

There were fewer changes than the last time.

Minor changes throughout

Basic grammatical corrections, such as to “engage” the keg coupler is now described as to “lock” the coupler.

Some organizational changes were made, as in outlining the different way to pour bottled beer with yeast or without yeast.

What you need to know:

So that’s it! That’s all of the changes to the Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.x. Much of it minor details not even worth mentioning. But I did anyway.

For the more important changes, I already updated my study notes and flashcards on this website. So if you haven’t already started studying for the Certified Beer Server exam, now’s your chance!

Use my free study notes and flashcards on this website for the best way to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time! Get going and let me know when you pass.

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with my notes–pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post What was changed in Certified Beer Server Syllabus v3.x? appeared first on Beer Exam School.

You may know me as the host of MicroBrewr Podcast. MicroBrewr Podcast has over 85 episodes of interviews with brewers, brewery owners, and other experts in the craft beer industry. It’s all about how to start a brewery. So we find out their biggest mistakes, their best ideas, and any other insight that they have from actually being on the ground starting a brewery. It’s the lessons learned, to try and pursue our dreams doing the same thing.

A friend of mine in the alcoholic beverage industry said, “You know, you should really consider the Cicerone^® Certification Program and get at least the first level, Certified Beer Server, on your resume.” So I started studying for the Certified Beer Server exam, and I kept all of my notes on Beer Exam School.

And now I am a Certified Beer Server from Cicerone^® Certification Program. So that’s what this post is about.

We are going to cover a little bit about:

1. What is a Cicerone and the Cicerone® Certification Program
2. How to use Beer Exam School
3. How to pass the Certified Beer Server exam the first time
4. How to enroll in Beer Exam School

What is a Cicerone and the Cicerone® Certification Program

So what is a Cicerone? A Cicerone is somebody who has been certified by the independent agency, the Cicerone^® Certification Program, to verify that your professional beer serving knowledge and expertise is top notch. So there are 4 levels.

The first level of the Cicerone^® Certification Program is a Certified Beer Server. The second level is the one that’s pretty popular, a lot of people are talking about that, it’s the Certified Cicerone^®. Maybe you aren’t fully up to going to the Master Cicerone^® level. There are a few people who have passed the exam. Lots of people tried, many have failed. It’s really tough. So they created this sort of in between, Advanced Cicerone^TM to take your Certified Cicerone^® skills and knowledge and expertise up a notch before you’re ready for the full on Master Cicerone^® level.

So I wanted to do just the Certified Beer Server exam so that I could expand my knowledge in craft beer and have the certificate to put on my resume. Some reasons other people like to do it are for bragging rights. Just to say, “I am a Certified Beer Server.” And some people just take the exam without studying. I’ve heard of people taking the exam and passing it having a beer or two during the course of taking this online exam. Which is online, so you could take it from anywhere in the world, anybody can do it. And if you just want to pass, maybe you know enough about craft beer so you could do that. You get two tries, so you may as well give it a try if you want to.

But if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge and really learning from the experience, that’s more what I was trying to do and that’s what Beer Exam School is really catered towards.

And some people want to do it just for community. They want to see their name up on the Cicerone^® Certification Program website next to the other Certified Beer Servers and know that they are in good company.

So if you want to be a Certified Beer Server, like I wanted to do, if you want to really learn the material, really gain working knowledge about beer and beer service, then I think Beer Exam School is right for you.

How to use Beer Exam School

So let’s talk about how to use Beer Exam School and go into the website a little bit. You can use any of your favorite web browsers. It’s at beerexamschool.com.

I usually have the latest post up here on the homepage. When the latest posts are published on the blog, you could use this section to go directly to the latest post. But if you’re studying for the Certified Beer Server exam, you might notice that these 5 buttons at the top look familiar.

These are the 5 parts of the Certified Beer Server syllabus:

1. Keeping and serving beer
2. Beer styles
3. Beer flavor and evaluation
4. Beer ingredients and brewing processes
5. Pairing beer with food

So if you’re studying along with the syllabus already and you just want to jump to one of the sections, this might be an easy way to do it. But what I always recommend is to just come up to the top menu for other options. Under the “About” menu, you can learn a little bit more about Beer Exam School, or about the Certified Beer Server, and about the Cicerone^® Certification Program in general.

