Q Grader Certification in 2026: How the Programme Works Now That the SCA Runs It

Last checked: October 2026 · By the Pro Coffee Academy team

This guide explains what the Q Grader credential is today, who it is for, how the course and its exams work, what courses cost and how renewal works. If you are still choosing between credentials, our coffee certification guide compares SCA Coffee Skills courses, diplomas and the Q Grader side by side.

What happened to the CQI Q Grader programme?

CQI introduced the Q Coffee System in 2004, and by 2024 it counted a network of about ten thousand Q Graders. In 2025, CQI stopped administering the programme and chose to focus on post-harvest processing education (CQI: About).

The handover was announced in April 2025. From 1 October 2025, the SCA began operating an “evolved” Q Grader programme based on the CVA (SCA announcement). New CVA-based Q Grader courses launched that same day, with more locations, languages and dates to be added over the following months (SCA news, 1 Oct 2025). Daily Coffee News reported that the SCA licenses the Q programme from CQI for 10 years for an annual fee of $250,000 (Daily Coffee News).

So when people say “CQI Q Grader certification” in 2026, they usually mean one of two things: a legacy certificate earned under CQI before the switch, or the current SCA Q Grader license. Only the SCA now runs new courses.

What is a Q Grader in 2026?

The SCA describes the Q Grader License as an internationally recognised credential for coffee professionals with experience in cupping and sensory analysis. It is issued by the SCA to people who complete the Q Grader course and pass all required assessments (SCA: Q Grader). In practice, it shows that you can evaluate, describe and communicate coffee quality using the CVA and a shared industry vocabulary.

The SCA lists roles where the license is useful, including coffee quality analyst, exporter or importer, green coffee buyer, sensory specialist, roaster or quality lead, and Q Instructor (with additional certification) (SCA: Q Grader).

What is the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA)?

The CVA is the SCA’s system for evaluating coffee. Instead of relying on a single score, it combines four assessment types (SCA: Coffee Value Assessment):

• Physical: colour, defects, moisture content and size of green coffee. It is based on the 2004 SCA green coffee grading system.
• Descriptive: an objective record of aroma, flavour, texture and aftertaste in standard language (SCA Standard 103).
• Affective: the evaluator’s impression of quality, for their own preference or their market’s (SCA Standard 104).
• Extrinsic: information beyond the cup, such as certifications, traceability and processing (SCA Standard 105).

If you want to build the vocabulary the Descriptive Assessment relies on, our Flavor Wheel Explorer is a good place to practise.

Who should take the Q Grader course?

The SCA says the course is designed for coffee professionals in quality control, sourcing or roasting, people with experience in cupping or sensory evaluation, and those looking to deepen their specialty coffee expertise (SCA: Q Grader).

There is no single formal prerequisite. But the SCA is clear that the course “is designed to assess a cupper’s evaluation skills, not to teach inexperienced cuppers,” and calls the license “the capstone on years of learning,” not a starting point (SCA Education: Q Grader). If you are newer to cupping, the SCA points to its Coffee Skills courses, such as Introduction to Coffee and Sensory Skills, as a first step.

Course format: six days, nine exams

According to the SCA, the Q Grader course runs over six consecutive days. It focuses on sensory evaluation, cupping, green coffee grading and the CVA, and leads to a Q Grader license valid for three years (SCA: Q Grader).

The assessment rules are:

• 9 assessments in total: 8 practical evaluations and 1 written exam.
• Two attempts are allowed per assessment during the course.
• All assessments must be passed to earn the license.
• From the first quarter of 2026, learners can take a third attempt at individual practical exams after the course has ended.

Some course providers’ pages still say there are no retakes after the course week, so ask your provider how it handles the third attempt, and whether it costs extra. A third attempt is a safety net, not a plan: you still need to pass most exams within the six days.

