The WSET 2 is an exam that lets you certify your knowledge of wine. Whether it’s to pursue a wine career, as part of your studies, or as a simple personal challenge, you are certainly considering taking this certification. In this article, you set off to discover this certification, the training to obtain it, its syllabus and all the secrets you need to know!

What is the WSET 2?

This certification is aimed mainly at wine professionals. Indeed, it is often necessary to pursue a wine career. If you are considering a career change and continuing your career in this sector of activity, this certification is often necessary. If it were not the case, it will always be a great plus within your job applications. Furthermore, you can take the WSET without being a wine professional. Obtaining this certification can also be a personal challenge for you and, above all, a superb opportunity to learn more about wine. As its name indicates, this certification is the second level of the WSET programme. That said, you don’t have to have taken the WSET 1 to tackle this certification. In other words, if you already have some experience of tasting or you are interested in wine as an enthusiast, you can directly tackle the WSET level 2.

How to take the WSET 2?

The WSET 2 exam consists of a closed-book quiz of 50 questions. In other words, it is a theoretical test on different wine concepts. To pass this exam, you must have answered 55% of the quiz questions correctly. In other words, a mark of 28/50 guarantees you obtain this certification and can meet the criteria of your school or your employer. The WSET website indicates a workload of 16 hours of classes and 11 hours of personal revision to obtain this certification. However, it is possible to speed up this training by working with a professional or by opting for online courses. The latter will let you progress at your own pace and pass this certification from home.

Preparing for the WSET 2

Now that you know what this certification is, it is time to prepare for the exam. In this section, we go over the different aspects of the WSET 2 and the best ways to prepare for it.

The WSET 2 syllabus

The exam syllabus covers a variety of subjects on wine. In particular, the organisation announces 7 essential concepts to work on. Here are the main important concepts when taking this certification:

  • Describe the characteristics of wines according to the systematic approach to wine tasting. You can, moreover, start by reading this article on how to taste wine. It will give you some first foundations before diving into your revision.
  • Describe the influence of environmental factors and the different viticultural practices on different grape varieties. In other words, this is about being able to describe the main grape varieties: chardonnay, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, riesling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and syrah.
  • Explain the influence of vinification on the quality of wines.
  • Explain the influence of bottle ageing of wine.
  • Explain the different wine labelling terms: this is about knowing how to read a wine label well.
  • Describe the principle of food and wine pairing.
  • Describe the style and quality of the wines of the 70 most important geographical indications (GIs).

Tasting is not mandatory as part of the WSET 2. That said, it would be a shame to take an interest in wine and not take this opportunity to taste. So the organisation recommends tasting around forty wines that you can easily get from your wine merchant or online in order to discover every last corner of them.

The WSET 2 questions

The WSET level 2 consists of a series of 50 questions. However, you are probably wondering what questions are asked during the WSET 2? It is difficult to answer this precisely, because these questions vary depending on the sessions. However, we have selected a few examples that will let you test your knowledge and steer you towards the right training. So, here are some examples of questions asked during the WSET 2:

    • Which grape variety is generally used in a blend with Merlot?
      • (a) Pinot Noir;
      • (b) Cabernet Sauvignon;
      • (c) Syrah;
      • (d) Chenin
    • In which wine region can a wine bear the mention of grand cru classé of 1855?
      • (a) The Médoc;
      • (b) The Côte-de-Nuits;
      • (c) Beaujolais;
      • (d) Napa Valley.
    • What is the ideal serving temperature of a red wine?
      • (a) 6 to 8°C;
      • (b) 8 to 10°C;
      • (c) 11 to 16°C;
      • (d) 20 to 25°C.

In case you want the answers to these questions: b, a, c. So, here is the type of questions that can be asked as part of the WSET 2. It is important to practise and prepare for this exam in order to maximise your chances of obtaining the certification.

Preparing for the WSET 2 online

To prepare in complete comfort and avoid the effects of a possible lockdown, it is possible to follow a WSET 2 training course remotely. For this, you can turn to a variety of training websites. As an example, you can head to the website of Wine Business Formation, which offers an accelerated training course for the WSET 2. The site also offers a practice test that will let you measure your current skills and focus your revision. As in all exams, practice is particularly important. So it is important to choose a programme that includes modules that let you do WSET 2 practice. The latter will be particularly useful for testing your skills and getting used to the types of questions asked as part of the exam. As a result, preparing for the WSET 2 online has many advantages. In the first place, you will be able to prepare for the exam at your own pace, dwelling on the themes that are most important to you or that you find most difficult.

The books for preparing for the WSET 2

As a general rule, wine books bring you a lot of useful knowledge as part of the WSET 2. In this respect, the book “Looking Behind the Label” published by the WSET is often recommended. It can always be interesting to have it and keep it in your library. You can nonetheless do without it and trust the training organisations that will let you take the WSET 2 with complete peace of mind.