And if you’re studying to pass the Certified Beer Server exam, I recommend coming here, click on “About Certified Beer Server.” There’s a little bit about the certification. Also under this section there is a table of contents, which matches my study notes exactly. I studied along exactly following the Certified Beer Server syllabus. So you’ll see the 5 parts shown above, and the sections beneath each part. So this is an easy way to jump straight to one of the parts that you’re studying on. Or if you want to go back and brush up on something that you read earlier, or look up some fact you already learned to brush up on your knowledge, you can just get right into those sections.

So let’s say you click on Part 2, Style parameters. This is lesson number 12, out of 20 lessons in Beer Exam School. You can read all of my research that I did on this, based on the reading materials that they suggested in the syllabus. And sometimes I read some additional materials when I couldn’t find answers there and I had to look in some other places. I condensed it to what I think are the most important things to pass the Certified Beer Server exam, to learn what they want you to learn, and to get the most out of this experience.

Now at the bottom of each section there are flashcards that I used. This is the meat, really. I got the most out of the flashcards. What I did was, I reviewed my notes, and then I concentrated on the flashcards. So these are the exact flashcards that I used. You could write down what I wrote on the front and on the back of each card. The bold text is the question that I wrote on the front of each card. The normal font is the answer that I wrote on the back of the card. So there are all of the flashcards I used below each lesson.

All the way at the bottom of each post, you could use the left and right buttons to go back to the previous lesson or go on to the next lesson, and keep studying this way.

So those are two ways to go through all of the study lessons and get the most out of Beer Exam School.

If you want to check out some of the other general posts, you go to the top menu and click “Latest Posts,” to go to the blog section. For example, after I passed the exam I made a post on, 3 thoughts on passing the Certified Beer Server exam. Read that if you want to celebrate with me when you finish passing your exam, please make a comment on the bottom, I really want to hear about your experience and hear whether my notes helped you. If you haven’t yet taken the Certified Beer Server exam, if you’re still curious about it, the blog has an FAQ, frequently asked questions about the Certified Beer Server exam and the certification. So the Latest Posts section is where general blog posts will show up.

The Resources link has some study resources that are listed in the syllabus. Check out these resources directly if you want to. If you feel like my notes are kind of lacking, feel free to go through the resources section to dig in deeper. I wanted to be completely transparent and let you know exactly where the information is coming from. So I listed it all there. You can see there are a lot of materials that I used. If you want to just use a condensed version, go through my notes. That will be much easier. I don’t think you’re going to miss out on the most important parts for passing the Certified Beer Server exam.

Some of the links on the Resources page and some other links throughout the website are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links I could get a small commission on the sale. It won’t affect your purchase price, and I’ll get a little kickback.

If you ever want to contact me to let me know how your experience was, that you passed the Certified Beer Server exam, that would be great, I would love to hear from you. So click the Contact button at the top.

There’s a link to MicroBrewr Podcast in case you want to check that out.

And that’s about it for the website.

How to pass the Certified Beer Server exam the first time

So now let’s talk about how to pass the Certified Beer Server exam the first time. The Cicerone^® Certification Program will let you take the exam up to twice, if you don’t pass it the first time.

I want you to pass it the first time. No need stressing out about this stuff, so checkout Beer Exam School. I showed you the table of contents. There are 20 lessons that I want you to go through, that cover each section of the syllabus. Altogether, there are 231 flashcards with 43 flashcards about the beer styles 227 flashcards, including 39 flashcards about the beer styles. The beer style flashcards are pretty data heavy.

If I were doing it again, I would actually start with the beer style flashcards first.

So what I recommend for you to pass the Certified Beer Server exam the first time, is to start with the beer style flashcards. You can download those from the website, or you can write them out by hand yourself, they’re right below the study notes that are provided. And start studying the beer styles in the beginning before you go through any of the study lessons for the other sections.

Then start off with lesson one and do one lesson per day. So after each lesson you can find the flashcards to write out yourself, or you can print them out from the PDF that I provide on the website. So start your flashcards for that day and after that, study the beer style flashcards again.

So day 2 comes along and you study lesson number 2 for the day, do your flashcards again, and do the beer style flashcards again.

