What Changes Did the Coffee Quality Institute Announce?
Starting January 1, 2023, the Coffee Quality Institute changed its Q Grader certification system. All certified individuals and those enrolled in courses must complete an annual flavor calibration called Flavoractiv Calibration on their own, or their certification becomes invalid. The certificate validity period also shrinks from three years to one year, while the triennial cupping calibration remains required.
The new calibration does not need an instructor present. Certified holders buy designated capsules, follow the instructions, and upload their answers to renew. CQI has released calibration packages for different group sizes, priced from $160 to $585, with lower unit prices for larger groups. The change affects everyone who is coffee certified under the Q Grader program.
Starting January 1, 2023, the Q Grader certification system will undergo significant changes. CQI requires all certified individuals and those currently enrolled in courses to complete an annual flavor calibration called Flavoractiv Calibration on their own, or their certification will become invalid, and the certificate validity period will be shortened from three years to one year. At the same time, the triennial cupping calibration must still be attended as usual. The new item does not require an instructor to be present; you only need to purchase the designated capsules, follow the instructions, and upload your answers to renew. CQI has also launched calibration packages for different group sizes, priced from $160 to $585, with lower unit prices for larger groups. This article will provide a detailed interpretation of the new rules and fee changes.
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Yesterday, CQI (Coffee Quality Institute) sent a notice to everyone who has passed the Q Grader certification as well as those who have registered for the Q Grader certification course regarding the latest reforms and adjustments to Q Grader certification.
CQI states that the Q Grader certification is internationally recognized for its professionalism and its commitment to providing consistent coffee quality evaluation. Passing the Q Grader certification itself is not easy, and every person who passes is an outstanding figure in coffee quality evaluation. Q Grader is an authoritative certification system representing coffee professionalism and is trusted by the coffee industry, which is why all sectors of the industry have demand for Q Grader certification.
Therefore, in order to ensure consistency among everyone participating in the Q Grader course and those who have already passed certification, CQI has decided that starting January 1, 2023, a new item—Flavoractiv Calibration—must be completed every year.
This is an independent course that can be completed on your own. Every person who has passed Q Grader certification must complete the flavor calibration each year, otherwise they will lose their certification qualification, which also means that the Q Grader validity period will be adjusted from the original three years to one year.
Please note! The flavor calibration is only a new item that must be completed on your own every year. The coffee cupping calibration held once every three years will still take place as usual, and it must also be paired with the flavor calibration!
To put it simply, the Q Grader’s previous major exam once every three years has become a small exam every year & a major exam + small exam in the third year, but each exam determines whether the certification is retained or lost.
So what is the difference between this newly added flavor calibration and the coffee cupping calibration? The difference is that the former does not require a Q Grader instructor to be present. For the flavor calibration, you only need to place an order on the CQI-designated website to purchase the food-grade capsules used for calibration, then mix and taste them according to the instructions, and upload the answers to the exam website to renew your Q Grader certification.
The CQI official website states that each year’s certification exam will be divided into 3 periods: January 1–April 30; May 1–August 31; September 1–December 31. Simply put, you can just pick one day out of 365 days a year to take the exam! (So why even divide it into periods
)
At the same time, CQI has also thoughtfully arranged “big gift packages” suitable for different numbers of people to calibrate together! The prices are as follows:
The 1-person package is $160;
The 6–12-person package is $375 (about $31.3 per person);
The 24-person package is $585 (about $24.4 per person);
The contents of each “big gift package” will be different! All you Q graders, hurry and find your friends so you can buy them together!!!
After reading the email, this sentence echoed in my mind: “Renewing the annual fee? The more people, the better the discount!”
Since you’ve already taken the exam, no matter how expensive it is, you have to renew it with tears in your eyes!
Image source: Coffee Quality Institute official website
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
