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What is the Q-Grader in the coffee? Is it worth taking the exam? How much does it cost?

Published: 2026-01-16 Author:

Last Updated: 2026/01/16, There is always a group of people who get code names for calling themselves because of the particularity of their profession. Even coffee, which does not seem to be a vast field, also has such a profession. After the concept of boutique coffee was put forward, in order to distinguish the quality of beans, people specially added a scoring mechanism.

There is always a group of people who get code names for calling themselves because of the particularity of their profession. Even coffee, which does not seem to be a vast field, also has such a profession. After the concept of boutique coffee was put forward, in order to distinguish the quality of beans, people specially added a scoring mechanism. The scoring mechanism is to score coffee beans that are handed over to an organization (SCA) or competition (COE). Coffee beans with a score above 85 will be classified as boutique coffee, while those with a score below 85 will be classified as commercial beans.

There is a certain difference in the price between the two, so the key person who determines the score must judge and score the beans from the point of view of a very guest official. Therefore, special institutions are needed to train them to ensure that when scoring, they will not be affected by too many subjective factors! And this kind of coffee judge is "Q-Grader", or "Q" for short! "Q-Grader", the full name is "Q Arabica/Robusta Grader", translates as: Arabica (Robusta) boutique coffee quality grade appraiser. The institution that trains them is "CQI", the full name is "Coffee Quality Institute", which translates as: coffee quality Research Institute.

CQI is developed by a committee founded by SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of American), the Fine Coffee Association of America. In 1996, in order to improve the quality of coffee and improve the income of farmers, SCAA set up a special committee to solve the problem. With the development of the times, the committee gradually became independent and became what it is now CQI. SCAA has also merged with SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) European boutique coffee association to become the most authoritative and largest coffee organization in the world-SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) boutique coffee association.

To qualify for grading beans, you need to pass the Q Program (Q system), which is specially developed by CQI for coffee evaluation. The advantage of this system is that it allows different people from all over the world to have a unified standard and values. Do not let people be limited by their own taste preferences and specifically give beans a positive or negative score! No matter where you are, you can make the most correct score.

Q Program because CQI is a special organization for the quality of raw coffee beans, this system is not only for the senses, but also for the cultivation of coffee and the quality of raw beans. The whole system is divided into eight topics, each of which has different assessment contents, which focus on theory, smell, taste and vision. It is very important to learn to stand and walk before flying. Only when you have an in-depth understanding of all aspects of coffee can you get a starting point for coffee evaluation. Therefore, the first assessment of Q system is: theory. A series of theories such as coffee production, variety, extraction and senses are all involved, which tests the knowledge reserve of the participants! After the theoretical test, it is the battlefield of the senses. Friends who aspire to be Q need to distinguish the different flavors of coffee through smell, taste and other taste senses.

In addition, it is necessary to find all the defective beans from the quantitative raw coffee beans, and to distinguish the coffee beans with different roasting degrees in the dark light environment, yes, this is a visual assessment! Although it looks very simple, it is actually very difficult! People who participate in the examination not only need to have a very strong knowledge reserve, but also need to undergo extremely intensive tests of smell, taste and vision in just a few days. Therefore, friends who need to apply for qualification certificates should be psychologically prepared. As of today, there are fewer than 10, 000 Q-Grader certified friends around the world (8939 in Arabica Q and 543 in Robusta Q), a very small proportion compared to those in the coffee industry. But this does not mean that having the qualification of Q-Grader is equivalent to having an omnipotent stepping stone in the field of coffee, which is the misunderstanding of Q by many friends.

To some extent, Q is not a stepping stone, it is more like a stepping stone. Compared with the career choices that Q can bring, its greater role is to enable us to systematically improve our skills and knowledge. Through Q, we can get in touch with more people, things and things that are difficult to encounter, which will be more important for friends who are already in and plan to dig into the coffee industry. But if you are a rookie or a coffee lover, Qianjie suggests that it is best to have a certain understanding of coffee and the coffee industry before deciding whether or not to qualify for Q. After all, the cost of Q is not a sum that can be easily taken, not to mention it needs to be renewed to extend its validity.

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