GUIDES WINE STUDY TOOLS BLOG ABOUT TESTIMONIALS WINE PREP COURSES

Level 2 Course
Guide
Considering the WSET Level 2 course? I put together this guide to
answer as many questions as possible for you.

L2 was one of my favourite wine courses to study: it has just the

right depth of detail plus many interesting and delicious wines to
taste! Read on for details on everything from cost to pass rates…

STARTING AT LEVEL 2
The Level 2 course is designed for beginner to intermediate level
students who want to explore the world of wines. If you’re looking for
a solid understanding of wine, this qualification will teach you the
major grape varieties and key wine regions of the world. You’ll learn
about the different styles of wines produced, as well as important
wine classifications and labeling terms. All this, while tasting
through a spectrum of wines as you go!

Many students begin their WSET journey in L2, rather than in Level 1,
as L2 is a good jumping off point even for those with little or no wine
knowledge. Level 1 is quite brief and basic, with few wines tasted. If
you have some familiarity with wine grapes and regions, but would
still like more confidence, this is the place to begin. Level 3
represents a huge leap in breadth and detail from L2.

For free Level 2 quizzes and other study resources, visit our WSET
Study tools page.

WHAT DOES THE WSET LEVEL 2

CURRICULUM COVER & WHAT
WILL YOU BE LEARNING?
• How to taste and describe wine using WSET’s tasting regimen,
which they call the “Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine” (the
SAT). This system gives you a foundation for assessing a wine’s
flavours and aromas, plus structure (such as body, acidity, and
tannins). When you master this approach, you’ll have the
confidence to taste different wines and judge them on typicity
(aka do they taste like the stated grape/s), and quality.

• How environmental factors like climate, grape growing methods,

winemaking techniques, and maturation options such as oak
barrels, all work together to create the style and quality of wines
made from the eight major or ‘noble’ varieties: white wine grapes
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and
Riesling, plus red wine grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot
Noir, and Syrah/Shiraz.

• You’ll also cover some lesser known but important grapes that
are found in over 70 regions (yes, you’ll be able to recognize
these grape names and many of the regions on the wine list
when you’re done!): white wine grapes Albariño, Chenin Blanc,
Cortese, Fiano, Furmint, Garganega, Gewurztraminer,
Sémillon/Semillon, Verdicchio, and Viognier, plus red wine
grapes Barbera, Carmenère, Corvina, Gamay,
Grenache/Garnacha, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Pinotage,
Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel/Primitivo.

• You’ll be finding out how grape varieties and different

winemaking processes influence the key styles of sparkling
wines, such as Asti, Cava, Champagne, Prosecco and new world
bubblies (Australia, California, New Zealand, South Africa), plus
the flavourful spectrum of fortified wines Sherry, and Port.

• How to read wine labels - you’ll study the common labelling

terms, and learn to interpret and compare a variety of labels.

• Principles and processes involved in the storage and service of

wine, such as the best ways to store your wine, and what
temperatures different wine styles should be served at.

• Principles of food and wine pairing, including how flavours such

as salt, sweet, umami and spice in food can change the way
your wine tastes, and vice versa.

Find out more about our online Level 2 Prep

course!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO

STUDY FOR WSET LEVEL 2?
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which administers this program,
suggests a minimum of 28 hours of study time, which will vary by
the school you choose to work with:

• 16+ hours with your WSET course provider (either in classroom or

online)

• 11+ hours of personal study / revision time

• A one hour examination, in person - OR - new, WSET have added

the option to take your exam online for Level 2

WHAT’S THE WSET LEVEL 2

EXAM LIKE?
The exam is comprised of a one hour closed book test where you’ll
need to answer 50 multiple choice questions. No wines are tasted
during the exam, and there are no written answers required, just the
multiple choice!

If you’re successful and pass the exam, you’ll receive a certificate

and snazzy lapel pin, and can use the associated WSET certified
logo.

The test is very fair, and based entirely off the material in the class
textbook, which was recently revised, called Wines: Looking behind
the label (76 pages long, lots of pictures). Some students have
commented that the exam questions can be a bit more tricky than
expected based on the samples in their workbook, but the topics are
always from within the book, and some are verbatim from the text.

