For approximately the same amount of money you might spend traveling to and staying 8 nights for a domestic US Q Course you could probably travel to and stay 10 nights in Quito and take your Q in a producing country with roasters and producers. We try to offer a broad perspective coffee education experience with your Q.
Course Date In Ecuador
Friday 12 July, 2024 through Wednesday 17 July, 2024
This course will be taught in English with real-time Spanish translation provided by the Q Grader coffee professionals at Botanica Laboratorio de Cafe.
What is Early vs Standard Registration?
-
Super Saver Registration $1,500.00 for the first 4 paid registrations being made before 30 April, 2024.
-
Early Registration is $1,650.00 for paid registrations being made before 1 June, 2024
-
Standard Registration is $1,850.00 for paid registrations after 1 June, 2024.
Upon enrollment in one of Todd Arnette's Q Grader Courses, you will receive a pre-course study and preparation guide. You will also receive an in-depth training exercise workbook provided on Q Day 1
What is Q Grader License Course and Exam all about?
A Q Grader Course and Exam is a 6 Day course designed to critically evaluate a broad sensory analysis skillset. The first 3 day period involves some teaching of the subject matter and a practice test version of each of the 20 exams that will be taken over the second 3 day period. The 20 exams are designed to evaluate competency and sensory acuity in a number of areas closely associated with coffee cupping and grading.
What is an Active Q Grader?
An active Q Grader puts in the effort to maintain their calibration to the Q Community by calibrating their skills every 36 months with a 1-Day, 3-Cupping Table and Flavor Standards official exercises.
Q Graders are accredited coffee cuppers, licensed by CQI, and are the backbone of the Q Coffee System developed by the Coffee Quality Institute or CQI. CQI is the charitable trust of the Specialty Coffee Association that provides coffee quality improvement aid services in coffee producing countries around the world.
Q Graders objectively grade and score coffee as Specialty Grade, or not. Scores and technical reports are communicated throughout the supply chain with the intended goal of increasing the supply of Specialty Grade coffee.
In the Q Coffee System, coffee producers submit samples to CQI via one of CQI’s authorized In-Country Partners for the purpose of independent quality evaluation. Those samples are evaluated by 3 similarly qualified coffee cuppers, called Active Q Graders. They rate the coffee based on its physical appearance as green coffee and characteristics when cupped following strict protocols set by the Coffee Quality Institute and the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
Who should pursue the Q?
By itself, the Q Grader License has become a widely successful gold standard of competency among those who cup coffee. Q Graders impact on the Specialty Coffee Industry has been tremendous. The Q Grader curriculum is designed as a certification course for those who routinely taste and evaluate coffee as a part of their profession.
The Q Grader License exams are recommended for any coffee professional who routinely evaluates the quality of coffee: coffee producers (farmers), coffee importers and exporters, green buyers, roasters, quality control personnel and baristas can benefit from what they learn about coffee and themselves from the Q Grader License series of exams.
What If I Do Not Pass My Q Exams?
Although thousands of coffee professionals pursue the accreditation each year, only about 60% or so pass and obtain their license in their first attempt. It is not uncommon to need a retake for one or more of the exams. If you do not pass the exams on your first attempt, you do not need to repeat the entire course, merely the exam or exams that you need to retake. Since the exam series is offered all over the globe, you may take your retakes at a lab that is conveniently located to where you are currently located. If you require retake exams, you have up to 18 months from the original course date to complete or retake all outstanding exams to earn your Q Grader License. You may join 2 additional Q Courses from your original Q Course while pursuing your retake exams. Each License is valid for 36 months, after which time a calibration course must be taken in order to remain active.
What If I Do Not Have The Skills Yet?
We offer Q Grader Skill Building Workshops linked here:
What If I Only Want To Learn How To Use The Cupping Form Professionally Yet?
If you know how to cup coffee and only need the professional certification of properly using the cupping form you may wish to take the shorter and less expensive CQI Q Cupping Essentials course linked here:
ARABICA
ROBUSTA
Registration Cancellation Policy linked here
