Q: Is the exam on demand too?
A: No, and this is the one thing to understand before you buy. The course is entirely on demand, but the WSET Level 1 examination is not: it is remotely invigilated by WSET at pre-scheduled sitting times, so you choose a date from the published list rather than testing the moment you feel ready. You have 12 months from enrollment to sit it, places are capped at 50 per sitting, and exam orders are placed with WSET about four weeks before each date, so pick your date early and work back from it.
Q: What is the difference between this $289 course and the $329 instructor-led one?
A: Forty dollars and a calendar. Both cover the identical syllabus, lead to the identical qualification and end in the identical exam, and your certificate does not record which you took. This on-demand course starts the minute you pay and moves entirely at your speed. The $329 instructor-led course runs as a four-week cohort with three 60-minute live webinars and a start date you have to meet. Buy on demand if a fixed schedule is the thing that would stop you finishing; buy instructor-led if a fixed schedule is the thing that would make you finish.
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, buy the instructor-led online course instead, which can be cancelled up to 14 business days before its start date, or the in-person course, which allows 60 days.
Q: How long do I have access to the course?
A: 12 months from enrollment. That is deliberately generous for a qualification most people finish in a fortnight of evenings: it means a busy month, a house move or a change of job does not cost you the course, and the material is still there to revise against when your exam date finally comes round.
Q: When does the course start?
A: The moment you pay. There is no cohort, no waiting list and no start date to miss — your login arrives within about 30 minutes of purchase and the whole course is open immediately, module one to the end. Buy it at eleven at night and you can be tasting your first wine before midnight.
Q: How much study will it take?
A: Eight to twelve hours in total, and that is a realistic figure rather than a flattering one. WSET specifies a Total Qualification Time of 6 hours for the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines; our course adds video lectures, activities and practice questions on top of that minimum, which is where the extra hours go. Most students spread it across two or three weeks of evenings. Some finish it in a weekend.
Q: What is actually in the course?
A: Instructional video lectures taught by working wine professionals, interactive activities, guided tastings you carry out at home, and practice questions and assignments that are graded automatically so you get feedback immediately rather than waiting on a marker. The downloadable digital WSET Level 1 textbook sits in the first module. It is built to be watched and done, not read at.
Q: Do I have to buy wine?
A: You do not have to buy anything from us, but you should taste. The whole point of Level 1 is learning to describe what is in the glass, and reading about acidity is not the same as meeting it. We publish a recommended wine list you can fill at any decent wine shop, or you can buy a curated 6 x 100 mL sample kit from our partner Small Lot Bottles, which spares you the cost of six full bottles for six mouthfuls.
Q: Which wines do I need?
A: Six styles, chosen to cover the range the exam expects you to recognize: a Californian Chardonnay from the Central Coast, a red Burgundy at Bourgogne Rouge level, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, an Italian Pinot Grigio from the Veneto, an Australian Shiraz from South Australia or South Eastern Australia, and a Sauternes. Match the style rather than hunting the exact label. If you order the Small Lot Bottles kit, allow 7 to 10 days for delivery.
Q: Is there a textbook, and does it cost extra?
A: No extra cost. The official WSET Level 1 digital textbook is downloadable from the first module of your online course, available the moment you register. There is no printed textbook to buy for this qualification and nothing else you are required to purchase in order to sit the exam.
Q: Is there a live class, a webinar or an instructor I can ask questions of?
A: No live sessions and no cohort — this is genuine independent study, and we would rather be straight about it than let you discover it after paying. What you get instead is the full course open from day one, automatically graded feedback as you go, and a student support team for anything administrative. If you want a person teaching you in real time and answering questions as they occur to you, the $329 instructor-led course is the one to buy.
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: What do I need to run the course?
A: A computer with broadband and a current browser — Firefox 25.0, Safari 6, Chrome 30.0 or any HTML5-compatible browser with JavaScript and cookies enabled — plus Adobe Reader or an equivalent PDF reader for the textbook. Nothing exotic, but the course is not designed to be completed on a phone.
