1.3 Attempts, Retakes, Renewal & a Pre-Course Preparation Plan
Key Takeaways
The SCA allows two attempts per assessment during the six-day course.
From 2026, learners can take a third attempt for an individual practical exam after the course; providers note that extra fees apply.
The Q Grader License is valid for three years and is renewed through continued professional development, without retaking the six-day course.
Course fees are set by each authorized provider; published 2026 examples include USD 1,950 in New York and HKD 18,000 in Hong Kong including the SCA fee.
The SCA recommends arriving with hands-on CVA form experience, cupping-lab practice, green-grading tools practice, and sensory drills for each practical.
Passing the Q Grader course depends as much on planning as on talent. This section covers the attempt and renewal rules the SCA publishes. It then turns the SCA's preparation advice into a practical study plan.
Attempts and retakes
The SCA's course description states:
- Two attempts are allowed per assessment during the course.
- All assessments must be passed to earn the Q Grader License.
- From 2026, learners can take a third attempt for individual practical exams after the course.
Authorized providers add operating detail, and you should confirm it with your instructor before enrolling. For example, one Japanese provider explains that candidates who take Q course exams on or after 22 May 2026 and do not pass within the two in-course attempts may request a third retake at a later Q course. SCA registration fees and retake exam fees then apply separately. A Hong Kong provider lists two attempts for each practical and three attempts for the written test. Treat these as provider statements, not universal SCA rules.
| Situation | What the published rules say |
|---|---|
| You fail a practical once during the course | Use your second in-course attempt, often scheduled on a later day |
| You fail a practical twice during the course | From 2026, request a third attempt at a later course (fees apply per provider guidance) |
| You fail the written exam | Check your provider's rule; at least one provider allows three written attempts |
| You pass all nine assessments | You receive a Q Grader License valid for three years |
Warning
Older guides describe an "18-month" or "6-month" retake window and a one-day calibration course in which graders had to pass two of three cupping flights. Those rules belonged to the CQI program. They are not the rules for the SCA license.
Validity and renewal
- Validity: 3 years.
- Renewal: the license must be renewed every three years through continued professional development.
- No full re-take: the SCA notes that retaking the full six-day course is not required for renewal.
Keep a simple log of professional development activities, such as courses, structured cuppings, and calibration sessions, so renewal is easy when the time comes.
What the course costs
The SCA does not publish a single price; each authorized provider sets its own fee. Published 2026 examples show the range:
| Provider and location (2026) | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal New York lab, USA | USD 1,950 per ticket | Six-day course, class capacity listed on the booking page |
| Reyach Coffee, Hong Kong | HKD 18,000 | Includes the SCA fee; early-bird price offered |
| Snow Beans Coffee, Japan | ¥200,000 (tax included) | Includes the SCA registration fee |
Add travel, lodging, and your own practice materials, such as sieves, a moisture meter if your workplace lacks one, food-grade sugar, salt, and citric acid, and olfactory example ingredients.
Turning SCA advice into a preparation plan
The SCA's "How to Prepare" page gives component-by-component advice. Here it is as a checklist:
| Component | SCA preparation advice | Practical drill |
|---|---|---|
| Written exam | Review the CVA Protocol, SCA-102, SCA-103, SCA-104, CVA Theory videos; download the CVA forms | Fill in Physical, Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic forms on real coffees weekly |
| Cupping Skills | Review SCA-102; attend public cuppings or an Intro to Cupping workshop if new | Set up, run, and clean a full cupping session at work |
| Physical Assessment | Study the CVA Protocol physical section, the Physical Form, and the Washed Arabica Green Coffee Defect Guide | Measure moisture and screen size; sort 350 g samples |
| Roasting Problems | Taste coffees roasted to ground Agtron 63; compare with too light, dark, fast, and slow roasts | Roast the five reference profiles from one green lot |
| Descriptive Assessment | Review SCA-103 and the Descriptive Form | Complete descriptive forms and compare notes with a colleague |
| Affective Assessment | Review SCA-104 and the Affective Form | Rate coffees twice on different days and check your consistency |
| Olfactory Category Examples | Use the CVA Olfactory Example Library | Blind-identify the CATA box for each prepared example |
| Triangulation | Ask a colleague to set triads of varying difficulty | Log your hit rate; review misses at a cooler temperature |
| Main Taste Solutions | Prepare sweet, salty, and sour solutions from the WCR Lexicon "Taste Basics" | Practice single solutions, then two- and three-taste mixtures |
The SCA also points to structured courses: Green Coffee Foundation and Intermediate for physical tests, Sensory Skills Foundation and Intermediate for descriptive and affective forms, main tastes, and triangulation, and CVA for Cuppers for experienced cuppers who want hands-on practice with the Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments.
A suggested eight-week runway
This schedule is a suggestion, not an SCA requirement. Adjust it to your experience.
- Weeks 1–2: Read SCA-102 and SCA-103. Run two cuppings a week using the Descriptive Form. Begin main-taste solution drills.
- Weeks 3–4: Add SCA-104 and the Affective Form. Prepare olfactory examples for each CATA box. Start blind olfactory identification.
- Weeks 5–6: Run Physical Assessments on at least four green samples. Taste roasting-problem references. Practice triads twice a week.
- Weeks 7–8: Simulate exam days by combining two practicals per session. Review the written-exam fact sheet in Section 16.3. Rest your palate before travel.
Two habits pay off in every practical: write before you discuss, so other cuppers do not influence you, and review mistakes the same day while the sensory memory is fresh.
How many attempts does the SCA allow for each Q Grader assessment during the six-day course?
One attempt, with retakes only at a later course
Two attempts per assessment
Three attempts for every assessment, written or practical
Unlimited attempts until the final day
How is a Q Grader License maintained after it is issued?
By passing a one-day calibration course every year
By retaking the full six-day course every three years
By passing two of three cupping flights at an in-person calibration course every third year
By renewing every three years through continued professional development
A candidate in a 2026 course fails the Triangulation practical on both in-course attempts. What option does the SCA's 2026 policy describe?
Taking a third attempt for that individual practical exam after the course
Automatically passing if the written exam score exceeds 90%
Waiting 18 months before re-enrolling in the full course
Replacing the failed exam with a Sensory Skills Intermediate certificate earned before the course
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.