WSET Sake Certification
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust runs three sake qualifications: the Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Award in Sake. Napa Valley Wine Academy teaches Levels 1 and 2, both entirely online. The Level 2 Award in Sake is a recent addition to the WSET portfolio, which makes it one of the newest formal sake credentials available anywhere. Neither exam has a tasting component — both are multiple-choice papers sat online under remote invigilation — and both courses include 12 months of platform access, the textbook, and exam registration and fees.
Compare the two levels
| Level 1 Award in Sake | Level 2 Award in Sake | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Anyone starting out, and hospitality staff who need to talk about sake confidently on the floor. | Sommeliers, buyers and retailers who already know the basics and need production detail and vocabulary. |
| How you study | A four-week cohort with fixed start and end dates. Material is open 24/7 inside your window, so there are no set class times. | Self-paced inside a five-week cohort window. No live webinars and no fixed class times. |
| Instructor contact | Support by message throughout your course window. | A WSET educator reads and responds to the tasting notes you submit during the taught weeks. |
| Total Qualification Time (set by WSET) | 6 hours, all guided learning, including the 45-minute exam | 26 hours — 15 guided learning hours, one of which is the exam, plus 11 hours of private study |
| What to budget in practice | 10–12 hours across the four weeks | Around five hours a week across the five weeks |
| Sake covered | Seven styles: four benchmark styles plus three specialty styles | Around thirteen groups of recommended samples |
| The exam | 30 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, closed book | 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, closed book |
| Where you sit it | Online, with remote invigilation | Online, with remote invigilation |
| Grading | 70% to pass (21 of 30). Pass or fail only — no Merit or Distinction at this level. | 55% to pass (28 of 50). Merit at 70–84%, Distinction at 85% or above. |
| Recommended before you start | Nothing at all. | No formal prerequisite, though the material assumes you know the basics. |
| Platform access | 12 months from your course start date | 12 months from your course start date |
Current tuition for both levels is shown on the course listings below.
Which level should you start at?
If sake is new to you, start at Level 1. It is six hours of guided learning, the exam is 30 multiple-choice questions, and it gives you the vocabulary to describe sake accurately and serve it properly — which for most hospitality roles is the whole job.
If you already sell or list sake and want to understand why a junmai daiginjo tastes the way it does, go to Level 2. There is no requirement to hold Level 1 first. Level 2 is where rice polishing, brewing method, water chemistry and the classification system stop being labels and start being explanations.
The two qualifications in detail
WSET Level 1 Award in Sake
A foundation-level qualification covering the main styles of sake, how sake is produced, how to store and serve it, and the principles of pairing sake with food. Seven styles are recommended for tasting alongside the material — four benchmark and three specialty. The exam is 30 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes with a 70% pass mark, sat online. There is no tasting paper and no written-answer paper. View the Level 1 Award in Sake course.
WSET Level 2 Award in Sake
An intermediate qualification covering sake production in real detail: rice varieties and polishing, koji, brewing and pressing methods, the classification system, and the factors that shape style and quality. Around thirteen groups of recommended samples are worked through, and a WSET educator reads and responds to the tasting notes you submit during the taught weeks — the closest thing to one-to-one coaching in an online sake course. The exam is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes with a 55% pass mark, sat online, and Merit and Distinction grades are available. View the Level 2 Award in Sake course.
About tasting samples
There is no sample kit for sake, at either level. Unlike our wine courses, no bottled sample pack exists to add at checkout — sake's freshness window and shipping rules make one impractical — so students source their own bottles from the recommended list. Plan for this before you enrol, particularly at Level 2, where you need the sake in the glass for your tasting notes to be worth marking.
Neither exam is assessed on tasting. At Level 1, candidates who are underage or who choose not to drink alcohol may complete the course without tasting at all.
Why study sake with Napa Valley Wine Academy
- Both levels from one provider. Very few US schools teach Level 2 in Sake at all — it is a recent WSET qualification — so you can progress without switching schools or learning a new house style.
- Marked tasting notes at Level 2. A WSET educator responds to your submitted notes during the course. Most online sake courses grade nothing but the exam.
- 96.5% of our candidates passed across all WSET Level 1 qualifications — wines, spirits, beer and sake — in the 2024–25 academic year, from 1,269 candidates, counting first attempts only. See our published WSET pass rates.
- The largest and most-awarded WSET Approved Programme Provider in the United States, and winner of the WSET Global and Riedel Wine Educator of the Year Award.
- 12 months of platform access at both levels, so the material stays with you well past the exam.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Level 1 before Level 2 in sake?
No. There is no formal prerequisite for either qualification. Level 2 does assume you know the basics, so if sake is genuinely new to you, Level 1 first is the smoother route.
Is there a sake tasting kit I can buy?
No. There is no sample kit for sake at either level. Students source their own bottles from the recommended list.
Is there a tasting exam?
No. Both the Level 1 and Level 2 sake exams are closed-book multiple-choice papers. At Level 2 you submit tasting notes during the course and an educator responds to them, but they are not part of the exam.
Where do I sit the exam?
Both exams are taken online with remote invigilation, so you can sit them from home.
Do I have to drink alcohol to complete the course?
At Level 1, no — candidates who are underage or who prefer not to drink alcohol can complete the course without tasting. At Level 2 tasting is central to the coursework, so it is strongly recommended.
How long does each level take?
Level 1 runs over four weeks and needs 10–12 hours in total. Level 2 runs over five weeks at roughly five hours a week, against a WSET Total Qualification Time of 26 hours.
What about spirits and beer?
We teach the full WSET spirits ladder, Levels 1 to 3, and the Level 1 and Level 2 Award in Beer, all online.
