COMPLETE Q GRADER

Reference material

Becoming a Q Grader is challenging and it is not advisable to go into it blind even for the most
advanced cuppers. The Q exam not only tests your knowledge and sensory adeptness but it
tests your ability to make sensory decisions quickly. So it’s important not only to know what to
expect but also to practice, practice, practice and trust your instincts. The course and it’s 20
exams cover much more than cupping and considering the cost and travel, it is worth while to
be well prepared.

We have put together this comprehensive study guide for the Q Grader course to help you
prepare.

Test Topics:
General Knowledge
Cupping Skills
Sensory Skills
Olfactory Skills
Triangulation Skills
Organic Acids
Green Coffee Grading
Roasted Coffee Grading
Sample Roast Identification

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE EXAM

Test: 100 Multiple Choice Questions

Time: 60 min
Passing score: 75%

The general knowledge exam is a 100 question test about all things coffee. Although most of the
information will be reviewed in class, some of the items will not be reviewed. Students should be
prepared by reviewing SCAA resources below.

The test will contain questions on:

Coffee farming, harvesting, processing
Coffee cupping and grading

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE EXAM BIG TIPS:

• Make sure you pay attention to your instructions prior to the exam, often times they will
give a short presentation where many answers are discussed.
• All wrong answers will count against you, including blank ones, so make sure you
answer every question.

The material for the GKE come from texts available at the SCAA Resource Center:
Coffee Cuppers Handbook
Water Quality Handbook
Coffee Brewing Handbook
Coffee Processing Technology
SCAA Green Coffee Protocols
 Coffee roasting and brewing

4 Tests
Time: 60 minutes each
Passing Score: 80% (86 points)

The cupping skills exams will test the cuppers ability to review and score coffees using sensory
analysis according to the SCAA Cupping Protocols and using the SCAA Cupping form.

The test will contain four cupping flights of 6 coffee samples:

Central American Coffees
Asia/Pacific & Indonesian Coffees
East African Coffees
Natural Processed Coffees

These will not be given in any particular order. Also, if the Q Exam is given in a country of origin,
one of the flights may be substituted for the domestic coffee.

The cupper will be required to cup and evaluate the samples using the SCAA Cupping Protocols
and Cupping form. Those whose form falls too close to the statistical middle for each
characteristic will be asked to retake the exam, as will those who fall too far out of calibration.
The cupping flights will vary in quality and scores, therefore you must callibrate with your class
within the acceptable range for that particular flight. Imagine that your class is like a swarm of
bees. If your score is in the middle of the swarm of bees and you are consistently within the
swarm of bees, then you pass. If you are too far outside of the swarm, you will not pass.

CUPPING SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Study the SCAA Cupping Protocols

• Practice cupping using the SCAA Cupping form which can be found on the SCAA
Store under “downloadable”
• Create your own flights of the following origins and practice the protocols using the
cupping form.
• Avoid grading the coffee’s characteristics similarly as this may indicate that the cupper
is unsure of their performance.
• Practice blind tasting from different origins and processing methods to test your palate
and become familiar with coffee origins.
The sensory skills exam will test the participants ability to sense sour, sweet, and salty at
different intensity levels and combinations.

Taster will be tasting 3 odorless liquids: sour, sweet, and salty of different intensity levels (low,
medium and high)

Part 1 – Reference: Instructor led, Passing Score 100%.

Taster will taste 9 liquids, 3 of each modality (sour, sweet, salty), and 3 intensities (low,
medium, high). Discussion will follow.

Part 2 – Blind: 20 Minutes, Passing Score 80% (79 Points).

Taster must blindly identify all liquids, their modality and intensity.

Part 3 – Mixtures: 40 Minutes, Passing Score 70% (67 Points).

Taster will receive 8 liquid mixtures, 4 of which contain 2 solutions, and 4 of which

contain 3 solutions. Taster must identify the modality and intensity of all of the

SENSORY SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Although part 1 is for calibration and the answers are given from the discussion, the
correct answers must be written on your scoresheet to receive credit.
• Part 2 has no duplicate answers.
• Practice this exam at home by creating you own solutions of sugar, salt, and citric acid.
• Stay hydrated before the test, avoid drinking alcohol the night before, be well rested
and make sure you aren’t hungry when taking the exam. All of these things will
increase your focus.
• Trust your instincts! Those who take longer tend to do worse on this portion.

contents.
 OLFACTORY SKILLS

Time: 4 Tests, 30 Minutes each

Passing Score: 75% (9/12 correct)
Resources:
Lenoir Le Nuz du Cafe scent kit
SCAA Art of Aroma Poster set

The Olfactory skills test will test the participants ability to smell, match, and identify scents from
the Lenoir Le Nuz du Cafe scent kit.

The goal is for the participant to match scents grouped in 4 categories:

Enzymatic
Sugar Browning
Dry Distillation
Aromatic Taints

Part I
Participant must match 6 out of the 9 blind pairs given for each category.

OLFACTORY SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Although the kits are expensive ($300), it is better to practice with 2 kits rather than 1
so you can practice matching pairs.
• Focus on recalling the scents rather then memorizing them
• For part 1, DO NOT fill in the blanks like you did in GKE or they will count against you
if wrong, you only need to identify 6 of the 9.
• Do not wear perfume, use scented soap, eat fragrant foods, or smoke prior to the
exam.
• If you identify a scent issue with a fellow classmate, privately alert your instructor as it
can taint the entire exam for the group.

