CMS Master Sommelier exam-day guide
CMS Master Sommelier · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID matching your registration name
Bring the exact ID the provider specifies in your candidate agreement. Name mismatches are a common cause of denied entry; confirm the accepted document types with the provider before travel.
Admission letter or confirmation email
Carry a printed and a digital copy showing your candidate number, date, and venue. You may be asked for it at security or registration.
Tasting notebook, pens, and spittoon
Most practical venues expect you to bring your own tasting grid or notebook and pens. A personal spittoon is common practice; confirm whether the venue supplies cups or spittoons.
Service tools: waiter's corkscrew, decanting equipment
Bring a well-broken-in waiter's corkscrew and, if permitted, a decanting funnel or candle. Confirm with the provider which tools are allowed into the service station versus supplied by the venue.
Correct attire per the provider's dress code
Practical exams usually expect formal or business attire with a clean apron or service cloth. Confirm the dress code and whether an apron is provided.
Tasting glassware expectations clarified
Confirm whether the venue supplies ISO tasting glasses or whether you should bring your own. Do not assume; this affects how you practise in the final week.
Written confirmation of the day's schedule and station order
Know your report time, the order of theory, tasting, and service components, and expected finish time. Ask the provider if this is not stated in your joining instructions.
Travel and accommodation confirmed with buffer
Arrive the day before if travelling. Book accommodation within walking distance of the venue and confirm late check-in if your flight is delayed.
Medication, water, and light snacks
Long practical days are taxing. Bring any prescribed medication, water, and a light snack for breaks, subject to venue rules on food and drink in exam rooms.
Practice service cloth and polishing cloth
A clean service cloth is standard kit for service stations. Confirm whether the venue provides linen or expects you to bring it.
Exam-day briefing questions prepared
Write down anything unclear about scoring, timing signals, or permitted materials and ask at registration, not mid-exam.
Backup plan for equipment failure
Carry a spare corkscrew and pens. If a tool fails during service, you should be able to swap without disrupting your station.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Consolidate your tasting grid, service sequence, and theory flashcards. Do one full timed mock of the weakest component under exam conditions, then review errors only.
Reconfirm logistics: venue address, report time, dress code, permitted equipment, and ID requirements with the provider. Print your admission letter and save a digital copy.
Check your kit: corkscrew, cloths, tasting notebook, pens, spittoon, and any permitted tools. Replace anything worn or unreliable.
Do a light service rehearsal focused on sequencing and verbal presentation, not speed. Practise decanting, opening, and pouring cleanly with your own equipment.
Run one blind tasting flight of the styles you find hardest, using your standard grid. Focus on structured deduction rather than guessing.
Travel to the venue city if needed and check in. Walk the route to the venue so the morning is stress-free.
Review only high-level frameworks: tasting grid headings, service sequence, and key theory categories. Avoid cramming new facts.
Lay out attire, ID, admission letter, and kit by the door. Set two alarms. Aim for a full night's sleep; fatigue hurts palate accuracy more than one more hour of study helps.
Eat a normal breakfast and avoid strong coffee, spicy food, or anything that dulls the palate. Hydrate moderately.
Arrive at the venue with buffer time, well before your report time. Use the waiting period for calm review of your grid, not for new material.
At registration, confirm timing signals, break rules, and where to leave personal items. Ask any clarifying questions now.
In tasting, work systematically through appearance, nose, palate, and conclusion. Write conclusions you can defend rather than hedging across every option.
In service, narrate your actions clearly and keep the station clean. Recover calmly from mistakes; assessors watch composure as much as technique.
Manage the clock. If a component is running long, prioritise completing the required steps over perfecting presentation.
Note what felt weak while memory is fresh. Do not attempt to reconstruct questions to share; respect the provider's confidentiality rules.
Rules to check
Bring the ID document specified by the provider and ensure the name matches your registration exactly. If unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Follow the provider's rules on permitted materials and equipment. Do not bring reference material, phones, or smart devices into exam rooms; confirm where personal items must be stored.
Arrive by your stated report time. Late arrival may result in denied entry; confirm the provider's lateness policy in advance.
Breaks are generally only permitted at points the provider specifies, and movement during tasting or service components may be restricted. Confirm the break policy with the provider.
Treat the content of the examination as confidential. Do not record, photograph, or reproduce questions, wines, or service scenarios.
Maintain professional conduct with assessors, staff, and other candidates. In service components, treat assessors as guests and behave as you would in a real dining room.
Scoring criteria and pass marks are set by the provider and may not be published in detail. If you need clarity on how components are weighted, ask the provider rather than relying on hearsay.
If you have a medical condition or need an accommodation, request it from the provider well before exam day; do not assume it can be arranged on the morning.