SCA Q Grader study guide
SCA Q Grader · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Q Grader is a professional coffee-quality credential administered through the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), a non-profit organization working internationally to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of people who produce it. It sits inside CQI's broader Q Certification program, which is aimed at the people who buy, sell, grade and improve coffee along the value chain. The SCA Q Grader study guide has 8 sections and about 2,516 words.
01Green Coffee Grading and Defect Identification
Green grading is a counting exercise with a strict discipline. A 350 g sample is spread in a single, even layer on a black tray under consistent, neutral light, and every bean is examined.
343 words, about 2 min02Sensory Skills and Olfactory Identification
The sensory exams test vocabulary and discipline as much as a nose. Candidates are expected to work fluently with the SCA flavour wheel and with a structured aroma set of 36 reference vials, traditionally organised into four families: enzymatic (fruity, floral, vegetal, herbal), sugar browning (caramel, honey, toasted, nutty), dry distillation (spicy, woody, smoky, resinous), and aromatic taints (chemical, medicinal, phenolic, earthy).
300 words, about 2 min03Cupping Protocols and Scoring
The SCA cupping form has ten boxes: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, and Overall . Every attribute is scored from 6.0 to 10.0 in increments of 0.25 , where 6 = good, 7 = very good, 8 = excellent, 9 = outstanding, and 10 = exceptional.
303 words, about 2 min04Triangulation and Discrimination Testing
Triangulation measures raw discriminatory ability, not preference. Each set presents three cups - two identical, one different - and you must name the odd cup.
313 words, about 2 min05Organic Acids and Taste Modalities
Sourness in coffee comes from a mixture of acids, and each has a distinct signature. Citric acid is sharp, bright, and citrus-like with a quick onset.
319 words, about 2 min06Roast Level Identification and Sample Roasting
Roast progression has three phases: drying (moisture loss), Maillard (browning and aroma development, roughly 150–196 °C bean temperature), and development (first crack at about 196–205 °C through drop). First crack is the audible fracture of cell walls releasing steam and CO2; second crack at roughly 225–230 °C marks structural breakdown and rising oil.
282 words, about 1 min07Coffee Varieties, Processing, and Origin Knowledge
Species: Arabica is higher in sucrose and lipids, lower in caffeine and chlorogenic acid, and dominates specialty. Robusta is higher in caffeine and chlorogenic acid, lower in sugar, and tastes harsher and more rubbery.
334 words, about 2 min08Grading Standards, Ethics, and Certification Rules
Specialty status is a two-part test: the green coffee must show zero Category 1 defects and no more than five Category 2 full defects in 350 g , and the cup must score 80.00 or above on the SCA form. Pass one and fail the other and the coffee is not specialty.
322 words, about 2 min