A bar wants faster pours. What does the Draught Beer Quality Manual say about raising the gas pressure to get them?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 3, System Balance and Achieving Flow
A beer delivery arrives and the cases are warm to the touch. What does that suggest?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.A.3
A draft line is cleaned with a pressurized canister, so the caustic stands still in the line. How long must it stay in contact?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 7, Caustic-Based Cleaners
A draft system has older, heavily soiled lines. Which caustic strength does the Draught Beer Quality Manual call more appropriate for it?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 7, Caustic-Based Cleaners
A primary regulator feeds several secondary regulators. How should it be set?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 1, Regulators
A regularly carbonated lager is dispensed on a premixed 25% CO2, 75% nitrogen blend. What happens over several days?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 4, Blended Gas Bottles
Show all 100 questions (94 more)
Keeping and Serving Beer, continued
At what temperature is cask ale typically conditioned and dispensed?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), appendix D, Notes on Serving Cask Ale
At what temperature should caustic line-cleaning solution be mixed and kept?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 7, Caustic-Based Cleaners
By the usual definition, real ale is served without what?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Real Ale"
How does changing a keg with an A- or M-system coupler differ from a D-system coupler?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.H.3
How often should draft lines get an acid cleaning, and what does it remove?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 7, Cleaning Frequency and Tasks
How often should faucets be completely disassembled and cleaned?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 7, Cleaning Frequency and Tasks
In cask service, what is a soft spile for?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), appendix D, Notes on Serving Cask Ale
In draft system balance, where does static resistance come from?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 4, System Balance and Achieving Flow
What federal excise rate applies to the first 60,000 barrels a year from a domestic brewer that makes 2,000,000 barrels or fewer?Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Tax Rates, beer: reduced rates on domestic removals or imports, 2018 to present
What flow rate does a balanced draft system deliver at the faucet?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 4, System Balance and Achieving Flow
What is a sparkler on a beer engine?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), appendix D, Notes on Serving Cask Ale
What is the longest run recommended for an air-cooled draft system?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 4, Long-Draw Draught Systems
When are beer pumps usually added to a draft system?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 4, Beer Pumps
When may compressed air be used to dispense a keg?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.C.5.b
Which faucet is often used with its nozzle submerged in the beer?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.H.1.b
Which flavors signal autolysis in a bottle-conditioned beer kept warm?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.C.3.b
Who pays the federal excise tax on beer?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.A.2
Why is CO2 pressure applied to a keg during dispense?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section I.D.1
Within how long should a filled growler be consumed?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 6, Growlers
Beer Styles 25
Altbier comes from which city, and how is it fermented?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 7B Altbier
How are hops used in Lambic?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 23D Lambic
How do American and English Barleywine compare in bitterness?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 22C American Barleywine
How does Baltic Porter usually differ from English Porter in fermentation and strength?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 9C Baltic Porter
How does Festbier differ from Märzen in color?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 4B Festbier
How is Eisbock made stronger than Doppelbock?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 9B Eisbock
How much rice or corn may an American Lager's grist include, by the guidelines?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 1B American Lager
In the guidelines' ingredient lists, which organism appears for Flanders Red Ale but not for Oud Bruin?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 23B Flanders Red Ale
Ordinary Bitter, Best Bitter and Strong Bitter differ mainly in strength. Which ABV range is Best Bitter?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 11B Best Bitter
What does original gravity (OG) measure?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Original Gravity (OG)"
What gives Irish Red Ale its reddish color and dry finish?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 15A Irish Red Ale
What gives Rauchbier its signature flavor?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 6B Rauchbier
What is the ABV range of a standard-strength Saison?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 25B Saison
What is the ABV range of Berliner Weisse?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 23A Berliner Weisse
What is the ABV range of Dark Mild?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 13A Dark Mild
