BJCP Judging Procedures Test

If a judge is assigned to judge a category that he/she has entered, that judge should ask the competition organizer to reassign him/her to another category.

If a judge is assigned to a category that he or she has entered, the judge should go ahead and evaluate the entries in that category without notifying the judge director or competition organizer.

Judges should not review the style being judged from the BJCP Style Guidelines while at the judging table prior to judging that style.

Judges may invite stewards to taste the beers in a flight, if there's enough sample to share.

It is acceptable to change the order in which you judge the beers on your flight sheet from how it was printed.

Beers must be evaluated in the sequence specified on the flight sheet.

If you have eaten spicy or greasy food within a few hours prior to judging, you should use mouthwash or antiseptic rinse before judging.

You should avoid eating spicy or greasy food within a few hours prior to judging.

Spicy or greasy foods should be avoided prior to a judging event because they can reduce a judge's sensitivity to the aromas and flavors of beer.

Perfumed shampoos and colognes should be avoided prior to a judging event because they can reduce a judge's sensitivity to the aromas of beer.

It is a good idea to take a decongestant prior to a judging event to increase your sensitivity to the aromas of beer.

Calibrations beers are selected to be the standard against which entries should be judged.

It is the responsibility of the “head” judge, in consultation with the other judges in a flight, to assign a consensus score to each entry.

It is not necessary for scores produced by the judges on a panel to be within seven points (or less if directed by the competition director) of each other.

After discussing the initial scores, judges should adjust their final scores to be within seven points (or less if directed by the competition director).

Judges must adjust their scores to be within seven points (or less if directed by the competition director) of each other as part of developing a consensus score for the beer.

The consensus score assigned to the beer is not necessarily an average score.

When judging, It is important to evaluate entries quickly and also complete the score sheets thoroughly and completely.

On average, experienced judges should be able to completely evaluate a beer, including arriving at a consensus, in 10 minutes.

When there is a discrepancy in the scores for a given beer, the lower-ranked judges should yield to the opinion of the highest ranked BJCP judge at the table.

It is acceptable to remove offensive smelling entries from the judging table after they have been evaluated.

A judge must disqualify an entry if the bottle has raised lettering or the cap has identifying marks.

A judge may disqualify an entry if it has an improper bottle or cap.

Only the judge director or competition organizer can disqualify an entry.

The results of the bottle inspection does not affect the scoring.

Snide or rude comments are unacceptable on scoresheets.

Pour each entry in a manner that gives it its optimum appearance, keeping in mind that some entries may be over- or under-carbonated.

When you suspect an entry has been placed in the wrong flight based on the style being judged, you should request that it be judged in a different flight instead.

When you suspect an entry has been placed in the wrong flight based on the style being judged, you should consult with the judge director or competition organizer.

Sniff the entry immediately after pouring to ensure proper evaluation of volatile aromatics.

There is no need to sniff the aroma immediately after pouring the entry into the glass.

Judges should complete the evaluation of each entry before moving on to the next.

It is not necessary to offer any feedback for improvement if you score a beer above 40.

It is common practice to refrain from sharing your thoughts while judging a beer until the other judges have completed their scoresheet.

If you are very familiar with a beer style, it is preferable to disregard the BJCP Style Guidelines and rely on your personal expertise instead.

If rushed, it's acceptable to write only comments and an overall score on a scoresheet, leaving the scores for the subsections blank.

If rushed, it's acceptable to write only 1-2 comments on a scoresheet as long as the numeric score is filled out.

If a beer is a “gusher” or has an unpleasant aroma upon opening, a judge may assign a courtesy score of 13 without tasting and commenting on the characteristics of the beer.

All beers should be tasted and scored, even if they are “gushers” or have an unpleasant aroma upon opening.