Since 2012, ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) has been providing exams to very high-level sommeliers, with the ASI Diploma organised by the Exam Committee (headed by Giuseppe Vaccarini) and conducted locally by ASI national association member, Sommeliers Australia.
In 2021, to encourage and support a new generation of sommeliers in developing their professional skills and education – and offer them stepping stone qualifications towards the ASI Diploma – the ASI Exam Committee has introduced two additional levels of certification: ASI Certification 1 and ASI Certification 2.
As a complete series of qualifications, the ASI Certification 1, Certification 2 and Diploma have been developed as a tool to help internationally standardise and align a sommelier’s knowledge and skills with those of their peers in other ASI member countries.
The two new levels of Certification, like the ASI Diploma, will be internationally recognised qualifications.
ASI CERTIFICATION 1
Offered for the very first time on 10 December 2021, the ASI Certification 1 will cover a wide spectrum of international knowledge and professional skills needed by a junior / assistant sommelier to perform their duties comfortably in most environments.
The focus of the assessment competencies is on brands / products / recipes / known or distributed globally, as well as viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, service etiquette, wine tasting protocols, stock management, customer care, food pairing, etc.
Note: Details regarding ASI Certification 2 have not been announced by ASI as yet. It is expected that Certification 2 will be offered sometime during 2022.
THE EXAM
Date:
ASI Certification 1 will be offered internationally on Friday 10 December (time TBC).
Examination fee:
In 2021, Certification 1 will be offered free of charge.
Candidates are responsible for their own travel and associated costs to attend the exam in their selected city.
Assessment:
The assessment is a written exam with 100 questions focusing on a wide spectrum of global knowledge at a fundamental level, with questions covering wine theory, service, tasting and professional sommelier skills.
Different formats of questions including maps, short answers, fill the blank, multiple choices will be included in the exam.
For a detailed outline of the competencies to be covered in the exam, please read the ASI Certification 1 Competencies document
The exam will be in English; candidates will have 2 hours to complete the exam.
As a guide, this exam sits at a similar knowledge level as WSET Level 2/CMS Introductory.
Exam results:
Sommeliers Australia will conduct and invigilate the Certification 1 exam, however, all exams will be marked exclusively by the ASI Certification Exam committee.
Candidates who have successfully passed the examination will receive an ASI Certification 1 certificate, numbered and signed by the Director of the ASI Exam Committee.
CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY & REGISTRATION
To be eligible to sit the exam, candidates:
- must be a fully financial Sommeliers Australia ‘Professional’ member
- must be a sommelier (or aspiring sommelier currently undertaking appropriate study) working in the oeno-gastronomic world (restaurants, wine bars, wine merchants, distribution, etc).
To register for the Certification 1 exam, all candidates must email [email protected] no later than 12pm, Thursday 11 November.
Your email must include:
- your name
- email address
- mobile number
- the venue where you are currently working
- the capital city where you would like to sit the exam
(While every endeavour will be made to allow candidates to sit the exam in every state of Australia, in some instances this may not be logistically possible.)
Applicants will be contacted with a confirmation of their candidacy and further information will be provided.
