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How to use the Court of Master Sommeliers syllabus
Where to find each Court's syllabus, how it is laid out level by level, and the method I would use to turn it into a study plan that covers everything you need, and nothing you don't.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
5 min read
The short answer: the syllabus is the Court's map of what to learn at each level, and how deep. It is built around the Court's three skills: theory, deductive tasting and practical service. Get the current version from your Court, break it into subject areas, turn every line into questions, and only tick a line off when you can answer it from memory.
I followed the Court's path from the Introductory in Napa in 2012 to the Advanced in 2019, and the syllabus helped me at every level. Wine has no end; the syllabus tells you where your exam ends. Where I stand: today I work with the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, whose online Learning Portal SOMM DIGI builds.
Where to find it
| Court | What it gives you | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Court of Master Sommeliers Europe | A Theory Syllabus, the Service Standards and the Court's online learning resources at every level; tasting grids from the Certified up; Business Calculations and Grape Markers at the Advanced | With your course: Introductory candidates receive a passcode for the Court's online learning resources. The scope of each exam is on the Court's website |
| Court of Master Sommeliers Americas | Exam guides and syllabi for each level, a curriculum guide for the Introductory and Certified theory, tasting grids, the list of examinable wines and the Hospitality & Service Standards | Free to download from the Court's online Resource Library |
- Court of Master Sommeliers Europe
- What it gives youA Theory Syllabus, the Service Standards and the Court's online learning resources at every level; tasting grids from the Certified up; Business Calculations and Grape Markers at the Advanced
- WhereWith your course: Introductory candidates receive a passcode for the Court's online learning resources. The scope of each exam is on the Court's website
- Court of Master Sommeliers Americas
- What it gives youExam guides and syllabi for each level, a curriculum guide for the Introductory and Certified theory, tasting grids, the list of examinable wines and the Hospitality & Service Standards
- WhereFree to download from the Court's online Resource Library
Links: Europe's What You Need To Know page and the Americas' Resource Library. Always use the current version. The Americas' curriculum guide says it is updated as laws, priorities and relevance change, and wine law does change: new appellations, new rules, new classifications.
How it is laid out
The syllabus goes subject by subject, and within each subject, level by level. Each level builds on the one before. Here is how the Americas' curriculum guide treats Rioja for the Introductory and the Certified theory:
| Rioja | Introductory | Certified |
|---|---|---|
| Place and climate | North-central Spain, continental, along the Ebro | How climate varies by subzone |
| Grapes | Tempranillo and Garnacha; Viura for whites | Adds Mazuelo, Graciano, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca |
| Law | Rioja is a DOCa; Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are ageing tiers | The subzones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Oriental; Viñedo Singular |
| Ageing rules for red | The order of the tiers; the exact times are not needed | Crianza at least 2 years with 1 in oak; Reserva 3 with 1 in oak; Gran Reserva 5 with 2 in oak |
| Producers and selling | Not listed | Iconic producers, traditional and modern styles, and recommending Rioja with food |
- Place and climate
- IntroductoryNorth-central Spain, continental, along the Ebro
- CertifiedHow climate varies by subzone
- Grapes
- IntroductoryTempranillo and Garnacha; Viura for whites
- CertifiedAdds Mazuelo, Graciano, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca
- Law
- IntroductoryRioja is a DOCa; Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are ageing tiers
- CertifiedThe subzones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Oriental; Viñedo Singular
- Ageing rules for red
- IntroductoryThe order of the tiers; the exact times are not needed
- CertifiedCrianza at least 2 years with 1 in oak; Reserva 3 with 1 in oak; Gran Reserva 5 with 2 in oak
- Producers and selling
- IntroductoryNot listed
- CertifiedIconic producers, traditional and modern styles, and recommending Rioja with food
Two lessons hide in that table. First, a blank means not needed at this level: the Americas' guide says so in as many words. Don't spend Certified study time on Master-level detail. Second, the syllabus is a map, not a fence. The same guide says the Certified theory exam is not written exclusively from it. Use it to aim your study, then read around it.
My method, step by step
- Cut it into subject areas. The Court's own study tips say to begin with the syllabus, break it into subject areas and work through them methodically. One subject, one block of days on the calendar.
- Rewrite each line as questions. “Rioja subzones” becomes “Name the three subzones of Rioja” and “Which is the most Mediterranean?” A line you can't turn into a question, you don't understand yet.
- Learn ten things about every region. The Court's study tips list them: climate, soils, geography, grapes, history, the best winemakers, sub-regions, production methods, vine training and vintages.
- Write it out, don't print it. The Court advises writing the important points in your own words. Draw the maps too.
- Test before you tick. Cover your notes and answer. Only a line you can answer from memory, twice, a week apart, gets its tick.
- Spend most time on what you find hardest, another of the Court's tips. Rereading what you already know feels good and teaches little.
The parts people skip
- Spirits, beer, sake and cigars. The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe's theory covers how spirits and liqueurs are made, and how beer and cigars are made too. They are easy marks to lose.
- Tasting and service. The syllabus is not only theory. Learn the tasting grid and the Service Standards with the same care as Burgundy.
- Wine-list maths. At the Certified, the Americas test simple sums: pour sizes, bottle costs and margins.
- The level above. When your exam's lines are ticked, read the next level's lines for the same region. It deepens what you already know.
Where tools fit
Turning a syllabus into questions is slow by hand. SOMM DIGI AI, the app I made on top of today's best AI, quizzes you on any region you choose: it has 3,000+ exam-prep questions and 35 Certified flashcard decks. Use it for the daily testing, and always check what you learn against your Court's own material. For the full Certified theory checklist, region by region, read the Certified theory exam guide; for the Court's textbook, how I would study Sales & Service for the Wine Professional.
Questions people ask
Where can I find the Court of Master Sommeliers syllabus?
The Court of Master Sommeliers Americas publishes its exam guides, syllabi and curriculum guide free in its Resource Library. The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe gives its Theory Syllabus and Service Standards to candidates with their course, and describes the scope of each exam on its website.
Is everything in the exam on the syllabus?
Not necessarily. The Americas' curriculum guide says the Certified theory exam is not written exclusively from it. The syllabus shows the depth expected; wider reading fills the gaps.
What does the syllabus cover?
The Court's three skills: wine theory, deductive tasting and practical service. The theory part runs region by region and also covers spirits, liqueurs, beer and, in Europe, cigars.
Is the syllabus the same for every level?
It covers the same subjects, but each level asks for more depth. In the Americas' guide, Introductory candidates know Rioja's ageing tiers; Certified candidates know the exact minimum ageing times.
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