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SCA INTRODUCTION TO COFFEE
SCA INTRODUCTION TO COFFEE
1. General Information
Course Length: Minimum 4 hours; 6 hours or more recommended
Prerequisites: None
Course Format: Available in person, online, or as a combination of both
Written Exam Information:
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Total Number of Questions on Online Written Exam: 20 questions
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Total Time Allowed for Online Written Exam: 22 minutes
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Passing Score (Online Written Exam): 80%
Practical Exam Information:
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This course does not include a practical exam
2. Course Description
SCA Introduction to Coffee is the ideal first course for anyone new to the industry, or for anyone who simply wants to understand coffee properly. It follows the specialty coffee value chain from farm to cup: where coffee grows and why, how it is harvested and processed, how it is exported and imported, what roasting does to the bean, how we assess what we taste, and what governs a good brew. A series of guided tastings, including a cupping, shows how decisions made along the chain end up in the cup in front of you. This version of the course also introduces the SCA's Coffee Value Assessment, the system now used across the industry to describe and evaluate coffee.
3. Written Exam Questions Distribution by Topic
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIALTY COFFEE (15% of the written exam)
Coffee experiences around the world
Key activities and actors in the coffee value chain
What defines specialty coffee
COFFEE'S ORIGINS (25%)
History of coffee
Coffee-growing regions
Seasonality, farming and harvesting
Species and varieties
PROCESSING (5%)
Processing and processing methods
EXPORTING & IMPORTING (5%)
How green coffee moves from origin to market
ROASTING, STORAGE & FRESHNESS (15%)
Roasting basics
Storage and freshness
SENSORY ASSESSMENT BASICS (10%)
The role of sensory assessment and cupping
Taste and flavor
WATER, BREWING & MAINTENANCE (25%)
Water and its effect on the cup
Brewing methods
Key brewing principles
Maintenance and cleaning
Updated to SCA Introduction to Coffee Trainer Guidebook V3.0 (pack 20 Mar 2026)