Comments on: Tips for the CSW Exam http://www.thirstyreader.com Food and Wine from Napa, Sonoma and the Bay Area • Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:35:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: CertifiedSomm http://www.thirstyreader.com/tips-certified-specialist-of-wine-csw/comment-page-1/#comment-1698 CertifiedSomm Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:37:11 +0000 http://www.thirstyreader.com/?page_id=953#comment-1698 Concerning the Preview portion, the SWE considers this more of a preliminary overview than a review: they suggest you use the preview to help you understand what you're getting into & plan accordingly. Folks I've spoken to who have done the CSW as well as Court of MS and/or WSET say that CSW tests a different skill set or knowledge base than those two other programs --in other words, success in those certifications doesn't necessarily mean you can just waltz into this exam & pass. (That's not what I wanted to hear, either...) You can order the study guide without setting a date for the exam, so what I plan to do is 1) order & review study guide; 2) decide whether or not I need the Preview, then 3) if necessary do Preview, if not then go directly to 4) study, schedule & sit for exam. The SWE Director of Education, Terri L. Hamilton, CWE, DWS is very helpful and easy to talk to. She's at (303)359-6946 if you have questions. Concerning the Preview portion, the SWE considers this more of a preliminary overview than a review: they suggest you use the preview to help you understand what you’re getting into & plan accordingly.

Folks I’ve spoken to who have done the CSW as well as Court of MS and/or WSET say that CSW tests a different skill set or knowledge base than those two other programs –in other words, success in those certifications doesn’t necessarily mean you can just waltz into this exam & pass. (That’s not what I wanted to hear, either…)

You can order the study guide without setting a date for the exam, so what I plan to do is 1) order & review study guide; 2) decide whether or not I need the Preview, then 3) if necessary do Preview, if not then go directly to 4) study, schedule & sit for exam.

The SWE Director of Education, Terri L. Hamilton, CWE, DWS is very helpful and easy to talk to. She’s at (303)359-6946 if you have questions.

]]> By: ThirstyReader http://www.thirstyreader.com/tips-certified-specialist-of-wine-csw/comment-page-1/#comment-1654 ThirstyReader Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:23:03 +0000 http://www.thirstyreader.com/?page_id=953#comment-1654 I'd say that I approached the CSW pretty seriously for the month leading up to it. But at the same time, I didn't have to take any time off from my full-time day job to study. So I would say that you could definitely just study at night, as long as that's the priority for most evenings. I'd say that I probably studied 80 hours all together. I’d say that I approached the CSW pretty seriously for the month leading up to it. But at the same time, I didn’t have to take any time off from my full-time day job to study. So I would say that you could definitely just study at night, as long as that’s the priority for most evenings. I’d say that I probably studied 80 hours all together.

]]> By: Jason http://www.thirstyreader.com/tips-certified-specialist-of-wine-csw/comment-page-1/#comment-1653 Jason Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:14:47 +0000 http://www.thirstyreader.com/?page_id=953#comment-1653 Thanks for the info. Is this something that you can belly up to at night or is this really hardcore, nose to the book type of studying? I will take this in Feb. and will read the guide but would love to have bullet points. Any help from someone who has been there is welcomed. Thanks for the info. Is this something that you can belly up to at night or is this really hardcore, nose to the book type of studying? I will take this in Feb. and will read the guide but would love to have bullet points. Any help from someone who has been there is welcomed.

]]> By: ThirstyReader http://www.thirstyreader.com/tips-certified-specialist-of-wine-csw/comment-page-1/#comment-1618 ThirstyReader Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:23:23 +0000 http://www.thirstyreader.com/?page_id=953#comment-1618 No, I don't think the preview is necessary to take the CSW exam, but it did help for me to realize that I had been over-studying. The preview is essentially an eight-hour review session, but since it's the day before the test, candidates should have already done most of their studying by that point. No, I don’t think the preview is necessary to take the CSW exam, but it did help for me to realize that I had been over-studying. The preview is essentially an eight-hour review session, but since it’s the day before the test, candidates should have already done most of their studying by that point.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.thirstyreader.com/tips-certified-specialist-of-wine-csw/comment-page-1/#comment-1617 Nancy Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:37 +0000 http://www.thirstyreader.com/?page_id=953#comment-1617 Thank you for writing about this... I am considering taking this after the Certified Sommelier certification. Do you know what the CSW "Preview" is, usually the day before the exam? Do we have to take that in order to take the exam? Thank you for writing about this… I am considering taking this after the Certified Sommelier certification. Do you know what the CSW “Preview” is, usually the day before the exam? Do we have to take that in order to take the exam?

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