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The Certified Sommelier theory exam: what it covers and how to study

The format of the Certified theory paper at both Courts, the topics I would know cold, region by region, a ten-week plan and ten questions to test yourself.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

7 min read

The short answer: the Certified theory paper checks that you can talk about the world's classic wines like a working sommelier: regions, grapes, laws, producers, fortified wines, spirits and beer. With the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe it is 40 multiple-choice and short-answer questions; with the Americas, 45 questions in 38 minutes. You need 60%, and you must pass it on the same day as the tasting and the service exam.

Where I stand: I work with the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, whose online Learning Portal SOMM DIGI builds. The checklist and plan below are my own advice as an Advanced Sommelier, not an official Court guide.

The paper at each Court

Questions
Court of Master Sommeliers Europe40
Court of Master Sommeliers Americas45
Types
Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeMultiple choice and short answer: ten and thirty, in the Court's 2026–27 prospectus
Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasMultiple choice, short answer, simple maths and matching
Time
Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeNot stated on the Court's page
Court of Master Sommeliers Americas38 minutes
To pass
Court of Master Sommeliers Europe60%, with tasting and service passed at the same time
Court of Master Sommeliers Americas60% in every section, in one sitting

Sources: the Europe Certified page and the Court's Journal, and the Americas' Certified page. Europe sets the paper at a higher level than the Introductory, and most of it is short answers: you have to know the facts, not just recognise them.

What the theory covers

The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe describes what its theory exams expect. In short, you should be able to:

  • speak with authority about the wine regions of the world and their wines;
  • name the main grape varieties and where they are grown;
  • answer questions on wine law, including that of France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Australia and the USA;
  • explain fortified wines: how they are made, stored and handled;
  • describe how spirits and liqueurs are distilled and made;
  • explain how beer is made, and cigars, and why styles differ;
  • say how each product should be stored.

The Court lists its Theory Syllabus among the resources for the Certified. Start from it and from the Court's course book (how I would study it), then use the checklist below to make sure nothing is missing.

The topics, region by region

This is what I would know cold before sitting the Certified. It is my checklist, not the Court's official syllabus.

Alsace
Know coldThe main grapes, the 51 Grand Crus, Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles, Crémant d'Alsace
Bordeaux
Know coldThe 1855 classification of the Médoc and of Sauternes and Barsac; the Saint-Émilion and Graves classifications; Cru Bourgeois; the communes of each bank; the sweet wines of Loupiac, Cadillac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont
Burgundy
Know coldGrand Crus village by village; the seven Chablis Grand Crus; the Côte Chalonnaise (Bouzeron for Aligoté, Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Montagny); the Mâconnais; the ten Beaujolais crus
Champagne
Know coldThe method step by step; sweetness levels from Brut Nature to Doux; Grand and Premier Cru villages; prestige cuvées; bottle sizes; Coteaux Champenois
Loire
Know coldMuscadet sur lie; Savennières, Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume; Vouvray, Chinon and Bourgueil; Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé; local grape names
Rhône
Know coldThe Northern crus from Côte-Rôtie to Saint-Péray; Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its neighbours; Tavel; the vins doux naturels of Rasteau and Beaumes-de-Venise
Rest of France
Know coldProvence and Bandol; Languedoc-Roussillon; Banyuls and Maury; Cahors and Madiran; the Jura's vin jaune and vin de paille
Italy
Know coldDOC and DOCG; Barolo and Barbaresco; Chianti Classico, Brunello and Vino Nobile; Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto; Prosecco; Riserva and Superiore
Spain
Know coldDOCa; Rioja's Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva; Priorat; Ribera del Duero; Rías Baixas; Rueda; Toro; Bierzo; Cava
Portugal
Know coldDOC and Vinho Regional; Vinho Verde, Douro, Dão, Bairrada and Alentejo; the main grapes
Germany
Know coldThe 13 wine regions; the Prädikat levels; trocken and halbtrocken; the VDP pyramid and Grosses Gewächs; the great villages of the Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Austria
Know coldThe DAC system; Grüner Veltliner and Riesling; the Wachau's Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd; Ruster Ausbruch
Rest of Europe
Know coldTokaji; Greece (Santorini, Naoussa, Nemea); English sparkling wine; Swiss Chasselas
USA and Canada
Know coldAVAs, above all Napa, Sonoma, the Willamette Valley and the Columbia Valley; VQA and icewine in Canada
Southern Hemisphere
Know coldAustralia's GIs and Rutherglen Muscat; Marlborough and Central Otago; Stellenbosch and Méthode Cap Classique; Maipo, Casablanca and Mendoza
Fortified wines
Know coldSherry styles, the solera, VOS (20 years) and VORS (30 years); Port styles; the four classic Madeira grapes; vins doux naturels and vins de liqueur
Spirits, beer and sake
Know coldCognac's crus and Fine Champagne; Armagnac; Scotch whisky regions; tequila and mezcal; grappa and marc; fruit eaux-de-vie; beer styles; sake; classic cocktails
Vine and winery
Know coldVéraison, chaptalisation, malolactic conversion, pigeage, remontage, délestage, mutage, passerillage, carbonic maceration, sur lie

How to write short answers

  • Answer the question asked. If it asks for two Grand Crus, write two, not five.
  • Use the exact term. Write “malolactic conversion”, not “the softening of the acid”.
  • Learn the spellings. A name you can spell is a name you know: Gewurztraminer, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rías Baixas.
  • Learn lists in a fixed order, north to south: the Northern Rhône crus, the Beaujolais crus, the Chablis Grand Crus. Order makes gaps easy to spot.
  • Practise against the clock. In the Americas, 45 questions in 38 minutes is under a minute each.
  • Get comfortable with wine-list maths: pours per bottle, cost and margin. The Americas' paper includes simple maths.

