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.

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! ! !

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 Let’s keep this Certified Beer Server ball rolling appeared first on Beer Exam School.

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.

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

The post Let’s set Certified Cicerone® apart from wine sommelier appeared first on Beer Exam School.

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.

The post Welcome to Beer Exam School! appeared first on Beer Exam School.