Does WSET Level 3 let me skip the Introductory?

No. The pathways show where qualifications sit alongside one another, and you must complete every level.

What roles does the Advanced lead to?

Head Sommelier and Beverage Manager.

How much experience do I need to enter?

Twelve months of practical hospitality experience at the point of entry.

Sommelier career pathways: from Introductory to Beverage Director

There are two ways into the Court’s examinations: a recommended path, with the Court’s levels set beside qualifications from other bodies, and an alternative path for those arriving from elsewhere.

It also names the roles each level can lead to. This article reads the pathways and those roles, and explains what they do and do not mean for your route through the four levels.

01The chart

Read from the top, the recommended path pairs each of the Court’s higher levels with another qualification. The Master of Wine sits beside the Master Sommelier Diploma, the WSET Level 4 Diploma beside the Advanced, and WSET Level 3 beside the Certified. Entry to the Court via WSET leads to the Introductory.

The alternative path names three starting points: WSET Level 1, WSET Level 2 and industry employment. At the point of entry there is one condition: the candidate must have twelve months of practical hospitality experience by this point.

The pathways chart, from the prospectus

	The Court	Beside it
Top	Master Sommelier Diploma	Master of Wine
Third	Advanced Sommelier Certificate	WSET Level 4 Diploma
Second	Certified Sommelier Certificate	WSET Level 3
Entry	Introductory Sommelier Certificate	Entry via WSET, with 12 months in hospitality
Alternative		WSET Level 1, WSET Level 2, industry employment

02What the pairings mean

The pairings show where qualifications sit alongside one another. They are not a way into a higher level. You must complete every level of the Court’s certification, and each level is offered only to those who have passed the one before.