A ten-week plan

The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe asks for at least ten weeks of study before the Certified. Here is how I would use them, with tasting and service practice alongside:

  • Weeks 1–2: Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.
  • Week 3: the Loire, Alsace and the Rhône.
  • Week 4: the rest of France, then Italy.
  • Week 5: Spain, Portugal, Germany and Austria.
  • Week 6: the rest of Europe, the USA and Canada.
  • Week 7: the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Week 8: fortified wines, spirits, beer and sake.
  • Week 9: vine, winery and wine law, then every weak area again.
  • Week 10: timed practice papers only.

Every day, ten minutes of questions. SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions and makes quizzes on any region you choose. For the whole Certified day, tasting and service included, read how to become a Certified Sommelier.

Quiz yourself with SOMM DIGI AILevel 1 practice test

Try ten questions

Question 1

Bouzeron, in the Côte Chalonnaise, is the village appellation for which grape?

  1. a)Chardonnay
  2. b)Aligoté
  3. c)Pinot Noir
  4. d)Gamay
Show answer

b) Aligoté. Bouzeron is the only village appellation in Burgundy for Aligoté.

Question 2

VORS on a Sherry label means an average age of at least:

  1. a)12 years
  2. b)15 years
  3. c)20 years
  4. d)30 years
Show answer

d) 30 years. VORS is 30 years or more. VOS is 20 years or more.

Question 3

Which Northern Rhône appellation belongs to a single estate and makes only Viognier?

  1. a)Condrieu
  2. b)Château-Grillet
  3. c)Saint-Péray
  4. d)Cornas
Show answer

b) Château-Grillet. Château-Grillet is a single-estate appellation inside the Condrieu area. Cornas is red Syrah; Saint-Péray is white Marsanne and Roussanne.

Question 4

In the VDP classification, a Grosses Gewächs is:

  1. a)A sweet wine from any site
  2. b)A dry wine from a Grosse Lage
  3. c)A village wine
  4. d)A sparkling wine
Show answer

b) A dry wine from a Grosse Lage. Grosses Gewächs (GG) is the dry wine from a VDP Grosse Lage, the top tier of its vineyard pyramid.

Question 5

In the Wachau, which category is the ripest and fullest?

  1. a)Steinfeder
  2. b)Federspiel
  3. c)Smaragd
  4. d)Kabinett
Show answer

c) Smaragd. Steinfeder is the lightest, Federspiel the middle and Smaragd the fullest.

Question 6

Fine Champagne Cognac is a blend of:

  1. a)Grande and Petite Champagne, at least half Grande Champagne
  2. b)Borderies and Fins Bois
  3. c)Any Cognac crus
  4. d)Cognac and Champagne
Show answer

a) Grande and Petite Champagne, at least half Grande Champagne. Fine Champagne blends Grande and Petite Champagne, with at least 50% Grande Champagne. It has nothing to do with the wine region.

Question 7

Which Loire appellation is known for sweet Chenin Blanc?

  1. a)Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
  2. b)Quarts de Chaume
  3. c)Chinon
  4. d)Sancerre
Show answer

b) Quarts de Chaume. Quarts de Chaume, in Anjou, makes sweet Chenin Blanc, often touched by botrytis. Chinon is mostly red Cabernet Franc.

Question 8

What is the main grape of Madiran?

  1. a)Malbec
  2. b)Tannat
  3. c)Négrette
  4. d)Fer Servadou
Show answer

b) Tannat. Madiran, in South West France, is built on Tannat, one of the most tannic grapes there is.

Question 9

Taurasi is made from which grape?

  1. a)Nebbiolo
  2. b)Sangiovese
  3. c)Aglianico
  4. d)Nero d'Avola
Show answer

c) Aglianico. Taurasi is Campania's great Aglianico, and a DOCG.

Question 10

Méthode Cap Classique is traditional-method sparkling wine from:

  1. a)Australia
  2. b)Chile
  3. c)South Africa
  4. d)New Zealand
Show answer

c) South Africa. Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) is South Africa's term for bottle-fermented sparkling wine.

Questions people ask

How many questions are on the Certified Sommelier theory exam?

At the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe: 40 multiple-choice and short-answer questions. At the Americas: 45 questions in 38 minutes.

What is the pass mark for the Certified theory?

60%, and the tasting and service exams must be passed at the same sitting.

Is the Certified theory harder than the Introductory?

Yes. The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe sets it at a higher level, and most questions are short answers rather than multiple choice.

Which book should I study for the Certified?

The Court's own course book: Sommelier by Brian K. Julyan, MS, the sixth edition of Sales & Service for the Wine Professional. I explain how I would study it on its own page in the Books section.

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