The Court’s courses are short. The preparation around them is not. A candidate spends between one and five days with the Court at each level, but each level asks for weeks, months and at the top years of study before it.
This article sets out both: the days on the course, and the preparation the Court asks for at each level, counted from the day you enrol.
01The days on each course
The first and third levels include teaching. The Introductory is a three-day intensive programme: two days of coursework followed by one day of examinations. The Advanced runs for five days, with two and a half days of coursework followed by two and a half days of examinations.
The second and fourth levels are examinations only. The Certified is one full day of examinations, with no coursework at all. The Master Sommelier Diploma is a three-day programme made up entirely of examinations. Put side by side, the days look like this:
02The study before you arrive
All of the Court’s programmes require significant pre-study, and the time grows quickly once you pass the first two levels.