The nine Q Grader exams

The SCA’s preparation guide lists each exam component (SCA: How to Prepare):

1. Written exam: mainly the CVA, plus cupping procedures including setup.
2. Cupping Skills: how you conduct yourself during cuppings (focus and professionalism; setup is not tested).
3. Physical Assessment: a CVA Physical Assessment, also known as “green grading.”
4. Roasting Problems: recognising a correct cupping roast by smell and taste alone. The SCA’s reference standard roast is a ground Agtron of 63 (about 58 whole bean).
5. Descriptive Assessment: using the form correctly and describing accurately.
6. Affective Assessment: using the form correctly and scoring consistently.
7. Olfactory Category Examples: recognising and describing smells.
8. Triangulation: spotting the odd cup out from subtle differences.
9. Main Taste Solutions: detecting and describing main tastes and their intensities in simple and complex solutions (the SCA suggests practising with sugar, salt and citric acid).

Sample day-by-day schedule

The SCA publishes this example schedule (SCA: Q Grader):

• Day 1: Course introduction; cupping key concepts; introduction to the CVA; CVA Physical Assessment and form.
• Day 2: Descriptive Assessment (part 1); multi-perspective cupping; olfactory examples; main taste solutions; Physical Assessment exam.
• Day 3: Descriptive Assessment (part 2); triangulation scenarios; incorrect preparation; Olfactory Category Examples exam.
• Day 4: Descriptive Assessment and Triangulation exams; CVA Affective Assessment and form.
• Day 5: Roasting Problems, Main Taste Solutions and Affective Assessment exams; CVA Extrinsic Assessment and form.
• Day 6: Value Discovery; end-of-course reflection and logistics.

Old CQI format vs new SCA format

This table compares only the points we could verify from CQI’s and the SCA’s own pages.

Sources: CQI: Q Grader Exams and Calibrations, SCA: Q Grader, SCA Education: Q Grader, Royal New York.

How much does Q Grader certification cost in 2026?

The SCA does not publish a single price. Course fees are set by each trainer, and the SCA says it currently charges no separate fee for the license itself (SCA Education FAQ). It has also introduced geographic pricing across its education programmes, so what you pay depends on where you take the course. For rupee fees from Indian providers, including a Bengaluru Q Grader listing, see our guide to barista courses and Q Grader in India.

Here are real 2026 listings we found, in the currency each provider shows:

In short, the US-dollar listings we found ranged from about US$1,500 to US$2,500 for the six-day course. Travel, accommodation and time off work come on top. Always check what is included (SCA fees, exam attempts, meals), because it varies by provider.

Renewal and calibration

The current SCA license lasts three years from the day you receive your badge in your SCA profile (SCA Education FAQ). Renewal requires continued professional development, and you do not need to retake the full six-day course (SCA: Q Grader). As of October 2026, the SCA’s FAQ says the continuing-education requirement is still being developed and full details will follow.

This replaces CQI’s old model, where Q Graders had to attend an in-person calibration course every third year (CQI).

If you hold a legacy CQI certificate: current and lapsed Arabica and Robusta Q Graders could fast-track to the new license by completing the SCA’s CVA for Cuppers course by 31 December 2025 (SCA announcement). That window has closed. Royal New York reports that a CQI license calibrated before 1 October 2025 stays valid for three years from the calibration date, and after that you would need the full SCA course (Royal New York).

Q Arabica vs Q Robusta: what’s the status?

Under CQI there were two separate six-day courses, Q Arabica and Q Robusta, each with its own certificate (CQI). The SCA license is not species-specific, because the CVA is designed to be species- and process-neutral. The SCA says cuppers have applied the CVA to canephora (Robusta) “with acceptable results.” It also said it was working on Robusta descriptors in the short term and on fuller coverage of other Coffea species in 2027 (SCA Education FAQ). We could not confirm whether those Robusta descriptors have been published yet.

Is the Q Grader worth it for you?

It depends on the job you do or want. The licence is built for people who judge and buy coffee: green buyers, quality managers, exporters and roasters. If you work behind a café bar and don’t taste green samples, it rarely changes your day-to-day work, and the money may go further on SCA Barista or Sensory Skills modules.

In India, cupping and quality work sits mostly with exporters, curing works and estates in the growing regions of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and with specialty roasters in the big cities. India also has a home-grown route: the Coffee Board of India runs a 12-month Post Graduate Diploma in Coffee Quality Management in Bengaluru, aimed at training coffee tasters (New Indian Express). It is a different qualification from the SCA licence, not a substitute for it, but for a career in Indian coffee quality it is worth comparing.

