Advanced Sommelier Exam Prep — How I Passed

How I passed the Advanced Sommelier exam (Court of Master Sommeliers, Hong Kong, 2019) on my second attempt — the full study plan, blind tasting drill, wine theory framework, and service prep. Free practice quizzes inside.

Written by Alper Billik — Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers, 2019).

How I passed the Advanced Sommelier exam (Court of Master Sommeliers, Hong Kong, 2019) on my second attempt — the full study plan, blind tasting drill, wine theory framework, and service prep. Free practice quizzes inside.

How hard is the Advanced Sommelier exam?

The Advanced Sommelier exam administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers is widely considered one of the most demanding professional wine exams in the world. It tests theory, blind tasting (six wines in 25 minutes), and practical service in a single multi-day sitting. Historic pass rates hover around 25 to 30 percent on first sitting. Second-attempt rates are higher because candidates know exactly what gaps to close.

How long should I study for the Advanced Sommelier exam?

Most successful candidates put in 12 to 18 months of focused preparation after passing the Certified Sommelier exam. That includes daily blind tasting practice, theory study across all major wine regions, service technique repetition, and at least three to four mock exams. If you are working full-time on the floor, plan 15 to 20 hours per week minimum.

What is the blind tasting format for the Advanced Sommelier exam?

Six wines (three whites, three reds) in 25 minutes — about 4 minutes per wine. You must identify each wine by grape variety, country of origin, region, vintage, and quality level using the Court of Master Sommeliers Deductive Tasting Method (DTM). Examiners are looking for systematic deduction and accurate calls, not poetry.

Can I prepare for the Advanced Sommelier exam without a private tutor?

Yes — that is exactly the gap SOMM DIGI AI was built to fill. The AI chat, member quizzes, blind tasting drills, and flashcards give you 24/7 access to the same systematic practice a tutor would deliver, for $12 a month instead of $200 an hour. Pair it with a small study group and consistent self-discipline.

Is the Advanced Sommelier worth it?

If you want to lead a wine program at a top restaurant, hotel, or cruise line, the Advanced pin is the credential most beverage directors look for. It also opens the door to sitting for the Master Sommelier exam. If you are happy as a working sommelier without management aspirations, Certified Sommelier is often enough.

Advanced Sommelier Exam Prep — How I Passed (Second Attempt)

Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers)

you can build, defend, and lead a wine program.

Blind tasting is a motor skill. You do not study it — you drill it. Six wines, 25 minutes, three times a week, no exceptions.

Service points come from rhythm, not perfection. Smooth, slow, confident hands beat fast, technically perfect, nervous hands every time.

Tasting groups are the single highest-leverage prep activity. Find three serious candidates in your city and meet every Saturday for nine months.

Failing the first attempt is not the end of your career. Some of the best sommeliers I know failed Advanced twice before passing. The pin still says Advanced.

sk sk-shadow p-5 transition-opacity hover:opacity-85

Advanced Sommelier exam — quick answers.

Advanced Sommelier · Exam Prep Guide

How I passed the Advanced Sommelier exam — on the second attempt.

I sat the Advanced Sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers in Hong Kong in August 2019. I failed the first time, went back to my notebooks for nine months, and passed the second time. This is the study plan, the blind tasting drill, and the framework I would give my younger self.

Advanced Sommelier · CMS · 2019

See my full credentials →

Full member quiz (CRU)

First — Who This Is For

You have passed Certified. You want the pin most sommeliers never earn.

If you have passed the Certified Sommelier exam and you are now staring at the Advanced — congratulations, and welcome to the deep end. The jump from Certified to Advanced is the steepest in the CMS path. You go from "you can serve wine correctly" to "you can build, defend, and lead a wine program."

Theory expands from a regional overview to deep producer-level knowledge. Blind tasting tightens from 4 wines to 6 wines in roughly the same window. Service moves from textbook procedure to fluent guest reading. And the pass rate drops — historically around 25 to 30 percent on first sitting, depending on the year and venue.

I failed my first attempt in 2018. I did not enjoy it. But I learned something most candidates miss:

. By the second attempt I knew exactly which sections I had to rebuild — and I did.

What the Advanced Sommelier exam actually tests.

Deep producer-level knowledge across every major wine region. Burgundy Premier and Grand Crus by climat. Bordeaux classified growths. German Prädikat tiers. Champagne disgorgement and dosage. You will be tested on what you do not poured at work.

Six wines, 25 minutes. Three whites, three reds. Identify grape variety, country, region, vintage, and quality level using the systematic Deductive Tasting Method (DTM). Calm hand. Clean grid. Honest deduction.

Champagne service, decanting, by-the-glass program defense, wine list navigation, food and wine pairing under examiner pressure. Service tests if you can run a real wine program, not if you can quote the textbook.

Three days of exams under examiner scrutiny. Sleep. Hydration. Calm. Time management. The candidates I have seen fail are rarely the ones who did not know the material — they are the ones who lost composure in the room.

My 9-month second-attempt study plan.

Months 1 – 3 · Theory Rebuild

Burgundy from scratch — every commune, every Premier Cru, every Grand Cru. Bordeaux 1855 + St-Émilion classification grids written out by hand until I could draw them from memory. German Prädikat. Champagne houses + grower-producers. Italy commune-by-commune. Two hours every morning before work.

Months 4 – 6 · Blind Tasting Discipline

Six wines, 25 minutes, three times a week. Single grid, no shortcuts. Recorded every call on video and reviewed my own posture, pacing, and language. Tasting group on Saturdays. Goal was not perfect calls — it was clean grids, every time, under pressure.

Months 7 – 8 · Service Drilling

Champagne service every shift. Decanting practice on slow nights. Wine list defense — pick a real list, present it cold to a colleague, defend every choice for 10 minutes. Mock service exams every other weekend.

Month 9 · Taper + Mental Game

Volume down. Repetition up. Sleep priority over study. Two final mock exams. Visualized walking into the room calm. Flew to Hong Kong three days early to acclimate. Did one tasting group session there, then closed the books.

Five things I would tell my first-attempt self.

"Failing teaches you what your gaps actually are. Pass once, and you know the exam. Fail once and pass, and you know yourself."

— Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

The platform I wish I had during my prep.

SOMM DIGI AI is the study companion I built from my own notebooks after I passed. The same theory drills, blind tasting practice, and exam-style questions — available at 2 a.m. when you cannot find a tutor and your tasting group is asleep.

80 questions across theory and blind tasting deduction. No signup required.

Ask any theory or tasting question. Built from 15 years of real sommelier study notes.

Member Quiz · 3,000+ Questions

45 hand-written exam topics. The same drills I built for my second attempt.

Systematic deduction drills per grape variety. Build the motor skill.

You are closer than you think.

If you are sitting in the Advanced prep window right now — keep going. The pin is real. Failing teaches you. The next room is yours.

Level 1 — Intro · Level 2 — Certified · Level 3 — Advanced · Study guides