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How to pass the French Wine Scholar exam

100 questions, one hour, 75 to pass, no tasting. How the Wine Scholar Guild's FWS exam works in 2026, and how I would study France for it.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

5 min read

The short answer: the French Wine Scholar exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in one hour, taken online from home. You need 75 to pass; 85 to 90 passes with Honors, 91 to 100 with Highest Honors. There is no tasting. You pass it by learning France appellation by appellation, with a map open, and by practising at exam speed: 36 seconds a question.

I hold the French Wine Scholar (FWS), alongside my Court of Master Sommeliers, WSET and CSW qualifications. Here is the exam as the Wine Scholar Guild runs it today, and how I would prepare.

Alper Billik's French Wine Scholar certificate with the French Wine Scholar pin
My French Wine Scholar certificate and pin

The exam in 2026

  • Questions: 100, all multiple choice.
  • Time: one hour.
  • Pass mark: 75. Scores of 85 to 90 pass with Honors; 91 to 100 with Highest Honors.
  • Where: online, from home, watched by the Honorlock proctoring software. You need a computer, a webcam, a microphone and a reliable connection.
  • When: whenever you feel ready, within 12 months of registering for the programme.
  • No tasting: the exam is theory only, although the programme suggests wines to taste as you study.
  • Resits: if you fail, you can retake the exam for a fee. If you pass, you can't resit to improve your score.

Pass and you can use FWS after your name, with a certificate and a lapel pin. Check the latest details on the Wine Scholar Guild's FWS page.

What it covers

Every French appellation and what shapes it: geography, climate, soils, grapes, vineyard work, winemaking and classification. Region by region: Alsace, the Jura, Savoie, Champagne, Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Loire, Bordeaux, South West France, the Rhône, Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and Corsica.

What it costs

Independent online
Price (October 2026)$945
What you getStudy guide in print and e-book, online classroom, student community, the exam
Educator-led online
Price (October 2026)$1,095
What you getAll of the above, plus 10 live lectures over three months, recorded for replay
Classroom
Price (October 2026)Set by each provider
What you getAll the online material, plus tutored tastings in class

How I would study for it

The Guild asks for at least 100 hours of study. Ten hours a week for ten weeks works, with the last two weeks kept for revision and practice questions.

  • Maps first. Know where every appellation sits: its river, its slope, its neighbours. Draw them from memory.
  • Appellation and grape, always together. For each AOC, learn the colours it makes and its main grapes.
  • Collect the superlatives. The largest, the smallest, the highest, the oldest, the newest. Keep a list as you read.
  • Learn the local grape names: Côt for Malbec, Pineau de la Loire for Chenin Blanc, Breton or Bouchet for Cabernet Franc, Rolle for Vermentino.
  • Know the special wines and methods: vin doux naturel, vin jaune, vin de paille, crémant, carbonic maceration.
  • Know who did what, and when: the Cistercians in Burgundy, the 1855 classification in Bordeaux, phylloxera.
  • Translate the label. Know the English for every French term you meet.
  • Practise at exam speed. 100 questions in 60 minutes is 36 seconds each. Read every option before you choose.

For daily practice, SOMM DIGI AI makes quizzes on any French region you choose, from its 3,000+ exam-prep questions.

Quiz yourself on FranceThe CSW exam

Try eight questions

Question 1

Vin jaune, from the Jura, is made from which grape?

  1. a)Chardonnay
  2. b)Savagnin
  3. c)Poulsard
  4. d)Trousseau
Show answer

b) Savagnin. Vin jaune is Savagnin, aged under a veil of yeast for years without topping up.

Question 2

Which appellation makes only vin jaune?

  1. a)Arbois
  2. b)L'Étoile
  3. c)Château-Chalon
  4. d)Côtes du Jura
Show answer

c) Château-Chalon. Château-Chalon is for vin jaune alone. The others make a range of styles.

Question 3

Which Rhône appellation makes only rosé?

  1. a)Lirac
  2. b)Tavel
  3. c)Vacqueyras
  4. d)Gigondas
Show answer

b) Tavel. Tavel is a rosé-only appellation. Lirac, next door, makes all three colours.

Question 4

Which is the northernmost of the ten Beaujolais crus?

  1. a)Brouilly
  2. b)Morgon
  3. c)Saint-Amour
  4. d)Fleurie
Show answer

c) Saint-Amour. Saint-Amour sits at the northern tip of the crus, on the border with the Mâconnais. Brouilly is the southernmost.

Question 5

Which river separates Sancerre from Pouilly-Fumé?

  1. a)The Cher
  2. b)The Loire
  3. c)The Vienne
  4. d)The Allier
Show answer

b) The Loire. They face each other across the Loire: Sancerre on the west bank, Pouilly-Fumé on the east.

Question 6

Red Bandol must be based on which grape?

  1. a)Grenache
  2. b)Syrah
  3. c)Mourvèdre
  4. d)Cinsault
Show answer

c) Mourvèdre. Mourvèdre is the backbone of red Bandol, in Provence.

Question 7

Patrimonio is an appellation on which island?

  1. a)Sardinia
  2. b)Corsica
  3. c)Sicily
  4. d)Mallorca
Show answer

b) Corsica. Patrimonio is in northern Corsica, known for Nielluccio reds and Vermentino whites.

Question 8

Irouléguy is in which part of France?

  1. a)The Basque Country, in South West France
  2. b)Savoie
  3. c)Alsace
  4. d)Provence
Show answer

a) The Basque Country, in South West France. Irouléguy is in the French Basque Country, in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

FWS or another course?

The French Wine Scholar is France only, in depth. WSET Level 3 and the CSW cover the whole wine world in less detail; the Court of Master Sommeliers adds blind tasting and service (see WSET vs CMS). FWS works well after one of those, when you want to know France properly.

Questions people ask

Is there a tasting in the French Wine Scholar exam?

No. The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions, theory only.

What is the pass mark for French Wine Scholar?

75. Scores of 85 to 90 pass with Honors, and 91 to 100 with Highest Honors.

Can I take the FWS exam at home?

Yes. Online students take it from home, proctored by Honorlock, whenever they are ready within 12 months of registering.

How long should I study for French Wine Scholar?

The Wine Scholar Guild asks for at least 100 hours, including around 20 hours of classes or online review lectures.

Does FWS help with sommelier exams?

Yes, for France: it goes deeper into French wine than any general course, which helps with the France questions on any sommelier exam.

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