Every day, do the beer style flashcards. Do the beer style flashcards as often as you can.

I designed the PDF to print out on business-card sized cards. I really wanted to do them on index-sized cards, but turn it into a PDF in a way that you can print out at home. They don’t make a sheet of index cards for your printer at home, so I formatted the PDF so you can print them out on to the pre-perforated business card sheets. And the flashcards fit right in your pocket. So I you can just take those with you anywhere. While I was at the laundromat waiting, I would pull those out, check out the beer styles. When I was in line at the grocery store, I’d pull out my flashcards and brush up on that stuff.

So go through each lesson each day and the flashcards for each day, and review your beer styles every day. Because there are more than 40 beers styles and there is not one standard exam for the Certified Beer Server exam. So you don’t know what questions they will ask about what beer style, which parameter they’ll ask about. So you kind of have to have a pretty good feel for most of the information. You don’t need to memorize every single point, but if you’re reviewing them every day for 20 days, you’ll know the information pretty well.

And at the end of that 20 study lessons, maybe you just want to take a few more days to review all of your flashcards, run through them a couple more times casually over the next couple of days, go through a couple of sets a day or something like that. Then you will be golden, you’re going to be rocking! You will pass and the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time!

If you don’t, I’m gonna be sad. I want to hear about it, so let me know what we can do to improve.

How to enroll in Beer Exam School

So something I didn’t cover is how to “enroll” in Beer Exam School. When you’re on the Beer Exam School website, over on the right hand side is this picture, “free flashcards and study notes from the Certified Beer Server exam, instant access.” Click on that button, and there’s some other buttons throughout the website.

When you get to the form, put in your information. I just want to know your name and email address, the other information is optional if you just want to tell me a little bit more about yourself. Then click “Sign me up.”

And you’re also going to get a set of flashcards. You’re not going to get all of them, it’s a little teaser. Those are the flashcards that you can print out from the PDF that comes straight to your email inbox. And you’re going to be on the email list, so you will also know when posts are released. You’re going to know when new posts are published on the website, if I have some other news about Beer Exam School or the Cicerone^® Certification Program, and it’s just a good way to keep in touch. So those are some good reasons to sign up on the email list.

Conclusion

What will you apply today? If you’ve been thinking about the Certified Beer Server for awhile, but you haven’t done it, do it today! Join Beer Exam School, get on the email list, learn how to start studying for the Certified Beer Server exam and you’ll be passing it in no time!

Then send me an email or post a comment on the website and let me know that you passed the exam. I want to hear about it. I want to hear when you get your lapel pin in the mail and your certificate, I want to be excited for you. I want to know how these study notes worked out for you.

So I’m really stoked that you made it this far, really excited that you’re interested in becoming a Certified Beer Server and expanding your knowledge in beer, getting to know more about this awesome thing that we love called beer, and expanding your professional experience, knowledge, and expertise to bring excellent beer service to more people.

Talk to you soon!

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with my notes–pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post Beer Exam School welcome tour appeared first on Beer Exam School.

What is the Certified Beer Server exam?

The Certified Beer Server exam is the way the Cicerone® Certification Program tests knowledge and expertise for excellent beer service. A person who passes the exam is called a Certified Beer Server.

What is a Certified Beer Sever?

A Certified Beer Server is someone who has been certified as having excellent knowledge and expertise in beer service.

Who administers Certified Beer Server exam?

The Cicerone® Certification Program administers the Certified Beer Server exam on their website: cicerone.org.

Where do I go to take the Certified Beer Server exam?

The Certified Beer Server exam is administered online at: cicerone.org.

Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

How much does it cost to take the Certified Beer Server exam?

It costs $69 to take the Certified Beer Server exam.

How many tries do I get to pass the Certified Beer Server exam?

You get 2 attempts to pass the Certified Beer Server exam. If you don’t pass it on the second try, you can pay again. So be sure to use all my free study notes and flashcards on this website to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time.

How many questions are on the Certified Beer Server exam?

The Certified Beer Server exam is a 60 question, multiple choice exam.

What is the time limit on taking the Certified Beer Server exam?

You’ll have 30 minutes to get through all 60 questions in the Certified Beer Server exam. So there’s no time to look up answers or use any other resources. You’re not allowed to, anyway. So study hard and pass the first time.