GET YOUR FREE LEVEL 2 PRACTICE QUIZ

HOW MUCH DOES WSET LEVEL

2 COST?
Good question! The price can range, with in person classes costing
more than online. This is because in person, you’ll be tasting quite a
few wines. I recommend doing the class in person if possible, and
looking for the most sessions offered rather than condensed classes.
That way you have time to do your readings each week, and really
enjoy tasting the different wines without feeling rushed (the
timelines can range from a one weekend course to 8 weeks long).
There is a lot of time and work involved in sourcing the right wines to
taste, and trying to organize this independently is one of the most
often mentioned challenges I’ve heard from online students, along
with the feedback that they struggled to learn the tasting strategy.

Tuition generally includes the school’s registration fees, a student

study kit (textbook, laminated tasting sheet, and a study workbook),
exam fee, and course tuition. Some schools provide glassware, but
most will offer you a set of 6 ISO tasting glasses for purchase.

The prices below for in-person courses are exclusive of taxes and
current as of 2022, so you can compare apples to apples:

IWC, New York: $862.43USD

Capital Wine School, Washington DC: $695USD

Florida Wine Academy: $895USD

Napa Valley Wine Academy, Napa: $889USD

Fine Vintage, Vancouver: $995CAD

Neptune Wine, SoCal: $830USD

San Francisco Wine School: $895USD

The Wine & Spirit Archive, Seattle: $755USD

Texas Wine School: $679USD

East London Wine School: 385GBP

HOW TO CHOOSE A WSET

SCHOOL?
Getting your money’s worth takes just a little extra research. Here’s
what I recommend you look for when choosing a provider (or APP,
“Approved Program Provider”):

• How many sessions are included, and how many hours of class
time each session? More is better!

• How many wines are tasted in total, and do they have a list they
can show you? Ideally they are buying top quality samples that
will give you a broad foundation in tasting. Take a look at the
school’s instagram, or IG tags to check out the wines being
tasted.

• Who is teaching your course? Ideally you can talk to someone

who’s learned with the instructor before. Having an entertaining
teacher in Level 2 is very important to your enjoyment of the
course, in fact, I’d say passion communicating about wine is key,
even more so than impressive wine credentials!

• See the note below about passing rates, as some schools have
better passing rates than others.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: DO I
NEED TO HAVE COMPLETED
WSET LEVEL 1 TO ENTER LEVEL
2?
There are no entry requirements for the L2 qualification, you can
start here without doing Level 1. You’ll need to be of legal drinking
age in the country where you attend the course, as you’ll be tasting
wines.

HOW HARD IS IT TO PASS

LEVEL 2?
Students who earn a score of 55% receive a WSET Level 2 award.
Students who score 70% - 84% pass with Merit on their certificate.
Those who earn a score of 85% or more pass with Distinction. Here’s
the official register:

• Mark of 85% and more = Pass with Distinction

• Mark of between 70% - 84% = Pass with Merit

• Mark of between 55% - 69% = Pass

• Mark of between 45% - 54% = Fail

• Mark of 44% and under = Fail unclassified

Globally, WSET’s average pass rate for this level is 90% (ie 90%
of students achieve a pass on the exam).

Look for a pass rate to be quoted by your school/APP, as it can be a

sign that their teaching is better than average.

For example, San Francisco Wine School says their WSET Level 2
pass rate is 95%, and Fine Vintage quotes a pass rate of 94%.

CAN YOU CHALLENGE YOUR

GRADE OR GET AN
EXPLANATION FOR A FAIL?
Yes, you can challenge a grade or ask for more detail on your result.
To do this, use an Enquiry and Feedback form provided by your
school. There is a fee charged by WSET for this service. The
completed form must be received by WSET within 6 weeks of your
exam date.

CAN YOU RESCHEDULE OR

RESIT THE LEVEL 2 EXAM?
Most schools will want at least 15 business days in order to register
you for an upcoming exam date, this can vary by school.

Expect to pay approximately $120USD to resit a previously failed

exam, or about $175USD to reschedule an exam that you needed to
withdraw from. Some schools will organize a private exam if it is
needed, for a fee of course! The fees for the options listed here will
vary by provider, and are mentioned as a guideline only.

You have 12 months from starting the course to write your exam.

GET YOUR FREE LEVEL 2 PRACTICE QUIZ

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*Please note that our online revision materials are not affiliated with
WSET Global. They have been created by Rachel von Sturmer of Wine
Prep Courses and used by thousands of WSET students in
successfully reviewing and preparing for their official WSET exams.