I decided I wanted to complete the Cicerone beer server training in late 2015, talked about it (procrastinated) for a few months, and finally took the test in April 2016. As I went through the process of studying, there were some interesting discoveries.
First, we can't depend only on the cicerone website's quick study links. They really aren't thorough enough, especially for those of us not in the industry. When it comes to different draft systems, line cleaning, and keg maintenance, their supplemental links give very fragmented and cursory information. But their offer for their approved educational materials is vastly overpriced for something that most of us are doing because work told us to. A course book (2 focusing on different areas of beer and a beer storage instruction) will cost $99 and the seemingly all-inclusive webinar class, designed for the certified beer server test, runs $199. Buying all of these materials is NOT an option, so why they separated the styles into two books, I'll never understand. And asking $199 for an online class is astronomical these days, no matter how thorough it is. Who has the money for all these materials and the test itself?
All of this led to me to decide that I can figure this out on my own using their provided links and my own knowledge. While this worked for me, if you're not an organized studier, or used to multiple tab research, this may not be the best way for you to study. The links aren't always consistent with the material described on the syllabus. There's a lot of jumping around and re-reading the syllabus a million times to cross reference the info. Maybe that's why their study materials cost so much. Still, I don't think expensive books/supplements are an acceptable answer to the problem. Of course there is a huge amount of information available to us on the internet, but as we all know some of it is better than others. I get that they are trying to make money off the program, so it makes sense that their free links aren't directly and clearly correlated with the syllabus organization. But still, if it gave me a monster headache, and I'm well known for my research and organization skills, I can imagine how it can throw other people for loop.
In short, if you're not going to buy the supplemental materials, brush up on your study skills. Maybe print the syllabus and check things off as you find the materials/websites that cover that info.
Two, their website changes ALL THE TIME. When I first researched the test in October 2015, the web page and link locations were vastly different from when I started studying in April. I took my test in April, but I could barely find the same links I looked at when I was revisiting the site today (in June). Maybe that's just my experience and the website will stay stable now, but it's difficult to pick up where you left off when things are arranged differently each time.
So, tip number two: don't get comfortable. And maybe bookmark some of your favorite webpages in your own browser as you study, because I swear some of the links I used aren't there now.
Three, there is a reason why it's called a "test" and it costs $69. As a teacher, when I give a test, I tell my students that I'm not trying to trick them. This is not the case in the Cicerone test. They are trying to trick you. They are being very specific with their comparative choices and in the way they word the set up to their questions. They are testing your ability to identify the nuance of those details to find the correct answer.
Paying attention when studying, taking good notes on details, and having your reference materials handy during the test are all good practices if you want to pass the first time (yes, even though they say it's a closed book test...). I haven't had this kind of tricky, detail-oriented testing experience since my undergrad years. I almost missed a deceptively easy question about the proper technique of glass cleaning simply because of the wording in the set up (I wish I could remember details for you, but alas, I can't. You'll have to experience it yourself).
Four, you need to KNOW the industry standard jargon. This is closely related to the previous point about detailed testing, but bears repeating. If we, as fans, learn to call a beer "light" or "golden" that's fine. But there's a reason they invented the SRM scale and by god the cicerone testers will make sure that you know it. What you term "golden" may actually be a 3 or a 7 on the SRM scale. One is "correctly" brewed to style and one is not. While it may not matter when you're sipping your blond or pale ale at the bar, it does matter when brewing "to BJCP style" or when judging "to the test." Similarly, sometimes the only discernible difference between two styles is the ABV, like the difference between a Scottish light and a Scottish export, or the IBU (hops character), like the German pilsner and the Bohemian pilsner. In these instances, the cicerone test wants you to be able to identify and explain the difference and only the correct technical jargon will get you there.
The cicerone website offers flash cards of beer styles, highlighting all the characteristics of the beer to style, including SRM and ABV. However, these cost $15, and I found many websites detailing the same info in super accessible graphics. Check out this great beer periodic table poster:
http://www.amazon.com/NMR-24155-Periodic-Styles-Decorative/dp/B008MHDENS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465059520&sr=8-1&keywords=beer+periodic+table
So, my last piece of advice is to get very comfortable with the jargon, even though people will roll their eyes at you if you start talking about SRM when you're sipping a beer in the real world.
All in all, the test is useful and fairly passable. Depending on your study and organization skills, it may even be easy. For me, trusting my beer knowledge as a fan wasn't enough to get me through the test. I did have to push myself to learn new things and brush up on my study skills to do it. But isn't that, after all, the point of the first level training of anything?