What do I get after passing the Certified Beer Server exam?

After you pass the Certified Beer Server exam, you’ll be able to call yourself a Certified Beer Server and put it on your resume. The Cicerone® Certification Program will email mail you a certificate that you can print and they will mail a lapel pin to wear with pride. They’ll also publish your name on their website, so any prospective employer can verify that you are a Certified Beer Server.

Who should take the Certified Beer Server exam?

The Certified Beer Server exam is helpful for anyone who wants a job in craft beer or anywhere in the alcoholic beverage industry. It is also good if you want to learn more about craft beer or if you just want bragging rights!

Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

Why would I want to take the Certified Beer Server exam?

More and more breweries, distributors, and even retail outlets are requiring their staff to become Certified Beer Servers. Having this certification will help you get that job you want in craft beer or anywhere in the alcoholic beverage industry.

After taking the Certified Beer Server exam, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. You will know more about the history of beer, how to savor a beer, craft beers from the world, and how to provide excellent beer service.

What’s the easiest and best way to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam on the first try?

Use my free study notes and flashcards on this website for the easiest and best way to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time!

Start with the table of contents here.

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with my notes–pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post Certified Beer Server FAQ appeared first on Beer Exam School.

Graduation by Mark Ramsay on flickr (CC BY 2.0) has been modified from it’s original state

First: I passed the Certified Beer Server exam!

I hadn’t worked so long and hard at anything since college!

Okay, I’m not saying the exam itself is that hard. It’s just a 60 question, multiple choice exam online. But I wasn’t just studying to pass the exam itself.

I wanted to actually learn from the experience, gain some working knowledge, and make myself more valuable in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Plus, I was recording all my notes and flashcards, and publishing them on this site for you to use so you can also pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam, too.

Turns out, building up a webpage from scratch is a lot more involved that it seems.

Second: I passed the Certified Beer Server exam!!

And I aced it, too!! I scored 54 out of 60. Which I have mixed feelings about.

After I passed the exam, Cicerone® Certification Program emailed me a Certified Beer Server certificate.

On one hand, I studied for more than a year. (My first study notes were published October 9, 2014. And I took the exam January 3, 2016.) So I kind of felt that I should have gotten a hundred percent!

On the other hand, it really validated that I needed to study hard for the exam. By the time I had gotten to 20 lessons of study notes and over 200 flashcards, I was worried that I might have been over studying. Especially because I’ve heard of people taking the exam over a couple of beers (there’s a 30 minute time limit) and passing without studying at all. I even worried that this whole Beer Exam School website was pointless, maybe nobody needs any help passing the Certified Beer Server exam. :,(

But after all that effort, I still didn’t completely ace the exam one hundred percent.

I’m glad I did study. I’m glad I studied as hard as I did. I’m glad I put together all my notes on this website to help you pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam, too!

90% is pretty good.

Third: I passed the Certified Beer Server exam!!!

After I passed the exam, Cicerone® Certification Program mailed me a Certified Beer Server lapel pin.

I added it to my resume. I know a lot more than I did about beers from around the world, and about excellent beer service.

More and more breweries, distributors, and even retail outlets are requiring their staff to become Certified Beer Servers.

Having this certification will help you get that job you want in craft beer or anywhere in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Use my free study notes and flashcards on this website for the best way to pass the heck out of the Certified Beer Server exam the first time! Start with the table of contents here.

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with my notes–pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post 3 thoughts on passing the Certified Beer Server exam appeared first on Beer Exam School.

Before I even started studying for the Certified Beer Server exam, I knew I would be using flashcards. Flashcards were super helpful for me while I was in college. Having to think of the answer before you flip the card over challenges your mind and helps to enforce the new knowledge so much more than just reading the material.

As I started creating Beer Exam School, I knew I wanted to be totally transparent and show exactly all of the notes that I’m using to study for the exam—even my flashcards. But I wanted to go a step further and give you the actual flashcards that I’m using to study for the exam.

I was trying to find a way so that you could print them yourself efficiently and inexpensively. So I designed all of the flashcards to fit onto perforated business card sheets (compatible with Avery 8371).