How to find and book a Q Grader course

1. Check you’re ready. The SCA suggests you are ready if you have cupping and sensory experience, know the CVA and have a high level of sensory skill (SCA: Q Grader).
2. Search the SCA course finder. Official courses are listed in the SCA course list, filtered to the Q Grader Course. The old CQI database no longer lists new Q Grader courses.
3. Compare providers. Look at the instructor, class size, language, what the price includes and how retakes work. If you are flying in from India, add visa time, flights and a week of accommodation to the course fee before you compare.
4. Prepare with SCA material. Read the CVA protocol and Standards SCA-102 to 104, download the CVA forms, and work through the SCA’s preparation guide.
5. Verify a Q Grader. The SCA’s directory of trainers and Q Graders lets you look someone up.

To build your tasting foundations before you book, see our guide to developing a specialty coffee palate.

Start with the basics

The Q Grader course is the top rung of a long ladder, so most people start lower down. If you are just getting into coffee, our short beginner course Dial In Espresso by Taste is a low-cost way to start training your palate on espresso. It is a beginner foundation only. It does not prepare you for the Q Grader exams, and it is not affiliated with the SCA. For structured sensory training on the way to the Q, look at the SCA’s Coffee Skills Program.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CQI Q Grader certification still available?

No. Since 1 October 2025 the Specialty Coffee Association runs the Q Grader programme, based on its Coffee Value Assessment, and the SCA now issues the licence. New Q Grader courses are booked through the SCA.

How long is the Q Grader course?

The SCA Q Grader course runs over six consecutive days and includes nine assessments: eight practical evaluations and one written exam. You must pass all nine to earn the license.

How much does it cost to become a Q Grader in 2026?

Prices are set by each course provider. The 2026 US-dollar listings we found ranged from about US$1,500 to US$2,500 for the six-day course, before travel and accommodation. The SCA says it currently charges no separate license fee.

How long is a Q Grader license valid?

The SCA Q Grader license is valid for three years from the day your badge is issued. It is renewed through continuing professional development, and you do not need to retake the full six-day course. The SCA is still finalising the renewal details.

Is there still a separate Q Robusta Grader license?

No. The SCA Q Grader license is not species-specific, because the Coffee Value Assessment is designed to work across species and processes. Separate Q Arabica and Q Robusta certificates belonged to the old CQI system.

Do I need experience before taking the Q Grader course?

There is no single formal prerequisite, but the SCA says the course assesses experienced cuppers rather than teaching beginners. It recommends building skills first through courses such as Introduction to Coffee and Sensory Skills.

Keep learning

• Developing a specialty coffee palate
• Coffee certification in 2026: SCA courses, diplomas and the Q Grader compared
• Flavor Wheel Explorer
• Professional barista training programs
• Fair trade, single-origin and quality certifications: what they mean for your career

Sources

1. Specialty Coffee Association, “The SCA and CQI Announce Historic Partnership” (April 2025): https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2025/4/22/the-specialty-coffee-association-and-the-coffee-quality-institute-announce-historic-partnership-to-provide-better-support-and-education-to-the-coffee-industrynbsp-ng7ff
2. SCA, “Q Grader Courses Now Available Across Various Regions and Languages” (1 Oct 2025): https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2025/10/1/q-grader-courses-now-available-across-various-regions-and-languages-zakzc
3. SCA, Education: Q Grader: https://sca.coffee/education/q-grader
4. SCA Education, Q Grader Program and FAQs: https://education.sca.coffee/q-grader
5. SCA, How to Prepare for the Q Grader Course: https://sca.coffee/education/how-to-prepare
6. SCA, The Coffee Value Assessment: https://sca.coffee/value-assessment
7. Coffee Quality Institute, About: https://www.coffeeinstitute.org/about
8. Coffee Quality Institute, Q Grader Exams and Calibrations (legacy format): https://www.coffeeinstitute.org/page/q-grader-exams-and-calibrations
9. Daily Coffee News, “SCA Officially Launches Q Grader Courses Tied to the CVA” (1 Oct 2025): https://dailycoffeenews.com/2025/10/01/sca-officially-launches-q-grader-courses-tied-to-the-cva/
10. Royal New York, “Changes to the Q Grader Coffee Course”: https://www.royalny.com/blogs/changes-to-the-q-grader-coffee-course