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Preparing for
WSET Level 3 in Wines:
hard facts, study guide and
exam technique
Published: 20/08/2024
The WSET collection of wine qualifications runs from Level 1, an introductory course to get people excited and informed, to Level 4 (also known as the Diploma), a one-to-two-year course encompassing multiple units, exams, and written assignments. The progressive structure of the WSET certifications means that students can pass from one level to the next, continuing to build upon their knowledge, using the foundations they already have. That said, a common refrain from our Level 3 students is ‘I didn’t realise the jump from Level 2 to Level 3 would be so significant’. Another common refrain after they have finished the course is ‘I miss coming to class and I had the best time!’, so in this article we’re going to talk you through what to expect from the Level 3 course, what is required of you, and how to get the most out of it. Passing the Level 3 in Wines certification is not an insurmountable feat but it does require plenty of hard work. With the correct preparation and dedication, we promise you won’t regret taking the leap.
The Facts
The recommended total qualification time for WSET Level 3 in Wines is 84 hours, though WSET stress that this is a minimum requirement and that the hours needed by each candidate will vary. At Wine Courses Barcelona, these hours are divided into 32 hours of teaching in class, and a minimum of 52 hours recommended for independent study.
We have heard statements like: “I heard you need six months of study to prepare”, and also “Can I do the independent study in between classes?”. The truth is somewhere in between the two, and will vary from person to person depending on the amount of time they have to dedicate to study. The minimum reading that we request prior to the first day of the course are the chapters pertaining to that content (around 70 pages), but having reviewed the textbook fully before the classes begin will put students in an advantageous position going forward, particularly if they are taking a more intensive format of course.
At Wine Courses Barcelona, we offer two formats of Level 3 course:
- One day per week format: one full day of class per week for five weeks, and one additional day dedicated to revision and the exam.
- Intensive format: 5 days of classes taken over consecutive weekends, with the final revision and exam day one week after the classes have finished.
In the case of the intensive format it is imperative that students have fully reviewed the textbook and begun to structure their studies prior to the first day of class.
The Exam
The final exam consists of two parts:
- A blind tasting exam of two wines (30 minutes), requiring production of two accurate tasting notes. The exam does not require you to deduce what the wine is (origin, grape, etc.), but rather to accurately assess the structural characteristics and aromas (55% across both wines required to pass)
- A theory exam, comprised of two papers (120 minutes), both of which must be passed separately in order to pass the exam overall:
- 50 multiple choice questions (55% required to pass)
- 4 short written answer questions, each of which is worth 25 marks (55% required to pass)
The key difference of the Level 3 with the Level 2 in Wines course is summarised by WSET here:
“Candidates must recognise that to be successful they will be expected to show an ‘understanding of the factors’ accounting for wine style, quality, and price. In the exam they must demonstrate this to the examiners. In other words, they must be able to explain the reasons why wines taste and cost as they do. Do not underestimate this considerable jump from Levels 1 and 2. The progressive requirements and key skills needed for each Level are illustrated below.”
As you can see, the total study requirements are over doubled and the nature of the certification requires an in-depth understanding of the material which allows students to explain concepts in their own words. One of the best demonstrations of this is the need to draw and bring together knowledge from across the textbook, whereas at Level 2 understanding and memorising the information as presented is sufficient.
Common challenges
Having been teaching the Level 3 in Wines certification for six years now, we’ve identified the most common difficulties experienced by students below. We’ve also made some suggestions as to how to tackle these, though the next session deals with study tips in more detail.
Study and preparation guide
So, here’s our guide for how to get ready for WSET Level 3 and how to keep on top of the work throughout the course. Follow these steps, put in the work, stay dedicated, and remember your teacher is here to help!
- Review the Level 2 material
Whether it’s been years or weeks since your Level 2 course, a review of your materials is vital to ensure you’re up-to-speed before you get started on Level 3. The volume of content at Level 3 means that class time will not be spent going over information you should already know from Level 2, so dig out your textbook and get those foundations solid.
- Make a structured study plan as early as possible
If you spend the time from when the course begins only reading the content for the following class, you will be left with very little time to revise prior to the exam. Have a look at the time you have available until exam day, and try to schedule daily study time along with a number of longer study sessions each week. Ensure your plan is realistic and manageable, as the sense of achievement from having completed your planned study sessions will keep your spirits and confidence up.