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 need a quiet space you will not be interrupted in for 45 minutes. Our Help Center carries the full technical specification and a walkthrough video of how the invigilated exam runs.
Q: How old do I have to be?
A: At least 21, because that is the legal minimum age for the retail purchase of alcohol in the United States and the qualification involves tasting wine. 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 buying 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 restaurant floors, tasting rooms and retail teams to get everyone to the same baseline vocabulary without taking anyone off shift, because nobody has to be free at the same time.
Q: Do I need Level 1 before I can take Level 2?
A: No. There is no mandatory prerequisite for the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, and if you already work in wine or have been drinking attentively for years you may be better served starting at Level 2. Level 1 is worth taking if you want the vocabulary and the tasting method built properly from the ground up, or if you want a globally recognized credential on your resume quickly and inexpensively.
Q: What can I do once I have passed?
A: Level 1 gives you the vocabulary and the systematic tasting method to talk about wine credibly, which is precisely what entry-level hospitality, retail and tasting-room roles screen for. It is also a globally recognized qualification you can put on a resume and a LinkedIn profile the day your result lands. The natural next step is the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, which moves from wine styles to the grape varieties and regions behind them.
Q: Is this the same qualification as the in-person course?
A: Yes, identically. The WSET Level 1 Award in Wines is a single global qualification set by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London, delivered against one published specification and assessed by one exam to one standard worldwide. Our on-demand, instructor-led and in-person routes all lead to the same certificate, and the certificate does not record which route you took. What differs is the price, the pace and how much company you have along the way.
Q: What optional extras are worth buying?
A: Very little, honestly. Everything you need to pass is in the $289. If you want more practice under timed conditions, the WSET Level 1 Wine Complete Exam Prep Package is $49 and contains both our electronic flashcards and our practice questions, which cost $29 each bought separately — so the package is the better buy if you want either. It is also included free with NVWA membership.
Q: I need a reasonable adjustment for a disability or learning difficulty. How do I arrange it?
A: Reasonable adjustments are available, but WSET must approve them before we can implement them, and applications need to reach WSET at least six weeks before your exam date. Contact us as early as you can at support@napavalleywineacademy.com and we will help you prepare the application. Because you choose your own exam date on this course, you have more room to plan this than on a fixed-cohort course.
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 is your right starting point, 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 by WSET. There is no tasting component and no written-answer component in the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines exam. Every question is drawn from the published specification, which you can download from this page and which tells you exactly what is assessable.
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. Level 1 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 is Napa Valley Wine Academy's WSET Level 1 pass rate?
A: 97.0%. That is 3,419 passes from 3,524 graded exam sittings between 2024 and 2026. We publish the denominator because a pass rate without one is not a claim, it is an advertisement. Our full methodology, and our rates for every WSET level, are on our WSET pass rates page.
Q: How do I register for my exam?
A: Through the Exam Registration module in the Course Welcome section of your online course, where the available dates and times are listed in Pacific time. Register early rather than late: only 50 places exist per sitting, and we place exam orders with WSET about four weeks before each date. You have 12 months from enrollment to sit the exam, and you must complete the course before you are eligible.
Q: Will I get confirmation that I am registered?
A: Yes, twice over. Within about 15 minutes of registering you receive a confirmation email from exams@napavalleywineacademy.com with instructions, followed by reminders as the date approaches. WSET Global then emails you directly, once 7 to 10 days before your exam and again 3 days before, with your invigilation details. If the WSET emails have not arrived a week out, contact us rather than assuming.
Q: Can I change my exam date after registering?
A: Yes, at a cost that depends on notice. More than 30 days before your exam date you can purchase an Exam Transfer Code for $99. Within 30 days of the date you need an Exam Reorder Code instead, at the fee shown in our General Policies. Purchase links for both are in the Exam Registration module 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 the WSET Level 1 exam fee for a resit 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: When do I get my result and certificate?
A: Results are released approximately 4 weeks after 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. On passing you are entitled to describe yourself as WSET Level 1 Certified in Wines.
