Q: Is the course self-paced, or does it run to a schedule?
A: Both. It is a four-week cohort with fixed start and end dates and six modules, hosted on WSET Global's learning platform, and the material is available to you 24/7 within that window. On top of that there are three live instructor-led Zoom webinars at set dates and times. You then keep access to the online material for 12 months from your course start date.
Q: What are the three webinars, and do I have to attend live?
A: Three live sessions of about 90 minutes each, run by our beer educator: How to Taste, Malt & Hops, and Yeast & Sour Styles. Attendance is not mandatory and every session is recorded and posted afterwards, so a shift or a time zone will not put you behind. Do attend live if you can — the webinars are where you can taste alongside the instructor and ask why, which a recording cannot replace. Dates and times for your cohort are listed in the first module of your online course and on our webinar timetable page.
Q: Who teaches the webinars?
A: Stephen Staples, our beer educator. He is a WSET Certified Beer Instructor, an Advanced Cicerone®, holds a Graduate Certificate in Brewing and the WSET Level 4 Diploma, and judges at national level for the BJCP. Beer is his subject, not a sideline.
Q: When do I get access, and to what?
A: Your login to WSET Global's learning platform arrives about two days before your course start date — not at the moment of purchase, which catches people out. Your digital textbook is downloadable from inside the course materials once you are in. Access lasts 12 months from your course start date.
Q: Is the exam included, and can I sit it whenever I want?
A: The exam registration and fee are included in the $325, but the exam is not on demand. It is remotely invigilated by WSET at pre-scheduled sitting times, all running 11 AM to 11:45 AM Pacific, and you must register at least 30 days before your chosen date. You have 12 months from your course date to sit it, so the 30-day rule is the constraint to plan around.
Q: When are the exam sittings?
A: Currently scheduled: 26 August 2026, 10 October 2026, 2 December 2026, 3 March 2027, 8 May 2027, 4 August 2027, 2 October 2027 and 1 December 2027, all 11 AM to 11:45 AM Pacific. Remember the 30-day registration deadline when you pick one. If you join the cohort running 26 October to 22 November 2026, the first sitting after your course ends is 2 December 2026.
Q: Do I need to buy beer, and how much?
A: Beer is not included and you source it yourself — there is no tasting kit. The specification recommends roughly seven to nine samples: a malt-driven style using speciality malts, a hop-driven style, a yeast-driven ale and a sour style, plus a Munich helles, a porter or stout and a tripel for the food-pairing work. Any decent bottle shop covers that list, and unlike wine you can buy most of it in single cans.
Q: What if I do not drink, or cannot get the beers?
A: You can still take and pass this qualification. WSET states that candidates who are under the legal drinking age, or who decline for health or religious reasons, will not be required to sample any alcoholic beverage and can still complete the qualification. There is no tasting component in the exam. You will get more out of the course with beer in front of you, but it is not a barrier to certifying.
Q: Do I need any previous beer knowledge, or another qualification first?
A: Neither. There is no prerequisite and no entry restriction for the WSET Level 1 Award in Beer, and no wine or spirits background is assumed. It is a self-contained qualification with its own specification, its own tasting method and its own exam.
Q: What will I be able to do afterwards?
A: Taste a beer and describe it accurately using the WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer®, tell an ale from a lager and explain why they differ, recognize the main styles by sight, aroma and flavor, understand how malt, hops, yeast and water shape what is in the glass, and serve beer properly — correct glassware, correct temperature, and the basics of food pairing.
Q: Who is this course right for?
A: Bar and restaurant staff who are asked about the draught list and would rather answer than guess, bottle shop and grocery buyers building a beer section, taproom staff, and anyone whose interest has outgrown picking by label. It is also a common team qualification, because everyone can do the modules on their own schedule and only the three webinars are fixed.
Q: Is there a textbook, and does it cost extra?
A: No extra cost. The WSET Level 1 Beer textbook is a downloadable PDF provided inside your online course materials. There is no printed book to buy and nothing else you are required to purchase in order to sit the exam.
Q: How much study should I plan for?
A: Ten to twelve hours in total across the four weeks, so roughly three hours a week including the webinars. WSET specifies a Total Qualification Time of 6 hours for this qualification, all of it guided learning and including the 45-minute exam; our course adds the webinars, lecture videos, quizzes and a mock exam on top of that minimum.