So here’s…

How to make Beer Exam School flashcards in 3 simple steps

1. Download the flashcards

First, download the flashcards on PDF. Just click the link after each lesson, or simply go to this page and download the whole set in 2 PDFs.

2. Print the flashcards

Insert perforated business card sheets into your printer.

Be sure to use the ones that are compatible with Avery 8371, most business card sheets are.

If you’re having trouble finding the right ones, here’s a link to the product in Amazon.

Print the cards double-sided, in color.

Color is especially important for the beer style flashcards because they are color coordinated for each beer style.

If your printer doesn’t do double-sided, just use the bypass tray and feed them through a second time for the backsides.

3. Punch out the flashcards

After the cards are printed, fold along the perforations and…

easily tear apart the cards.

Troubleshooting

Cards are printed over the perforations

If the cards get printed over the perforations, try orienting the sheets in a different direction. Test one sheet at a time, until it prints correctly. Make sure every sheet is fed through the printer in the same direction.

I don’t want to buy perforated business card sheets

If you want to save a little extra cash, just print the cards onto regular paper and cut them out yourself with scissors.

The top page of each set has cut lines to guide you. For straighter edges and more uniform-sized cards, go down to your local copy shop or library and use a paper cutter.

Now start studying!

That’s it! Now you have all of the flashcards you need to pass the Certified Beer Server exam the first time!

Use Beer Exam School flashcards in conjunction with the study notes throughout this site, and you’re sure to ace this exam.

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with me–let’s pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post How to make flashcards for Certified Beer Server exam appeared first on Beer Exam School.

Q: Can I kick it? by Todd on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

I got fired

Yeah, so… That brewery that hired me… I asked them for a paycheck, and they fired me.

“It’s not working out,” they said. “It’s not a good fit.” Or something else came up that they didn’t tell me about.

They cut me loose after I had worked just three, 4-hour shifts. I added an update to the post where I mentioned that I got a job at a brewery and how maybe I shouldn’t mention it until I actually sign the W-4, so if you want a slightly more detailed account, check it out.

So there’s that.

I got you

Anyway, that experience had certainly diminished my urgency to finish this exam. But I’ve been realizing lately that I should’ve finished a long time ago. And publishing a weekly podcast about how to start a brewery takes way more time than you would guess!

And applying for a “real job.”

Anyway, I want to get my certificate and finish up these notes before the Cicerone® Certification Program changes the exam.

@inbituinthebrew New @cicerone Certified Beer Server exams in 6 mo? Where's new syllabus??? (Been studying for 6 mo. might need another 6.)

— MicroBrewr (@MicroBrewr) May 14, 2015

Perfect. Thank you, @cicerone. @inbituinthebrew

— MicroBrewr (@MicroBrewr) May 14, 2015

I reckon some people are checking these notes. I know some people have signed up to get the free flashcards. So I want to finish this in time so this website will still be helpful to you guys.

And I don’t want the notes to be overkill. I had a feeling that I was studying too much, so I emailed the Cicerone® Certification Program.

They confirmed my suspicion.

…Knowing exact ABV, SRM, and IBU ranges goes well beyond what you need to know for Certified Beer Server exam. However, I laud the effort to go the extra mile, and that extra study will definitely help if you want to take the Certified Cicerone exam at some point. (Email from Cicerone® Certification Program, March 6, 2015)

So I went back and revised the last lesson on Style Parameters. And I designed some flashcards for the beer styles in the subsequent lesson.

I got going

We’re now in part 3 of the Certified Beer Server syllabus. We’re on a roll and we’re still rolling. Let’s get this thing done!

I have applied for several positions for which Certified Beer Server certification is required or “highly recommended.” It seems like “currently studying for” isn’t good enough.

Gotta get this done.

Let’s go! ! !

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Study along with me–let’s pass this exam!

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Manchester Central Library, March 2010 by Ricardo on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

I’ve already been busy

It’s not like I’ve been slacking off. I keep pretty busy with MicroBrewr and, well, pretty much just MicroBrewr Podcast and the website.

The line between hobby and work is kind of blurry. I call it research toward one day starting a brewery of my own. It’s been occupying more than full-time hours for several months. Yet it doesn’t pay the bills.

