Since 1985, the Beer Judge Certification Program has promoted “beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills.”

 

Nope. We’re not joking.

 

The BJCP has administered the Beer Judge Examination to 6,267 individuals worldwide. 3,791 are currently active judges in the program, with 581 holding the rank of National or higher. Its members have judged over 647,515 beers and we have sanctioned over 4,552 competitions.

 

At BJCP.org, you will find a job board, beer news, and mostly, information about the certification process.

 

There are exams scheduled throughout the year — one every few days.

 

The exam is three hours long and includes an essay portion, worth 70 percent of the final score, and a tasting portion, worth 30 percent. Participants are judged on their knowledge of the technical aspects of brewing, of world beer styles, and of how the BJCP works. During the tasting portion, candidates judge four beers, scoring and describing them as they would in a competition.

 

The BJCP categorizes judges based on experience and skill. A “certified” judge must score a minimum of 70 percent on the exam and earn five experience points, which you get by attending and judging at home brew competitions. A “national” judge, on the other hand, must score a minimum of 80 percent on the exam and earn at least 20 experience points. There are also “master” and “grand master” judges.

 

Yeah, yeah. We know. You already ARE a “grand master” beer poobah. Well, now you can get the parchment paper to prove it.

 

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