SCA Q Grader exam-day guide
SCA Q Grader · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the ID you registered with. Acceptable forms and name-matching requirements vary by provider and venue, so confirm the exact ID policy with your course provider before travel.
Registration confirmation and course schedule
Have your enrollment confirmation and the day-by-day test schedule on hand (printed or on your phone) so you know which modules run on which day.
Pen/pencil and a small notebook
Useful for jotting numbers during green grading calculations and for notes between modules. Confirm with the provider whether notes may be kept at the cupping table.
Plain water and neutral crackers or plain bread
Palate reset between flights. Keep it bland - no flavored, salted, or sweetened snacks.
Unscented personal care only
No perfume, cologne, aftershave, scented lotion, scented deodorant, or heavily fragranced hair products. These contaminate the room and other candidates' evaluations.
Plain, comfortable clothing with no strong smell
Avoid freshly dry-cleaned garments, mothball-stored clothes, and anything carrying cooking or smoke odors.
Short, clean fingernails and hair tied back
Practical for handling cups, spoons and green coffee samples, and keeps fragrance out of the evaluation area.
A simple calculator (if permitted)
Green grading and defect calculations are basic arithmetic, but a plain calculator can reduce errors. Confirm with the provider whether devices are allowed at the grading table.
Cleared 24-48 hours of coffee, tea, tobacco and strongly flavored food
Garlic, onion, chili, strong spices, alcohol and smoky foods can dull or distort sensory performance. Plan meals accordingly in the days before.
A full night's sleep and good hydration
Sensory fatigue is real across a multi-day schedule; being rested matters more than last-minute study.
Arrival plan with buffer time
Arrive well before the start time; late arrival may affect eligibility for a module. Confirm the provider's late-arrival policy in advance.
Confirmed understanding of retake and scoring policy
Ask the provider directly, before test day, how each module is scored, what the pass thresholds are, and what retake options exist. Do not rely on secondhand information.
Plan the day
Stop introducing new study material. Review your own notes on defect identification, grading calculations and cupping protocol. Confirm travel, accommodation and start times with the provider. Begin tapering coffee, tea and tobacco intake, and avoid spicy, garlicky, smoky or heavily seasoned meals.
No coffee, tea, tobacco or alcohol if you can manage it. Bland, familiar meals. Lay out ID, confirmation documents, pen and notebook, plain clothes with no fragrance. Check the next day's schedule so you know which modules come first. Sleep early - do not study late.
Eat a simple, unseasoned breakfast; do not arrive hungry or overly full. Shower with unscented products, no cologne or scented lotion. Re-check you have ID and documents. Arrive early, hydrate modestly (enough to be comfortable, not so much that you need repeated breaks), and stay quiet and calm rather than comparing notes with other candidates.
Follow the instructor's protocol exactly for each module - spoon handling, slurping, timing and recording format. Work at a steady pace rather than rushing to finish early. Between flights, reset your palate with water and a neutral cracker. If a sample is ambiguous, commit to your best answer and move on rather than revisiting and second-guessing. Record answers legibly and in the format requested. If you feel unwell or unusually fatigued, tell the instructor immediately.
Rules to check
No perfume, cologne, scented lotion, scented hair products or strongly fragranced clothing in the evaluation room. This is a sensory environment and contamination affects everyone's results.
Do not bring coffee, tea, tobacco, gum, mints or flavored drinks into the testing room. Ask the instructor where and when you may take water.
Keep all testing materials - cups, samples, score sheets and defect samples - on your own station. Do not handle, move or taste from another candidate's setup.
Do not discuss samples, answers or impressions with other candidates during a module or between flights within the same module. Save any discussion for after the module is closed.
Follow the instructor's timing and protocol for each module, including spoon hygiene, slurping technique and the order in which cups are evaluated. Deviating from protocol can invalidate your results.
Acceptable ID, late-arrival handling, permitted personal items and break scheduling are set by the provider and venue - confirm each of these with your provider before test day rather than assuming.
Scoring, pass thresholds and retake eligibility for each module are defined by the certifying body and the provider. Ask for these in writing in advance; do not rely on what other candidates tell you.