WSET Level 2 Sake ยท Exam guide
What's on the WSET Level 2 Award in Sake exam
Sake study rewards patience with vocabulary. Learn the terms and the process, and the labels start to make sense.
The WSET Level 2 Award in Sake gives you the framework to understand and describe sake, from the rice and water used to the way a brewery produces each style.
Format
The exam is 50 multiple-choice questions, closed book, in 60 minutes, available online or in person depending on the provider. You need 55% to pass. Grades are Pass (55-69%), Pass with Merit (70-84%) and Pass with Distinction (85% or more).
What it covers
- describing and assessing sake with the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Sake;
- the ingredients brewers must use, those they may choose, and the main rice varieties;
- processing the raw materials: steamed polished rice, koji, and how polishing ratios and koji styles differ between sake types;
- production methods from the fermentation starter through to dilution and packaging;
- common label terms, including their Japanese written forms.
Time to plan for
WSET lists 14 hours of guided learning and a minimum total study time of 26 hours, including about 11 hours of private study and the exam itself.
Study tips
- Learn the production steps in order. Most questions about koji, the starter and fermentation make more sense once you can picture the sequence.
- Make a small card for each label term with the Japanese, the English and one sentence of meaning.
- Learn what a polishing ratio number means: it tells you how much of the rice grain is left after polishing.
Note: exam details below were checked against WSET's published course information in October 2026. WSET can change formats, so confirm the current specification and your provider's rules before you sit the exam.
How Cellar Prep fits in
Our sake modules offer original practice questions, and the sake glossary collects the key terms. For the process in plain language, see how sake is made.
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