Free Practice Questions for SCA Barista

SCA Barista Skills is a three-level course from the Specialty Coffee Association, taught by Authorized SCA Trainers (ASTs): Foundation (7 hours), Intermediate (14 hours) and Professional (21 hours). The levels build from basic espresso drinks, cleaning and service to extraction control, milk texturing and workflow, then quality control, custom recipes and advanced latte art. Completed levels count toward the SCA Café Diploma.

Anyone 18 or older can take Foundation without prerequisites. Intermediate requires successful completion of Foundation, and Professional requires successful completion of Intermediate. Candidates register through an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) or SCA Premier Training Campus. Working barista experience is strongly recommended before attempting Intermediate and Professional because the practical assessments expect polished bar craft and service-ready drink quality.

Each level has two components — a written multiple-choice examination and a hands-on practical skills demonstration scored against a fixed SCA rubric by an Authorized SCA Trainer. SCA lists course durations of 7 hours for Foundation, 14 hours for Intermediate and 21 hours for Professional. Practical tasks include espresso extraction, milk texturing, cappuccino/latte production, latte art pour, workflow and cleanliness, and (at higher levels) recipe dialing and customer service.

The course price is set by the Authorized SCA Trainer, not by SCA. It combines the trainer's price (tuition, materials and delivery) with an SCA course enrollment fee that depends on the pricing group, and the trainer may or may not cover that fee. Confirm current pricing with the trainer delivering the course.

SCA says learning progress never expires. Completed Barista Skills courses count toward an SCA Diploma: all three levels toward the Café Diploma, and Foundation also toward the Sustainable Coffee Diploma.

Scoring is criterion-referenced — candidates are measured against a fixed SCA rubric rather than against other candidates. The written exam has a pass mark per level, and the practical assessment is scored by an Authorized SCA Trainer using SCA's standardized scoresheet covering espresso, milk, workflow, cleanliness, and service quality. Candidates must pass both the written and the practical components to earn the certificate for that level.

High-yield topics include espresso brewing parameters (9 bar, 92-94°C, 25-30 sec, 1:2 ratio with 18-21 g dose), SCA Golden Cup ratios (55-70 g/L), extraction yield targets (18-22%) and TDS windows (1.15-1.55% espresso, lower for filter), milk texturing (microfoam at 60-65°C), latte art progression (heart, tulip, rosetta, swan), SCA water standard (50-175 mg/L hardness), manual filter methods (V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave, AeroPress), grinder dial-in logic, and workflow/cleanliness standards.

Start with espresso fundamentals and extraction theory (dose/yield/time, 18-22% yield, 1.15-1.55% TDS), then milk science and latte art, then filter brewing methods, then grinders and equipment, then sensory/cupping and water chemistry, and finish with workflow, operations, and trends. Combine written prep with at least 20-60 hours of bench time per level. Work with an AST and run mock practicals (espresso, cappuccino, signature latte art pour) timed against the SCA rubric.