WSET Level 1 - Abbie's Adventure
With the COVID-19 Pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, yet online courses being available, I decided to finally get a wine certification through Vino Venue (the APP - Approved Program Provider).
WSET - stands for Wine & Spirits Education Trust. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is the largest and most recognised organisation providing formal education in wines (sake and spirits) for professionals and enthusiasts. WSET programmes focus on developing systematic tasting skills and product knowledge of the significant wines and wine producing regions of the world. The skills learnt through WSET programmes can be applied to understand and evaluate all wines, regardless of region. For this reason, many sommeliers choose to study for WSET qualifications to gain their product knowledge, opting to develop their service skills on the job.
I opted to start at the beginning with WSET Level 1. This course was approximately $250 USD. This did not include the tasting wines and food samples however. The course doesn't mandate that you purchase the wines and food samples, but it definitely helps with the learning experience.
These are the wines I purchased for my WSET Level 1 Course:
The food items needed were: black seedless grapes, tartaric acid (I found this on Amazon.com), sugar, black tea (I used PG Tips), a sweet biscuit, salt, a slice of lemon, and cooked mushrooms or msg powder.
The 4-week course is offered online, at your own pace. There were no set scheduled "classes", only the requirement that you participate in the assignment chats (again at your own pace and timing), and complete all of the assignment modules before taking the exam. There is an online instructor available for a live chat once a week (scheduled at a specific time - often an odd hour for some, so as to accommodate the time zones of the multiple attendees). The live chat is optional, but it is useful if you have questions. The course I registered for started on Monday April 26th and went until Sunday May 23rd, 2021. These are the dates the online instructor is available to answer questions or reply to your chats. After the end date, the instructor is no longer available. I believe I still have access to my course materials for a set amount of time (I forget how long) so I can study.
I was surprised at how many different people from different countries were in my class. We had attendees from Italy, Ireland, China, USA, Germany, etc. so many different places. This was truly a diverse class.
I was disappointed that we could not take the exam right after class finished. Why not the same day or next day? However, the earliest available exam date was 2 weeks out. I took that time to make notes and trivia questions for my friends to quiz me on, so I could study for the exam.
The exam was taken online. I had to have 2 devices (my laptop and either a smartphone or iPad/tablet). The laptop had to have a camera and microphone, so my exam could be recorded. The iPad was so I could be recorded from the side using the ProctorExam app. This helps to ensure you are not cheating on your exam. No poster or writing can be on the walls. If you have a glass of water it has to be clear, no bottles with labels or any writing on the glass. No pieces of paper, even if blank. No other person can be in the room with you either. No wine bottles or any alcohol items in the room. The rules are pretty thorough.
I took my invigilated exam online on Sunday June 13th, 2021. I must say, it took me longer to setup all my devices, and ensure proper recording, etc. than it did to actually take the exam. They also have you film 360 degree view of the room, your desktop, under your desk, the ceiling, and all four corners of the room, to ensure there is nothing there to invalidate your test results. The exam was 30 multiple choice questions, and I had 45 mins to take the exam. I believe I finished my exam in about 10 minutes (after setup).
I am still awaiting my results. I believe the results should be sent out roughly 2 weeks after taking the exam. I hope I passed. I feel pretty good about the exam, but unlike the ITIL exams I have taken via the invigilated/online method, the WSET didn't immediately tell me my score. I understand they have to certify the results, but at least with the ITIL exams they tell you your score immediately, and then you only have to wait a few weeks for them to certify it, and send your certificate to you. Yes I did put this in my feedback survey.
Overall it was a pleasant experience and I highly recommend this certification, should you be interested.
I'll update you with my score once I get it. :)
UPDATE: I did not receive my score until October 2021. I passed. yay! However, I do not understand why it took nearly 5 MONTHS to get my exam results. I've taken ITIL proctored exams where they at least give you a preliminary score immediately after your exam - with the understanding they have to certify it officially at a later time. I would have loved to know if missed any questions right away for the WSET, but no. I had to wait. Sigh. We have the technology, not sure why AXELOS has theirs working great but WSET can't use similar tech? Now I am wondering if we get a certificate or anything to print out? Probably will take a year for that though.