What is the ABV range of Double IPA?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 22A Double IPA
What is the ABV range of Weizenbock?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 10C Weizenbock
What is the IBU range of American IPA in the 2021 guidelines?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 21A American IPA
What is the IBU range of Foreign Extra Stout?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 16D Foreign Extra Stout
What sets Witbier's grist apart from Weissbier's?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 24A Witbier
Where does Bière de Garde come from?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 24C Bière de Garde
Which Belgian strong style is the darkest, at 12 to 22 SRM and 8% to 12% ABV?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Which German dark lager uses huskless dark roasted malts for roast flavor without burnt flavor?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 8B Schwarzbier
Which malt do the guidelines say is not used in Scottish ales and Wee Heavy?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 17C Wee Heavy
Which pale lager carries the highest bitterness range of these four, at 30 to 45 IBUs?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Style Guidelines, 2021 edition, style 3B Czech Premium Pale Lager
Beer Flavor and Evaluation 25
A beer has a medicinal, medicine-cabinet note. What is the likely source?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Medicinal (chlorophenolic)"
A clean ale turns out too fruity with esters. Which fix does the fault list give first?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Estery"
A sour draft beer smells of vinegar. Which acid is that, and what does the organism behind it need?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Vinegary"
Besides papery notes, what does oxidation do to an aging beer's hop character?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.C.3.a
Diacetyl is a normal fermentation by-product. What usually happens to it in a healthy fermentation?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.G, Beer Characteristics, Diacetyl
Diacetyl is the commonest off-flavor from dirty draft systems. Which bacteria cause it there?Brewers Association, Draught Beer Quality Manual, fourth edition (2019), chapter 8, Off-Flavors in Draught Beer
Hops that are old, or were dried or stored badly, usually give beer which off-flavor?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.G, Beer Characteristics, Cheesy (Isovaleric Acid)
In the tasting exam's quality assessment, what is the candidate asked about each sample?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.D.1.c
In the tasting exam's style discrimination exercise, what must the candidate do?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.D.1
What does the syllabus say about the tongue map?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.A.1.b
Which brewing error is a cause of astringency?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Astringent"
Which brewing practice does the fault list give first for reducing dimethyl sulfide (DMS)?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide)"
Which compound does the syllabus name for the papery, wet cardboard flavor of oxidized beer?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.C.3.a
Which description fits lactic acid in beer?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Sour/Acidic"
Which descriptors does the fault list give for a sulfury beer?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Sulfury"
Which descriptors fit Brettanomyces character?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Brettanomyces"
Which descriptors mark a metallic off-flavor?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Metallic"
Which flavors are the traditional traits of Australian and New Zealand hops?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.B.2.b
Which is a personal or behavioral factor the syllabus lists as changing taste perception?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.A.2
Which of these is a mouthfeel characteristic, not a taste?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.A.1
Which of these is one of the five possible flavors in the tasting exam's off-flavor panel?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section III.D.1.a
Which off-flavor is described as fresh-cut green apples?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Acetaldehyde"
Which off-flavor smells and tastes like butter or butterscotch?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Diacetyl"
Which packaging advice does the fault list give against light-struck beer?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Fault List, entry "Light-struck"
Which phenol gives German Weissbier its clove-like flavor?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.G, Beer Characteristics, Phenolic
Beer Ingredients and Brewing Processes 15
In malting, what comes between steeping and kilning?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Malt"
Isinglass is a fining added to clarify beer. What is it made from?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Isinglass"
The water of Burton-on-Trent is high in which ion, and what does it do in beer?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.B, Water, Ions in Brewing
What defines a decoction mash?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Decoction Mash"
What does a POF+ (PAD+) yeast strain produce?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section IV.A.3.a
What happens to hop alpha acids during the boil?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Alpha Acid"
What is special about hydro-isomerized hop extract?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section IV.A.2.f
