How to pass the CSW: the Certified Specialist of Wine exam

The short answer: the CSW exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in one hour, taken at a Pearson VUE test centre or online. You need 75%. Every question comes from one book, the CSW Study Guide, so the way to pass is to know that book thoroughly and to practise at exam speed.

I hold the Certified Specialist of Wine. Here is the exam as the Society of Wine Educators runs it in 2026, what it costs, and how I would prepare.

What the CSW is

The CSW is the wine qualification of the Society of Wine Educators, a US non-profit founded in 1977. The Society also awards the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and the Certified Spirits Educator (CSE). The CSW is a theory exam only: no tasting, no service. It is also the required first step for the CWE, with no exceptions.

The exam

• Questions: 100, multiple choice, all drawn from the CSW Study Guide.
• Time: one hour.
• Pass mark: 75%. Then you can use CSW after your name.
• Where: at a Pearson VUE test centre, or online.
• Booking: an exam registration is valid for one year from the day you buy it, and the name on it must match your ID.
• Results: a preliminary score on screen when you finish; the official result, a PDF certificate and a lapel pin follow in two to four weeks.

What it covers

The Society's topics include the physiology of taste, wine composition and chemistry, wine faults, viticulture and winemaking, labels, laws and wine regions, the US wine industry, wine etiquette and service, food and wine pairing, and responsible alcohol service. Check the full list on the Society's CSW page.

What it costs

Prices from the Society's catalogue and membership page. Membership pays for itself: $135 plus $475 is $610, against $850 without it. Members with a valid exam registration also get the online prep class free.

How I would prepare

• Read the Study Guide twice. Once for the story, once for the detail. Every question comes from it, so nothing else is required reading.
• Make the workbook your weekly test. Mark what you get wrong, and reread those pages the same day.
• Learn the maps. Region questions are easier when you can picture where the place is.
• Don't skip the US chapter. The US wine industry is a topic of its own on this exam.
• Don't leave the science for last. Wine chemistry, faults and the physiology of taste are topics of their own.
• Practise at exam speed. 100 questions in 60 minutes is 36 seconds each. Read every option before you answer.
• Study a little every day. Ten minutes of questions beats a weekend of rereading.

For daily questions on top of the workbook, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions and makes quizzes on any region you choose.

CSW, WSET or the Court?

The CSW is a theory exam you can take online, with no course to attend. WSET Level 3 adds a written tasting exam; the Court of Master Sommeliers adds blind tasting and service. If you want to work as a sommelier, read WSET vs CMS. If you want France in depth next, the French Wine Scholar is the natural follow-on.

Questions people ask