- Don’t leave everything to the last minute!
See above. Organisation is your friend at Level 3, and you’re more likely to get overwhelmed and burnt out if you leave things to the last minute.
- Look forward/ Look back
Prior to each class, you’ll be provided with the page references for the following week’s content. As well as reading this material, ensure you spend some time each week looking back at the previous class/ classes’ content. Revising while the subjects are still clear in your mind will help that information to stick with you.
- Ensure you are familiar with the exam structure
Your study guide (pgs. 10-11 for theory; pgs. 28-29 for tasting) provides detail on the structure and marking scheme for your final exam. Regarding the theory, you can see on page 10 the number of multiple-choice questions that will be asked for each learning outcome, and which learning outcomes will be tested by each of the short-written answer questions. This is important information for structuring your study. For example, WSET state that the fourth question of the short-written answer paper (which relates to sparkling and fortified wines) is consistently problematic for candidates. This question is worth 25% of the total of the paper, but these topics are often overlooked by students in favour of studying the material relating to regions.
- Use the practice paper questions provided
A full short-written answer paper is used to allow students to practise answering these questions. From the second day’s class, one of these four questions will be set as homework to be completed prior to the following class. While completing the homework is optional, we feel it is absolutely integral to your studies to receive feedback on your answers, and the submission of these homework assignments is often the marker of whether or not students will pass their theory exam. Get the feedback, and you’ll know exactly what the examiners are looking for from you on exam day.
- Write tasting notes for every wine you taste
Every bottle opened and every glass poured is a learning opportunity. Write tasting notes using the SAT whenever you can, and regardless of whether you’re tasting the wine blind. Practice makes perfect!
Exam tips and technique
It may be a while since students have sat a formal exam, and so exam technique is as important as having memorised and understood all the material. Here are WSET’s six key pointers for exam success in the short-written answer paper:
Planning: Candidates should identify the weighting, command verbs, question context and all question parts and factor these into their plan. Coherent arguments will help ensure responses are awarded the maximum available marks.
Wine Courses Barcelona’s guide to command words:
- Name/ Identify: Name and move on. Only provide as many answers as has been requested. No analysis required
- Describe: Describe the process/ growing conditions/ characteristics. Still no need for any analysis
- Explain/ explain why: You are being asked to draw on your knowledge of the topic in order to analyse and explain an effect
Reading and answering the question properly: Under exam pressure it is easy to lose sight of exactly what the question is asking. An answer focused on factors in the vineyard to a question on factors in the winery will not be awarded marks, no matter how accurate.
Only including relevant information: Too many candidates try to ‘fact dump’ and include all the information they know on a topic in an effort to gain marks. These answers rarely meet the question requirements. Well-structured responses, tailored to what is asked, can be concise and are more likely to gain maximum marks.
Writing enough: The marks available are listed on the exam paper and this is an excellent guide to how much information is required. Candidates may need to present a broad spectrum of ideas, or deeper factual detail, or a combination of both. The question itself dictates this.
Checking/editing answers when finished: There is sufficient time allocated to the exam to do this. Under exam pressure, it is easy to make a simple mistake, write contradictory information, or omit an idea.
Managing time to adequately respond to every question: Time-management is critical. Candidates need to know their writing speed, which questions to devote more or less time to, and how much time they need to plan and check their answers. Quickly reading the whole paper before beginning can help.
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The information above regarding time management is also pertinent to the tasting exam, in which candidates should dedicate 15 minutes to each wine. Planning your notes can also ensure you have included all the components required to gain the maximum marks. It is very frustrating to lose marks on the tasting exam for forgetting to note a wine’s length, for example, especially if you knew the correct answer.
There you have it: the Wine Courses Barcelona guide to exam success at WSET Level 3 in Wines! It’s important to note this is also a guide to help you enjoy the course more, and stress out less. Learning about wine should always be fun, and tasting wines should always be fun as well as a learning opportunity. So, grab a glass and your textbook, and get involved! Don’t hesitate to get in touch with sharon@winecoursesbcn.com if you have any questions about studying WSET Level 3 in Wines with us. We’re here to help!
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