The BJCP Mead ranking (or "endorsement" if you're already a BJCP Beer Judge) is a 2-step process: the online Mead (Online) Entrance
Examination, and the Mead Judging (Tasting) Examination.
YOU MUST DO BOTH OF THESE EXAMS: THE ONLINE EXAM FIRST, THEN THE JUDGING EXAM.
Go to
BJCP.org and click on the right-side menu Mead Exam Resources.
You need to download and STUDY these:
- Mead Exam Study Guide (specifics about what you need to know, format of the test, etc.)
- Ingredient Descriptions (lists honey varietals, grape varietals, spices, fruits)
NOTE - all other documents in the top section of that page are OLD - do not use them as references about the mechanics of the test.
If you know everything in these two documents, you have all the information you will need to pass the Online exam. There are also
many other very useful resources on this page to broaden your knowledge - feel free to also read them.
Also, for the Tasting test, you will need to understand the
BJCP 2015 Mead Style Guidelines.
Start by going to
BJCP.org and take the Online exam.
- On the right-side menu, click on Exam Center
- Under FAQ, click on #1: How Do I Become A Judge - Online Exam
- Click on the Click Here To Enroll link
- Scroll down to the Mead Exam section and choose to either take it once ($10), or you can get three tries at it for $20. If you've studied well, one try should do it.
- Take the exam. It is 200 questions in 60 minutes. It's open book - but at 18 seconds per question, you don't have much time to look at references.
Refer to the Mead Study guide to find out details of what is covered - but the main things are the BJCP Mead program and procedures, Mead balance and
style attributes, varietal honeys, varietal grapes, fruit/spice additions, mead making process, and identifying characteristics and faults in meads.
When you pass, you will receive a Certificate Of Completion (CoC).
IMPORTANT - AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION - EMAIL IT TO THE EXAM ADMINISTRATOR
You *MUST* have the CoC BEFORE you are eligible to take the Mead Tasting Exam. Your CoC is good for one year. If you don't take and
pass the Mead Tasting Exam within a year of your CoC, it expires - and you'll need to take the Online Exam again.
NOTE - EVERYONE MUST TAKE THE ONLINE EXAM - whether you are already a BJCP Beer judge or not.
Next, you'll sign up for the BJCP Mead Judging (Tasting) exam. For this, you will have 90 minutes to judge 6 meads using a slightly-modified
BJCP Mead Scoresheet (the standard one is
here - the test one is similar).
Download this scoresheet, make a bunch of copies and PRACTICE. Be sure to look at the CUE words under each section (Aroma, Appearance,
Flavor, Overall) - for Aroma, be sure to write a comment about the mead for EVERY cue word: Honey Expression, Alcohol, Esters,
Complexity, Other Aromatics. Fill out your scoresheets completely, address all CUE words in each section, assign scores, make sure the
scores add up, and be sure to check any appropriate Descriptor Definitions, and to fill out the Stylistic Accuracy, Technical Merit,
and Intangibles checkboxes. Everything that you don't do will lose you points when your exam is graded - so make sure you do it all.
IMPORTANT - YOU MUST PRE-PAY FOR THIS JUDGING EXAM TO HOLD YOUR SPOT. IF YOU HAVEN'T, DO IT NOW!
If Nelson is administering your Judging Exam, scroll up to the top of this page to pay using PayPal. The cost of
the Judging Exam is $40 if you are not currently a BJCP Beer Judge (or if you are a Provisional Judge). If you are currently a BJCP Beer
Judge ranked Recognized or higher, then the cost if $15. Enter your name (so that I can match up your PayPal payment with you), and choose
the appropriate Pay button. Let me know if you have any questions or problems with paying using these links or using PayPal.