WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits

The course assessment is split into two essential units: Unit 1 focuses on your theoretical understanding of the subject and your ability to communicate this, while Unit 2 focuses on your tasting abilities. Both units are examined in person at WSET School London on the same day, with a short break between the papers.

Unit 1

Unit 1 is assessed by a closed book theory exam in two parts and must be completed in two hours.

• Part 1 comprises 50 multiple-choice questions designed to assess your knowledge.
• Part 2 is a question paper requiring written answers. It consists of six 5-mark questions, three 10-mark questions and one 20-mark question. These will assess your description and explanation skills in reference to what you have learned throughout the course.

You must attain a minimum mark of 55% in both parts to pass Unit 1.

Unit 2

Unit 2 is assessed by a blind tasting of two spirits which must be completed in 30 minutes. This is designed to assess your ability to accurately describe a spirit, identify its category and draw a conclusion on its quality level based on your observations.

You must attain a combined mark of 55% across the two spirits to pass Unit 2.

Both units are examined in person at WSET School London on the same day, with a short break between the papers.

Pass marks

• Pass: mean average mark of 55% - 64%
• Pass with Merit: mean average mark of between 65% - 79%
• Pass with Distinction: mean average mark of 80% or above (with no individual exam paper below 65%)

All students who pass the exam will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.

The Level 3 Award in Spirits is designed to build on an existing level of knowledge, equivalent to the Level 2 Award in Spirits. For this reason, the course is primarily open to students who have studied for the Level 2 Award in Spirits, or the Spirits module of the Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits. If you have not studied for either of these but believe you have the relevant knowledge, you can also gain entry through our Level 3 Award in Spirits online entry test. 

All classes are delivered in English, and assessment involves the writing of short-form answers. Therefore, a strong grasp of written and spoken English is beneficial.

You must be at least 18 years old to enrol on any of our courses.

This is a highly rewarding yet demanding course which requires a minimum of 60 hours of private study time, in addition to guided tuition hours. We recommend that you book the course in advance so that you can receive your study materials and complete a significant proportion of our private study hours prior to the course start in order to be fully prepared. 

Anyone embarking on a WSET qualification should familiarise themselves with the course specification. This document will help you hugely when preparing for the course and the examination.