I got a job

I got a letter from the landlord saying to get out ‘cause he was selling the place. I doubled-down on job applications. I did have help from my girlfriend. But when I saw a still-unopened brewery in her neighborhood in the San Francisco East Bay, I pestered them. And it paid off.

I am very stoked.

I mean, maybe I shouldn’t say anything until I actually sign my W-4 and whatnot.* But I will say it was the one job that I wanted.

Certified Beer Server helped me

After sending messages on Facebook, emailing my resume, snail-mailing my resume, stopping by the site several times—although it was mostly empty—emailing my resume again, more Facebook stalking… You get the idea…

I got a phone interview. Then an in-person interview. And the job offer!

My boss-to-be did say he likes that I am already studying for the Certified Beer Server exam. And he said all employees will need to pass the exam within 90 days of being hired.

So I better get to work on this!

Time to get to work

I am still committed to finishing my study notes on this site, well, because I’m that way. And because I want to help others.

Even though it’s just a 60-queston online exam, and some people tell me that I could probably pass it right now, that’s not good enough for me.

First, the syllabus intimidates me.

Second, I don’t want to just pass with the 75% minimum just to have the certificate. I want to ace that exam. I want to really know the material.

Last, it has been pretty hectic pulling together all of the study resources. The Cicerone® Certification Program lists study resources and recommended reading—and it’s scattered all over the place.

If I can bring it all together in one place and help others, rawk on!

And I gotta do it within 90 days of being hired…

* UPDATE: Yeah, I shouldn’t have spoken until I had received the written notice that California law requires when an employee is hired. After 3 half-shifts over about one month, my supervisor cut off communications. When I kept asking about the work schedule, pay dates, and other things, you know, required by law, they said “it’s not a good fit” and “it’s not working out.” They gave me a check for my hours worked, no withholdings.

Nonetheless, I’m carrying on! I have applied for several positions for which Certified Beer Server certification is required or “highly recommended.” It seems like “currently studying for” isn’t good enough. Gotta get this done. Let’s go!!!

Join Beer Exam School

Study along with me–let’s pass this exam!

Sign up for the email list:   Enroll me in Beer Exam School!

The post Time to get to work appeared first on Beer Exam School.

[NOTE: This post started as a description for the Cicerone® Certification Program. I found my myself, doing as so many others, describing the program in relation to wine and wine sommelier. As much as I love wine, I believe beer can stand on its own. This post is about starting to recognizing that.]

Cicerone vs. sommelier

More people are familiar with the term sommelier (pronounced: sum’əl yā), which describes a highly knowledgeable and skilled wine professional. Sommeliers are experts at choosing the right wine for your meal, and providing an exceptional wine experience by ensuring the proper storage and handling of wine. Lots of good restaurants have a good wine list, the best will have a certified sommelier on staff.

Sommeliers have attained a sort of urban legend status as being able to accurately identify a wine using just taste and smell. The best, legend has it, can indicate not only type of wine and year, but which region it came from, which winery made it, and in which vineyards the grapes grew—just by smelling the wine.

Several friends recommended that I watch the documentary movie Somm. I’ve never seen a sommelier at work in person, but the movie was a great account of the mad skillz these people possess.

Cicerone (pronounced: sisəˈrōn) is sort of the sommelier of the beer world. In fact the official Cicerone® Certification Program website even describes the certification in reference to the sommelier designation.

“Beer has always suffered as sort of the ugly stepson of wine, particularly in American culture,” says Sam Calagione, founder and President of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.

Beer doesn’t need to be second best to wine. Beer doesn’t need to be spoken of in reference to something else. I contend that beer is independent of wine. As a beverage, beer is able to stand on its own. Beer experts are able to, also.

An overview of the Cicerone® Certification Program

I propose a new way of describing the craft of Cicerone. First, let us understand a few things.

cicerone [sis ə rō’nē]

n. a guide who explains the history and chief features of a place to sightseers

(Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

Cicerone® Certification Program was founded by Ray Daniels in 2007. They started giving tests in 2008. Ever since, it has multiplied like yeast in a carboy.

Cicerone® certification mark and service mark is registered by the Craft Beer Institute, which is owned by Daniels. Daniels has written about beer for years and is a senior faculty member at the renowned brewing school, Siebel Institute of Technology.

