your questions about the beer scholar study guides, answered
Where can I get a Beer Scholar Study Guide?
You can purchase the Beer Scholar Study Guides and get more information about them right here.
After your purchase, you’ll get access to your Beer Scholar Study Guide material within minutes. If something goes wrong or you have any questions, reach out to Chris at [email protected].
What's in the study guides?
The Beer Scholar study guides contain everything you need to pass your Cicerone Certification Program® exam.
The Study Guide for the Certified Beer Server Exam ONLINE COURSE consists of over 40 video lessons each with an outline of the material and a short quiz, plus a beer styles flashcard set, and at the end of the course you get 5 practice exams that are just like the real thing. It’s super easy and convenient to view the lessons on the device of your choosing.
The bulk of the 240 page Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone Exam is a well-organized and condensed outline that tracks the Cicerone Certification Program® syllabus. In addition to all the info you need to know, there are also sections on what to expect on the test, how to effectively study for the test, and tips and tricks for ensuring you pass. The Certified Cicerone® study guide comes with three practice tests and a massive set of flashcards. It is an easy to use PDF file you can print or view on any device. As you would expect, the Certified Cicerone® study guide is significantly more robust than the Certified Beer Server® online course.
Who created the CBS and CC study guides?
Chris Cohen is a San Francisco-based beer geek. He's one of just a couple dozen Advanced Cicerones®, a National BJCP judge, a former contributing beer writer for SeriousEats.com and SF Chronicle, and is the founder and 2012-2014 President and is a current Board Member of the SF Homebrewers Guild, San Francisco's biggest homebrew club. He consults with restaurants to help them take their beer programs to the next level and occasionally does beer pairing dinners. In 2016 he opened one of San Francisco's best beer bars - Old Devil Moon.
Chris is a former attorney. He applied the techniques he used to pass the NY state bar exam to passing the Certified Cicerone® exam and has distilled that information into these comprehensive study guides. With his Certified Beer Server and Certified Cicerone® exam study guides, you'll have everything you need to crush the exams.
Are these study guides worth the price?
The online Certified Beer Server® exam costs about $80 to take and has a 75% pass rate. You can virtually guarantee passage by purchasing and studying with Beer Scholar's online course. The Beer Scholar Study Guide for the CBS Exam is a time and a money saver. It's a no brainer.
The Certified Cicerone® exam costs nearly $400 to take. Less than 1 in 3 people pass the test. That's just crazy, don't be one of the many who flunk. As someone who's interested in beer, you probably read about it, but even if you do work your way through the list of books the Cicerone Certification Program® suggests you read in preparation for the CC exam, the Beer Scholar CC Study Guide organizes and condenses all that info into a single comprehensive book. It also includes practice tests, flash cards, and loads of info about what to expect on the test — tips and tricks for passing. Walk into (or log on to) the test with total confidence and crush it. It's a no brainer.
Why get a Cicerone Certification Program certification?
The craft beer industry is exploding, get on board! The Cicerone Certification Program's® certifications are a great way to prove you're serious about your work in the industry and that you have a certain level of beer expertise. Alternatively, maybe you just want some beer geek bragging rights.
Among the reasons the Cicerone Certification Program® has been so successful is that they make their exam syllabi public and encourage people to teach to their tests. Most beer certification programs have students take an expensive course and then hand them a certification. The Cicerone Certification Program® actually tests your beer knowledge. They demand a high level of competency to become certified. The Cicerone Certification Program's® certifications are the industry standard.
What's the difference between the Certified Beer Server and Certified Cicerone® study guides?
The Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Beer Server® is a full online course of over 40 video lessons, quizzes, flashcards, and full practice tests. It will teach you everything you need to know to pass the online CBS exam.
The Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone® Exam contains everything you need to know to pass the more intense level 2 CC exam. The material in the CC guide is a complete set of information you'll need to know, plus tips for passing the tasting portion. It also contains 3 full practice tests and a flash card set. The Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone® Exam is the product of years of beer experience and a whole lot of work by Advanced Cicerone Chris Cohen to distill everything you need to know into a single comprehensive guide.
If you’re definitely planning to take the level 2 CC Exam, already have strong beer knowledge, and are merely taking the CBS exam to get it out of the way, consider purchasing just the CC Guide. The CC Guide is much more robust and will help you pass the CBS Exam. The CBS Guide will not prepare you for the CC Exam.
Why did you Kickstart these guides?
In early 2014 Beer Scholar raised money via Kickstarter for our Study Guides for the Cicerone Exams. It takes investment to get off the ground and we nailed it with this Kickstarter thanks to 303 fabulous backers!
Chris is a big fan of supporting fellow creators and has supported over 100 Kickstarter projects to date (check out his Kickstarter profile). He's thrilled that good karma came back to him. He’s thankful to his original backers, friends, and the entire beer community for their support over the years in spreading the word about Beer Scholar to beer geeks all over the world.
Are these study guides or the author associated with the Cicerone Certification Program?
No!
Chris is an Advanced Cicerone®, but he is not employed by or otherwise associated with the Cicerone Certification Program®. His study guides have been created independently of the program's control, that's why he can provide you with tons of great tips and tricks for how to pass!
The term Cicerone® is the trademark of the Craft Beer Institute®. This website and the Beer Scholar Study Guides are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone Certification Program.
The copyright for all material on this website is owned by Chris Cohen.
Who should consider buying these guides?
You should purchase one of these guides if:
- You're already planning to take the CBS or CC exam.
- You love beer and want to know everything about tasting, pouring, serving, pairing, and styles.
- You are considering entering the beer industry and want to increase your chances of getting a good job.
- You are already in the beer industry and want to raise your game so you get that promotion.
- You want some serious beer geek bragging rights.
- You're a wine Somm or cocktail ninja and want to expand your skills.
- You love one of the above people!
Have you done an AMA on Reddit about the Cicerone program and your study guides?
Why yes, it's so funny you should ask!
Here's my Reddit AMA about the Beer Scholar Study Guides for the Cicerone Exams.