Exams
ASI Certification 1
The ASI Certification 1 exam assesses the basic international knowledge required to become a sommelier. This certification is primarily intended for students at hotel schools and service staff wishing to specialise in sommelier services. It aims to cover all the general knowledge required by an assistant sommelier to feel comfortable with an international clientele. This exam is administered exclusively by ASI member associations in the language of the country, in addition to French, English and Spanish.
THE EXAM
Since 2012, the ASI has been offering sommeliers high-level exams that assess and certify the multiple skills and abilities required of any international sommelier at various levels.
The ASI has developed official guidelines to help sommeliers in their professional and competitive careers. These ASI Guidelines were created through the collaborative work of the Exams & Education and Sommelier Competitions committees. They are now the official reference point for sommelier skills and for the evaluation of exams and competitions worldwide.
Certification 1 is available in several languages.
REQUIRED SKILLS
The assessment for ASI Certification 1 is at a level that tests a candidate’s ability to perform the duties of a Commis Sommelier in most environments and to feel comfortable with national and international customers. ASI Certification 1 tests a sommelier’s broad general knowledge and skills in products, recipes, viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, service etiquette, tasting protocol, inventory management, customer service, food and wine pairing, brands, etc.
FORMAT
The assessment is based on a written exam. The multiple-choice questions, which are basic in nature, cover a wide range of topics such as general knowledge of wine, service, vocabulary and tasting methodology, professional skills of sommeliers, wine lists, etc.
The pass mark is 60%.
The exam is marked exclusively by the ASI’s CEE (Examination & Education Commission) and not by the national association.