Because the term Cicerone® is registered, there are rules about how it should be used. Hence, all the registered symbols throughout this post. If your beer server calls herself a cicerone, don’t immediately trust her. Only a Certified Cicerone® has been independently tested and certified. (And they’ll always call themselves a “Certified® Cicerone.”)

Next, let’s start talking about a beer Cicerone in a new way, independent of other beverages.

The Cicerone® Certification Program provides independent assessment and certification of knowledge and skills of beer servers. It’s a professional certification. So when you go out to your favorite beer establishment, a Certified Cicerone® will ensure an exceptional beer experience. They are responsible for choosing the beer in stock, and for proper storage, handling and presentation of the beer you drink.

“We want people who are serving us beer, who are managing beer service for us to know what the hell they’re talking about,” explains Daniels in an interview with Taste Terminal.

The knowledge and expertise of a Certified Cicerone® has been independently certified. So you can trust them for accurate information about beer ingredients, that they keep clean tap lines and they serve beer in the proper “beer clean” glassware, with the right amount of head.

“In the beer industry, you don’t have to explain it anymore,” says Daniels. “People are either looking to hire people who are certified Cicerones, or they are looking to get their people to Certified Cicerone, because they know that’s the knowledge they need to be effective on the job.”

The Cicerone Certified Program has 3 levels

There are 3 levels to the program:

1. Certified Beer Server
2. Certified Cicerone®
3. Master Cicerone®

The program follows 5 main areas of knowledge and expertise:

• Keeping and serving beer
• Beer styles
• Beer flavor and evaluation
• Beer ingredients and brewing process
• Pairing beer with food

A Certified Beer Server can provide you with quality service based on their proven knowledge, as tested in the 5 categories noted above.

A Certified Cicerone® has additional knowledge about the brewing process and can identify a style of beer or problems with a beer, just by taste. She also has more knowledge of pairing beer with food. So she can choose the perfect beer to go with your meal.

“The biggest part of the job is not standing at the table talking to people about the product, but it’s doing all the prep work to deliver good product to the table,” says Daniels.

“Somebody who is a Cicerone, who is running beer service at a beer-centric restaurant may never walk to a table and talk to a customer about it, but they do all that other stuff that goes into making sure there’s great beer service and that the customers are able to have a great beer experience.”

In addition to at least 2 years experience selling, serving and managing beer service, a Master Cicerone® has an “encyclopedic knowledge of all issues related to brewing, beer and beer service.” Let’s put it this way: there are 13 people in the world (as of Dec 29, 2016) who show the title Master Cicerone® wherever their names appear. Trust them, they are professionals.

In summary

The Cicerone® Certification Program independently verifies the knowledge, expertise, and skills of beer professionals. A Certified Cicerone® knows about beer. It is someone whose has knowledge and expertise to provide you with an exemplary beer service.

These people are professionals. They are experts on beer. They are not experts on wine, nor sake, nor fruit punch. We don’t need to talk about cicerones in reference to other professions. Their credentials are esteemed enough to stand on their own.

Popularity and recognition of the program is growing rapidly, so the next time you go out for a beer, you just might have a better experience than the last time.

I am currently studying for Certified Beer Server exam. Many beer fans take the exam just for fun or personal enrichment. I invite you to study along with me here at BeerExamSchool.com.

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My name is Nathan Pierce. Since quitting my air quality planning job about a year ago due to, shall we say “irreconcilable differences” with management, I’ve been planning to start a brewery here in the Monterey area (California). To learn more about beer and to enhance my resume, I am going to take the exam for Certified Beer Server.

Certified Beer Server is the first level of the Cicerone® Certification Program. It’s just a 60-question exam online, but the syllabus seems intimidating and just glancing through it, I already see there’s a lot that I don’t yet know. After passing the exam, a Certified Beer Server will know anything about serving beer including:

• Storage
• Pouring
• Keeping clean lines
• Styles of beer
• and lots more

Honestly, I have been planning to take this exam for months. Then I read about Pat Flynn doing a blog to study for the LEED Certification and it seemed like a great tool to hold myself accountable, organize my thoughts, and maybe help others who are also studying for the Certified Beer Server exam.

So here goes!

Study along with me toward the Certified Beer Server exam! Subscribe via email, or click here for the RSS feed.

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