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Court of Master Sommeliers: the Americas and Europe compared
Same four levels, same pass marks, same title at the top. But the two Courts run their exams, fees and rules differently. Here is what each one publishes about itself.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
4 min read
The short answer: there are two Courts of Master Sommeliers. CMS Europe covers Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia; CMS Americas runs courses in North and South America and in Asia. They share a history and common standards, but they are separately governed. The four levels and the pass marks are the same; the exam formats, the fees and some of the rules are not.
My first Court course was the Introductory with the Americas, at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, in 2012, and I passed the Advanced Sommelier exam with the Court on 5 August 2019. Where I stand: today I work with the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, whose online Learning Portal SOMM DIGI builds, so everything below comes from each Court's own pages, linked so you can check.
One tradition, two Courts
The first Master Sommelier exam was held in London in 1969, and the Court was established in 1977. The first Master Sommelier exam outside the UK took place in Monterey, California, in 1987. Today CMS Europe describes the two as separately constituted, separately governed and independently accountable, sharing common standards. Both award the same title at the top: Master Sommelier.
Level by level
| Level | Court of Master Sommeliers Europe | Court of Master Sommeliers Americas |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory | Two-day course; exams on the morning of day three: a multiple-choice paper and a short service test; 60% in each | Two days in person, or online over up to six months; 70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes; 60%; no service test |
| Certified | One day: 40 theory questions, two wines blind on a written grid, a service test; 60% in each, all together | One day: 45 theory questions in 38 minutes, four wines blind in 45 minutes, a service exam; 60% in each, in one sitting |
| Advanced | Five-day course with the exams in the last two and a half days: theory, six wines blind in 25 minutes, a 45-minute service test; 60% in each, all together | Three-day course, then the exam in a later year: theory at a Pearson VUE centre first, then tasting and practical; 60% in each, all within one calendar year |
| Master Sommelier | Oral theory, six wines blind, service; 75% in each; all three parts within three years | Oral theory, six wines blind, a service and business practical; 75% in each; three consecutive years after passing the theory |
- Introductory
- Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeTwo-day course; exams on the morning of day three: a multiple-choice paper and a short service test; 60% in each
- Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasTwo days in person, or online over up to six months; 70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes; 60%; no service test
- Certified
- Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeOne day: 40 theory questions, two wines blind on a written grid, a service test; 60% in each, all together
- Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasOne day: 45 theory questions in 38 minutes, four wines blind in 45 minutes, a service exam; 60% in each, in one sitting
- Advanced
- Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeFive-day course with the exams in the last two and a half days: theory, six wines blind in 25 minutes, a 45-minute service test; 60% in each, all together
- Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasThree-day course, then the exam in a later year: theory at a Pearson VUE centre first, then tasting and practical; 60% in each, all within one calendar year
- Master Sommelier
- Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeOral theory, six wines blind, service; 75% in each; all three parts within three years
- Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasOral theory, six wines blind, a service and business practical; 75% in each; three consecutive years after passing the theory
Sources: CMS Europe's levels and CMS Americas' levels.
The other differences
- Age: Europe enrols from 18. The Americas' Introductory requires 21.
- From Introductory to Certified: Europe gives you three years, and considers the top candidates of an Introductory for a Certified held straight after it. The Americas dropped the three-year limit and don't allow the two back to back.
- Online: the Americas teach the Introductory online as well as in person. Europe teaches it in person, with a passcode for its online learning resources.
- Getting into the Advanced (Americas): applications open on 1 October and close on 1 November; course applicants need restaurant experience and must sit a knowledge assessment at a test centre.
- Switching Courts: once accepted for the Advanced or the Master Sommelier Diploma, you stay with the Court that accepted you. A move needs a written request, which either Court may refuse.
- Fees: Europe charges £695 for the Introductory in the UK; the Americas $949 in person or $649 online. See every fee, level by level.
Which Court should you choose?
The one where you live and work. Most exams are in person, the Advanced and the Master Sommelier Diploma can't easily be moved from one Court to the other, and both lead to the same title. Choose by geography and by the dates that fit your life, not by reputation.
Then prepare the same way for either: how to become a Certified Sommelier, then the Advanced. For daily theory practice, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions.
Questions people ask
Are CMS Americas and CMS Europe the same organisation?
No. They share a history and common standards, but CMS Europe describes them as separately constituted and separately governed.
Is one Court's exam harder than the other's?
Neither publishes figures that would let you compare. The pass marks are the same: 60% up to the Advanced, 75% for the Master Sommelier Diploma.
Can I start with one Court and continue with the other?
The Courts' published rules speak to the Advanced and the Master Sommelier Diploma: once accepted, you stay with that Court unless it agrees to a move. For the earlier levels, ask the Court you want to join.
When was the Court of Master Sommeliers founded?
The first Master Sommelier exam was held in London in 1969, and the Court was established in 1977. The first Master Sommelier exam outside the UK was in Monterey, California, in 1987.
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