Q: Is there a live class, a webinar or an instructor I can ask questions of?
A: No. This is a fully self-paced on-demand course: no cohort, no start date, no scheduled sessions and no assigned instructor. What you get instead is the whole course open from the moment you enroll, video lectures, guided recorded tasting practice, interactive activities and quizzes that grade themselves. If you want a person teaching you in real time, our in-person WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits course is the alternative at $423.
Q: Is the exam on demand too?
A: No, and this is the thing to understand before you buy. The course is entirely on demand, but the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits examination is remotely invigilated by WSET at pre-scheduled sitting times. You choose a date from the published list, you must register at least 14 days before it, and you have 12 months from your course date to sit it. Pick your date early and work back from it.
Q: Do I really have to buy nine bottles of spirits?
A: No, and this surprises people. WSET states that tasting alcohol is not mandatory for this qualification, and there is no tasting component in the exam. That said, the course teaches you to describe spirits using the WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits®, and you will get far more out of it with something in the glass. Miniatures, a bar, or splitting bottles with colleagues all work — you do not need nine full bottles on your shelf.
Q: Which spirits does the course use?
A: Nine, plus a vermouth for the cocktail work: vodka, a VSOP Cognac, a peated Single Malt Scotch, an unpeated Single Malt Scotch, Bourbon, two molasses-based rums, a 100% agave Blanco Tequila, and a London Dry Gin. The pairs are deliberate — peated against unpeated Scotch, and two different rums — because the course is teaching you to taste the difference, not to memorize a list.
Q: Can I get a refund if I change my mind?
A: No. On-demand courses cannot be cancelled and all sales are final, because you receive the full course the moment you enroll. We would rather say that plainly here than in an email afterwards. If you want a cancellation window, our in-person Level 1 Spirits course can be cancelled up to 60 days before it runs.
Q: When does the course start, and how long do I have?
A: It starts the moment you pay — email links arrive within about 30 minutes and the whole course is open immediately. You keep access to the online course material for a full 12 months, and you must register for your exam within that same window.
Q: How much study will it take?
A: WSET specifies a Total Qualification Time of 6 hours for the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits, which includes the 45-minute examination. Our course adds video lectures, guided tasting practice and quizzes on top of that minimum, so plan on 8 to 12 hours in total. Most students spread it over two or three weeks of evenings; some finish it in a weekend.
Q: What is actually in the course?
A: Fully digital, visual modules mapped directly to the official WSET curriculum, guided recorded tasting practice using the Systematic Approach to Tasting, interactive activities, and comprehensive quizzes and practice exams that grade themselves so your feedback is immediate. It was rebuilt from the ground up for on-demand study rather than being a classroom course filmed.
Q: Is there a textbook, and does it cost extra?
A: No extra cost. The WSET Level 1 Spirits textbook is a downloadable PDF inside the Course Materials section of your online course, available the moment you register. There is no printed book to buy and nothing else you are required to purchase in order to sit the exam.
Q: Who built the course, and what are their credentials?
A: Liz Pirnat is our head spirits educator and a WSET Certified Educator for Spirits. She holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits and the WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits, is an Executive Bourbon Steward with the Stave & Thief Society, studied at the Springbank Whisky School in Campbeltown, holds the "T" certification from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, and is a Master of Baijiu. That last one is rarer than it sounds — this is not a wine educator reading spirits notes.
Q: Should I take Level 1 or go straight to Level 2 Spirits?
A: Take Level 1 if spirits are largely new to you, or if you have never used a structured tasting method. It covers how spirits are made, the main categories and styles, what drives flavor, and how to serve them. Level 2 assumes that foundation and goes considerably deeper across production and the major categories, at $599 on demand. If you already work behind a bar and can explain the difference between a pot still and a column still, Level 2 may suit you better.
Q: Do I need any wine knowledge, or a previous qualification?
A: Neither. There is no prerequisite and no entry restriction for the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits, and it has nothing to do with wine — it is a separate qualification with its own specification, its own tasting method and its own exam. Plenty of students take spirits without ever taking a wine course.
Q: Who is this course wrong for?
A: Anyone who needs a deadline and a room full of other people to stay on track. Self-paced study is a genuine advantage if you are disciplined and a genuine trap if you are not, and a course you never open costs the same as one you finish. It is also the wrong choice if you were hoping to sit the exam whenever you liked, because the exam is scheduled and invigilated regardless of how you studied.
Q: Is there an in-person option?
A: Yes — we teach the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits in person at $423, which includes the spirits poured for you and a live educator. Both routes lead to the identical qualification and the identical exam, and the certificate does not record which you took. Choose in person if you want the tasting set up for you and would rather be finished in a day; choose on demand at $299 if you would rather fit it around your own week.
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. This is a common way for bar teams and retail floors to get everyone to the same baseline vocabulary, because nobody has to be free at the same time.
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: What can I do once I have passed?
A: Level 1 Spirits gives you the vocabulary and the tasting method to talk about spirits credibly — how they are made, what drives flavor, how to serve them, and the basics of cocktail construction. That is precisely what bar, retail and hospitality roles screen for, and it is a globally recognized qualification you can put on a resume the day your result lands. The next step is the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits.
Q: What optional extras are worth buying?
A: Very little. Everything you need to pass is in the $299. If you want more practice under timed conditions, the WSET Level 1 Spirits Complete Exam Prep Package is $49 and contains both our electronic flashcards and our practice questions, which are $29 each bought separately — so the package is the better buy if you want either. It is also included free with NVWA membership.
Q: Can I talk to someone before I buy?
A: Yes, and given that on-demand purchases are final we would much rather you did. Email support@napavalleywineacademy.com or visit our Help Center and our student support team will tell you honestly whether Level 1 or Level 2 Spirits is the right starting point for you, and whether the self-paced format suits how you actually work.
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. There is no tasting component and no written-answer component in the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits exam. Every question is drawn from the published specification, which you can download from this page.
Q: What is the pass mark?
A: 70%, which on a 30-question paper means 21 correct answers. There is no negative marking, so answer every question even where you are unsure. The WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits 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: When are the exams, and how far ahead do I register?
A: All sittings run 11 AM to 11:45 AM Pacific. Currently scheduled: 16 September 2026, 10 October 2026, 11 November 2026, 9 December 2026, 10 February 2027 and 17 April 2027. You must register at least 14 days before your chosen date, through the exam registration module inside your online course, and within 12 months of your course date. Further dates are added to the registration system as they are confirmed.
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 — tablets are not permitted — 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 Spirits Exam Transfer Fee of $99 moves you to a different sitting. Purchase links are in the exam registration module of your online course, and the same 14-day deadline applies to the new date.
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 the WSET Level 1 Spirits exam reorder fee is $150. 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 spirits?
A: We do not publish a spirits-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: WSET releases results within about 2 to 4 weeks of your exam date. As soon as you pass you receive a digital certificate and digital badge, so you can share your credential on LinkedIn or with your professional network the same day rather than waiting for something to arrive in the post. WSET no longer ships paper certificates or physical pins.
