Everything people ask about the Beer Scholar courses, in one place.
You're in the right place. Pick your exam level (Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone®, or Advanced Cicerone®) and hit Enroll. Checkout and course access run through our Skool community, and you'll get access within minutes. Questions? Email chris@thebeerscholar.com.
The Beer Scholar Course for the Certified Beer Server Exam is the quickest and easiest way to ramp up for the CBS test: ~40 short video lessons, each with an outline and a quiz, plus 5 practice exams that are just like the real thing. Work at your own pace on any device. Some people finish in a day or two and crush the exam.
The Beer Scholar Course for the Certified Cicerone® Exam is a well-organized series of video lessons that track the Cicerone Certification Program® syllabus. It covers everything for the written and tasting sections, plus what to expect on the test, how to prep effectively, and tips for passing, with 4 full practice exams, flashcard decks for every syllabus topic, and weekly live tastings + Q&As. Most people prep in 2–3 months.
The Beer Scholar Course for the Advanced Cicerone® Exam takes you to level 3 with recorded classes at true AC depth, live weekly tastings, 2 full practice exams, and a pass-or-refund guarantee.
Chris Cohen, a Portland-based beer geek and one of only ~180 Advanced Cicerones® in the world. He's a National BJCP judge, has judged the Great American Beer Festival, wrote about beer for SeriousEats.com and the San Francisco Chronicle, founded the SF Homebrewers Guild, and in 2016 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 CBS, Certified, and Advanced Cicerone® exams, then distilled everything into these well-organized, comprehensive courses.
The online Certified Beer Server® exam costs ~$79 and has a 75% pass rate. The CBS course guarantees you're not in the unlucky 25%. It's a time saver and a money saver.
The Certified Cicerone® exam costs nearly $400 just to sign up for, and only about 1 in 3 people pass. That's a lower pass rate than the California Bar Exam for lawyers, which is BONKERS! Don't just start reading books and hope you're studying the right stuff. Everything you need is organized and condensed in a single comprehensive course, with full practice tests, flashcard decks for memorizing the beer style info, and loads of insider tips about what to expect on the test. It's an easy decision when you consider the cost of NOT passing. This is a career move, get after it!
The craft beer industry is exciting! Whether you're looking to break into the biz, switch beer jobs, get a raise, move up the ladder, or you just love beer and want to learn everything about it, the Cicerone Certification Program's® certifications are the industry standard way to prove you're serious and that you have a high level of beer expertise.
Imagine you're competing for a job against someone who has shown their dedication and passion for beer by passing the Certified Cicerone exam...the employer is going to really like that...why not BE THAT PERSON! There are still only around 4,900 Certified Cicerones in the world.
The CBS course teaches you everything you need to pass the online level 1 exam, fast. The Certified Cicerone® course is much more robust: everything for the level 2 written and tasting exams, plus practice tests, flashcards, and live weekly tastings.
If you're definitely taking the CC exam, go straight to the CC course: the full CBS course is included with it for free, and it covers everything needed to pass the CBS exam. The CBS course alone will not prepare you for the CC exam.
Noooope!
Chris is an Advanced Cicerone®, but he is not employed by or otherwise associated with the Cicerone Certification Program®. His study material has been created independently of the program's control; that's why he can give you tons of great insider tips and tricks to ensure you pass!
The term Cicerone® is the trademark of the Craft Beer Institute®. This website and the Beer Scholar® courses are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone Certification Program. The copyright for all material on this website is owned by Chris Cohen and Beer Scholar LLC.
Why yes, it's so funny you should ask! Here's my Reddit AMA about the Beer Scholar study guides for the Cicerone exams.
Join the mailing list and we'll send you free resources including a CBS & CC study guide, discount code for the courses, and the monthly Beer Scholar Six Pack newsletter.