Q: What is the next step after Level 1 Beer?
A: The WSET Level 2 Award in Beer at $699, also delivered online. Level 2 runs five weeks over six modules with four live webinars and goes considerably deeper into ingredients, production and the world's beer styles, with a 50-question exam rather than 30. It is the level at which the trade treats you as able to build and defend a beer list.
Q: How old do I have to be?
A: WSET requires candidates to be over the legal minimum age for the retail purchase of alcoholic beverages in the country where the exam is held, which in the United States is 21. WSET verifies your identity against government-issued photo ID when you sit the remotely invigilated exam, so make sure the name on your enrollment matches the name on your ID.
Q: Is there a discount for booking more than one place?
A: Yes, applied automatically at checkout with no code required: 5% for two, 8% for three and 10% for four or more. Beer is a common team-training subject for taprooms and restaurant floors, and the format suits it — only the three webinars are at fixed times.
Q: What optional extras are worth buying?
A: Very little. Everything you need to pass is in the $325. If you want more practice, our WSET Level 1 Beer Electronic Flashcards are $29. Beyond that, spend the money on beer rather than study aids — this is a tasting qualification and the samples do more for you than another quiz bank.
Q: Can I cancel or move to a later cohort?
A: Yes, if you act at least 14 business days before your cohort start date. Cancellations in that window are refunded as store credit after a $50 administration fee plus the cost of any study materials and exam fees already committed, and one transfer per person per course is permitted on the same deadline and the same fee. Within 14 business days of the start, or once the course has begun, no refunds or transfers are available. Our General Policies page carries the full terms.
Q: Can I talk to someone before I enroll?
A: Yes. Email support@napavalleywineacademy.com or visit our Help Center and our student support team will talk you through whether Level 1 or Level 2 Beer is your right starting point, how the WSET Global platform works alongside our webinars, and which cohort and exam date pairing suits your schedule.
Q: What is the exam format?
A: A closed-book examination of 30 multiple-choice questions, completed in 45 minutes, sat online under remote invigilation. Each question carries one mark and there is no penalty for a wrong answer. There is no tasting component and no written-answer component in the WSET Level 1 Award in Beer exam.
Q: What is the pass mark?
A: 70%, which on a 30-question paper means 21 correct answers. Because there is no penalty for a wrong answer, answer every question even where you are unsure. The WSET Level 1 Award in Beer is graded pass or fail only, with no Merit or Distinction, so 21 out of 30 earns you exactly the same certificate as 30 out of 30.
Q: What equipment do I need for the online exam?
A: More than for the course, so check this before you book a date. The exam must be sat on a laptop or desktop with a working webcam, microphone and speakers, and for most sittings you also need a mobile phone positioned as a secondary camera showing the room. You will need photo ID and a quiet space you will not be interrupted in for 45 minutes. Our Help Center carries the full technical specification and a walkthrough video.
Q: Can I change my exam date after registering?
A: Yes. A WSET Level 1 Beer Exam Transfer Fee of $99 moves you to a different sitting, and the same 30-day deadline applies to your new date. Purchase links are in the exam registration area of your online course.
Q: What happens if I don't pass?
A: You resit the examination and you do not need to buy the course again. At Level 1 the resit is the whole paper rather than a component, and there is a WSET Level 1 Beer exam reorder fee — contact us for the current amount. There is no limit on attempts and no waiting period beyond the next available sitting, and your 12 months of course access means the material is still there while you revise.
Q: What is your pass rate for beer?
A: We do not publish a beer-only figure. We report Level 1 as a group: 96.5% of candidates across all WSET Level 1 qualifications — wines, spirits, beer and sake — were awarded the qualification in the 2024–25 academic year, from 1,269 candidates, counting first attempts only. That is a stricter measure than counting eventual outcomes. Our full methodology is on our WSET pass rates page.
Q: When do I get my result and certificate?
A: Results are released a few weeks after your exam date, and as soon as you pass you receive a digital certificate and digital badge from WSET. You can share the credential on LinkedIn or with an employer the day it is issued. Note that WSET no longer ships paper certificates or physical lapel pins — everything is digital now.
