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Level 1 - Introductory Master Sommelier Exam

Atychiphobia - an intense fear of failure. It is not a made up word, the condition is real. Fear of failure can change our decisions if the outcome is not going to be successful.


More often than not, fear of failure is associated with change. Leaving current/stable job, accepting a new job, change in school/college, moving to a new city/state, or even trying something new. I have experienced this myself a lot of time. But what I learnt from my limited experience is that if you give yourself a chance at learning or doing something new without worrying about failing at it, you may surprise yourself.


I recently gave myself that chance. I have 0 background in any kind of alcohol or wine industry but I enjoyed reading more about it and made a decision to take the exam. It started well, I created a thorough time table, got all my materials ready and spent time in studying. but what started as an excitement, soon turned into a dreadful experience.


I was so scared of failing that as my exam neared, I told my husband that I am going to fail the exam and thought that I should reschedule. My husband is truly my best partner, he said "You have the talent, you will be fine. Even if you don't pass, you learnt something new and tried something that is not in your comfort zone." It put my mind at ease but I was still very nervous. I could not sleep very well the night prior to my exam and woke up at 5am. When I woke up, I thought maybe I should reach about to CMS and reschedule my exam :) , on the day of my exam (yep, I was that nervous)


Nonetheless, I actually cleared the exam. I felt exhausted, drained and tired but the feeling that I had actually done it, did not wash over me for days.. if any of you are looking to taking that chance, take that leap of faith and move forward. Even if you dont go through, you will have your own learning and experience to do it better next time or share with others.


That being said, here are a few things that worked well for me, they may not work for you because everybody learns differently however I hope it gives you some direction on how you can clear this exam:


Process of Exam

  1. It is your choice to either take the route of WSET or CMS. You can learn about both the routes - WSET, CMS

  2. If you decide to take the CMS route which is what I took. You should register on the link mentioned above and pay the fee for the exam. For 2022, it was $699 which included reading materials and 3 wine tasting kits. You can also book the exam and purchase your own wine/kits as per the instructions in the book.

  3. Due to COVID, NORAM CMS allows you to take the exam from home via ProctorU which is a leading exam portal. Generally the process is that you go through a 2 days seminar and the exam is at the of 2nd day. It is recommended to come to the seminar with ample knowledge of the materials.

  4. If you sign up to take the exam via ProctorU and at home, you will receive detailed email about the exam, log in credentials, way to schedule the exam etc.

  5. Log into your account, download the reading materials and take the video classes.

  6. Finally get ready to take exam.

DO's

DONT's

  1. Prepare a study time table for each region and sub-region and give enough time to go through the materials

  1. Do not completely rely on the materials you receive from CMS. Those are good but you need supplemental material.

2. Invest in one of the Karen Bible's books. I bought a second hand copy and it served me well.

2. Do not buy multiple books to study. It will only confuse you. Stick to 1-2 study materials of your choice and go from there.

3. France is the largest region with more stringent laws, schedule 1-2 months only for France region.

3. Do not fall into the trap of just focusing on wine. You also need to learn Spirits and their production method like Sake, Whiskey, Gin etc.

4. Download a few quiz apps and take quiz regularly. Vinoquiz is a fantastic example of a free quiz app on iPhone.

4. Do not over invest in paid applications for quiz. There are ample free quiz apps available, so download a few free ones before deciding to buy a paid app.

5. Download the Quilzlet app. I used Quizlet app and created my own flashcards. I highly recommend it.

5. Do not immediately purchase a Quizlet subscription. Only difference between paid and free is - Ads and ability to download sets and studying offline. I bought it only 2months from my exam date so I could study my sets offline as well.

6. Follow a routine and schedule that works for you. Educate yourself but build a plan that works for you.

6. Do not get tempted to see multiple Youtube videos and follow every plan available.

7. Finally, enjoy and have fun studying.

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Don't let overthinking and stress worry you. I feel like I worried too much and I should not have. I built a good plan and studied well and I should have felt good about it VS. worrying too much.


If you need to connect live with me to hear more about experience or tips, ping me on @travellwine instagram account.


 
 
 

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