Part II
Participant must identify 3 given vials for each category.
 TRIANGULATION SKILLS

Time: 4 Tests, 45 Minutes each

Passing Score: 83% (5/6 triads correct)

The Triangulation skills test will test the participants ability to identify an odd cup from a set of 3
cupping bowls.

Participants will cup six sets of three coffees. Two out of the three for each set are the same
coffee and one is different. Participants must identify the odd cup for 5/6 of the sets. Cupping
will take place in a dark or red room to avoid visual cues of the different coffee.

TRIANGULATION SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Practice your triangulations in the dark! This will help you avoid using visual cues.
• Choose four very similar coffees to practice your triangulation so that is isn’t too easy!
• Try using coffees from the same origin or even different lots from the same estate!
• Focus on ALL sensory characteristics to identify differences.
• Try to identify as much as you can on dry fragrance alone, then verify with aroma and
taste.
 ORGANIC ACIDS

Time: 40 Minutes
Passing Score: 75 Points

The organic acids test is designed to test the participants ability to identify and specify acidic
compounds found in brewed coffee.

Participants begin by sampling the 6 most common organic acids:

acetic
citric
lactic
malic
phosphoric
quinic

The instructor will give a brief lecture about each acid.

Students will match 2 of 4 weak brewed cups of coffee containing those acids and then identify
the acids used. There are 8 sets.

Where to find these acids:

Acetic acid is simple vinegar.
Citric acid is available in most vitamin shops.
Food grade malic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid are in pharmaceutical supply stores.
Quinic acid, is sometimes found in pharmacies as an antimalarial drug.

Acid Description:
• Acetic acid is the compound that gives vinegar its pungent smell and sour taste. At low
concentrations, it can be perceived as a mildly fruity flavor.
• Citric acid is the dominant acid in, you might expect, citrus fruits. Look for its soury,
citrusy characteristics in each sample.
• Lactic acid is known as the milk acid, playing a role in biological processes from the

souring of milk to the production of energy in human cells. I find that lactic acid is
more easily detected as a texture, adding body to coffees.
• Malic acid is the acid that contributes to the soury taste of green apples and tart taste
in wines.
• Phosphoric acid is a mineral inorganic acid used primary to add brightness to soft
drinks. Feel for a buzzing sensation on the tongue rather than a taste.
• Quinic acid is the easiest to identify in the bunch, as it is the primary bitter compound
in coffee, which also lends it’s flavor to tonic water.
 GREEN COFFEE GRADING SKILLS

ORGANIC SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Only 4 of the 6 acids will be used in the exam.

• To practice, brew coffee at full strength then dilute the coffee 50%. Distribute into 4
cups and taint 2 of the four with a weak concentration of one of the acids. Create
different sets using different acids and attempt to match the pairs and identify the
acids blindly.
• Move quickly and trust your instincts, take too long and you will fatigue your palate.

Time: 60 Minutes
Passing Score: 2/3 Samples Graded Correctly

The green coffee grading exam is designed to test the participants ability to correctly identify
defects in a green sample based on the SCAA Green Arabica Defect Handbook.

This exam is open book and you should use the SCAA Green Arabica Defect Handbook or any
other accompanying material.

Participants will receive three 350g samples of green coffee. Each has been sorted then tainted
with a certain number and type of defects. Participants must identify the defects and label the
coffee as specialty, premium, or commodity based off the SCAA standards.

GREEN COFFEE GRADING SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• Do not over-analyze the samples and find defects where there are none.
• Make sure you know what the primary and secondary defects are and understand the
differences between them.
• To prepare, collect and grade samples of washed green coffee from different origins.

ROASTED COFFEE GRADING

Time: 15 Minutes
Passing Score: 100%
The roasted coffee grading test is designed to test to participants ability to identify quakers in a
sample of roasted coffee.

This exam is open book as well.

Participants will receive a sample of 100g and must identify the number of quakers, then grade
the coffee as specialty, premium, or commercial.

Time: 60 Minutes
Passing Score: 75 Points

The Sample Roast test is designed to test the participants ability to identify degree of roast from
a brewed liquid.

The participants will taste coffees under red or dark light and must identify roast level of each
coffee. The cups will be skimmed before they are presented and the taster must use only their
sense of smell and taste of the brewed liquid to identify its degree of roast.

Roast Degrees:
Correct - sample will taste balanced and sweet with little to no defects
Under Roasted - coffee will taste sour, green and underdeveloped
Over Roasted - coffee will taste dark, ashy, carbony.
Baked (long roast) - coffee will taste flat, woody, and will lack acidity and sweetness.
Underdeveloped (short roast) - coffee will have an unbalanced sourness with bitter and
vegetal flavors due to the lack of caramelized sugars

SAMPLE ROAST IDENTIFICATION SKILLS BIG TIPS:

• You will be scored not only on correctness but your descriptions of your experience
so it is important to understand and communicate what you taste properly.
• Practice by creating sample roasts of each level and cupping and identifying them.