What is vorlauf?Brewers Association, CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, entry "Vorlauf"
Which four hop varieties does the syllabus list as noble hops?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section IV.A.2.d
Which is a way of carbonating beer by a secondary fermentation in the serving vessel?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section IV.B.12
Which process makes crystal or caramel malt?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.C, Malts and Adjuncts, Kilning
Which specialty sugar does yeast not ferment, so it stays in the beer as sweetness?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section IV.A.5.a
Why do late hop additions add more aroma than hops boiled the whole time?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.E, Hops
Why is wort aerated at pitching?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.F, Yeast and Fermentation, The Yeast Life Cycle
Why must corn grits or rice be boiled or flaked before they join the mash?Beer Judge Certification Program, Beer Exam Study Guide (revised December 2017), section IV.D, Wort Production, Starch Conversion
Pairing Beer with Food 10
A sauce is made by reducing a hoppy beer. What happens to its bitterness?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.H.2
Across a paired meal, how should intensity generally move?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.F
In beer and food pairing, what does "cut" mean?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.C.2
What can high bitterness do when paired with oily fish?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.D.5
What do phenols with clove and peppercorn flavors do in a pairing?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.D.3
What does carbonation do to capsaicin heat in a spicy dish?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.D.4
What is the first step in creating a pairing?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.E
Which beer traits soothe capsaicin heat?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.D
Which food flavors does roastiness in a beer complement?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.D.6
Which of these is a classic pairing named in the syllabus?Cicerone Certification Program, US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 (August 1, 2024), section V.G
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the five knowledge areas of the US Certified Cicerone Syllabus, version 6.0 of August 1, 2024, which the Cicerone Certification Program publishes (https://www.cicerone.org/sites/default/files/resources/US_English_CC_Syllabus_V6.0.pdf, linked from https://www.cicerone.org/us-en/certifications/certified-cicerone). Facts were read in that syllabus, in the Brewers Association's Draught Beer Quality Manual (fourth edition, 2019), in the Beer Judge Certification Program's 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, Beer Fault List and Beer Exam Study Guide (bjcp.org), in the Brewers Association's CraftBeer.com Beer Glossary, and on the TTB's tax rates page, all on 2026-10-07. Each question names the section it was written from. Licence: Own work. Every question, answer choice and explanation was written for this site from the public sources named on it. Nothing is taken from the exam, from its owner's sample exams, quizzes or paid courses, or from another practice test.
How it works
This Cicerone practice test covers the second level, Certified Cicerone, by its syllabus's knowledge areas. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Cicerone Certification Program. The real written exam is short answer and essay.
Read the full guide
What a Cicerone online practice test can and cannot do
These questions drill the facts that the exam's short answers and essays rest on. They do not train recall without choices, tasting or essay writing.
Style numbers
For each listed style the syllabus asks for the upper and lower limits of ABV, IBUs and SRM, a flavor profile and some history. Our style questions take every number from the 2021 BJCP guidelines, the reference the syllabus names.
Draft systems
Cleaning questions follow the Brewers Association's Draught Beer Quality Manual, which the syllabus names as its reference for cleaning criteria.
Learn styles in neighbor pairs, with the number that splits them: Festbier is 4 to 6 SRM, Märzen 8 to 17.
The off-flavor panel draws from five flavors: acetaldehyde, diacetyl, DMS, lightstruck and trans-2-nonenal. Know each by name and source.
Questions and answers
Is the Certified Cicerone exam multiple choice?
Not by the owner's description. Its exam guide gives a three-hour online written exam scored as short answer and essay questions, plus an in-person tasting exam and a three-minute recorded demonstration. This page is multiple choice practice on the same knowledge.
What score do you need to pass the Certified Cicerone exam?
The owner's page asks for 80% overall, with 70% or more on the tasting portion. Short answers carry 66.75% of the overall score, the tasting 16.75%, the essay 12.5% and the demonstration 4%.
Is there a practice test for Cicerone level one?
Yes. The first level is the Certified Beer Server exam, and a pass on it is required before this one. Its questions are on our Certified Beer Server practice test.
How long does it take to prepare for the Certified Cicerone exam?
The owner's page says an experienced professional might prepare in as little as six months, and that many people should plan on one to two years.
What is on the Certified Cicerone tasting exam?
Three exercises, by the syllabus: naming off-flavors in spiked samples against a control beer, placing a sample in one of two styles, and judging whether a beer shows a flaw from handling after the brewery.