Advanced coffee evaluation

SCA Q Grader Course

A six-day professional pathway for experienced coffee professionals, with training in Coffee Value Assessment, cupping, sensory evaluation, and green-coffee grading.

6 consecutive days · 8 practical assessments + 1 written exam

SCA credential: Pass all nine required assessments to earn the SCA Q Grader License, valid for three years.

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Coffee quality evaluation and cupping for the SCA Q Grader course

Advanced professional course · 6 consecutive days

SCA Q Grader

Develop a consistent, professional approach to Coffee Value Assessment, cupping, sensory evaluation, and green-coffee quality.

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Coffee quality evaluation and cupping for the SCA Q Grader course

Advanced professional course

SCA Q Grader

Develop the skills to evaluate, describe, and communicate coffee quality through a globally recognised professional pathway.

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SCA Q Grader Course

6 consecutive days

€1.200,00

Designed for experienced coffee professionals, this intensive course develops a consistent approach to coffee-quality evaluation using the Coffee Value Assessment framework.

  • Assess coffee through physical, descriptive, affective, and extrinsic evaluation methods
  • Strengthen cupping accuracy, sensory analysis, and green-coffee evaluation skills
  • Build a clear, shared vocabulary for communicating coffee quality
  • Prepare for practical and written assessments required for the Q Grader license
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Course dates and enrolment details are confirmed on the registration page.

Coffee Value Assessment

Evaluate coffee with the Coffee Value Assessment

Build a disciplined, repeatable approach to coffee evaluation with the SCA Coffee Value Assessment framework.

  • Physical assessment Evaluate green coffee condition, including defects, moisture, and screen size.
  • Descriptive assessment Describe aroma, flavour, texture, and aftertaste with a shared sensory vocabulary.
  • Affective assessment Record how a coffee is experienced rather than reducing quality to a single overall score.
  • Extrinsic assessment Consider the coffee’s context, including origin, processing, and traceability.

Professional assessment pathway

Train for professional Q Grader assessment

An intensive six-consecutive-day course for experienced coffee professionals working in quality control, sourcing, roasting, or sensory evaluation.

Practise

Build confidence in cupping, sensory calibration, green-coffee evaluation, triangulation, olfactory references, and roast-problem recognition.

Demonstrate

Complete the Q Grader assessment pathway, comprising eight practical evaluations and one written exam.

Maintain

Successful candidates earn a Q Grader License valid for three years, with renewal through continued professional development.

Best suited to professionals who already have cupping or sensory-evaluation experience.

SCA COFFEE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM

Drive Change Across the Coffee Value Chain

Build a resilient, future-proof coffee business. Learn to implement actionable climate strategies, evaluate farm profitability, and lead ethical sourcing initiatives

Environmental Impact

Learn how climate change affects global growing regions and how to implement carbon-mitigation strategies.

Economic Equity

Analyze farm-level production costs, volatile trade dynamics, and models for fair financial compensation.

Global Compliance

Navigate corporate due diligence, transparent supply chains, and international sustainability standards.

Climate-Smart Agriculture

Assess climate impacts on global coffee cultivation.
Manage carbon footprints and mitigation strategies.
Protect biodiversity, soil health, and local water systems.

Market Economics

Understand the C-market, pricing, and volatile trade metrics.
Analyze farm-level production costs and profitability.
Implement fair, living-income trading models.

Governance & Compliance

Navigate modern corporate due diligence and legislation.
Build accountability systems using frameworks and tools.
Measure and verify transparent sustainability reporting.

SCA Q Grader

Develop advanced coffee-quality evaluation skills through the SCA Q Grader course.

  • Duration: 6 consecutive days
  • Focus: Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), cupping, sensory evaluation, and green coffee grading
  • Assessment: 8 practical assessments and 1 written exam
  • Outcome: Q Grader license, valid for 3 years

Designed for experienced coffee professionals with strong cupping and sensory-analysis skills.
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