WSET Level 2 Award in Wines

The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, is a beginner-to-intermediate wine qualification for people working in hospitality, retail and wholesale and for keen amateurs. It is taught and examined by WSET Approved Programme Providers. The exam is a closed-book theory examination of 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, one mark each with no marks taken off for wrong answers; the pass mark is 55%, with merit from 70% and distinction from 85%. The questions cover six learning outcomes, weighted 5, 4, 19, 12, 6 and 4 questions: the vineyard; winemaking and bottle ageing; the principal grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio) and their regions; regionally important grape varieties; sparkling and fortified wines; and storage, service and food and wine pairing. WSET sets a minimum of 28 hours of study: 16 hours with a course provider, 11 hours of personal study and revision, and the one-hour exam. No prior knowledge or experience is needed. To sit the exam, candidates must be over the legal age to buy alcohol where it is held, be preparing for this exam as part of a recognised full-time programme of study, or have a parent’s or guardian’s consent; candidates who do not taste alcohol can still complete the qualification. WSET does not release past papers for this exam.