Court of Master Sommeliers Guide

There are a handful of sommelier programs, each grueling in its own right, that can help put you on the path to becoming a Master Sommelier. If you watched the documentary Somm, then you know this is no easy feat. Earning the MS lapel pin can take years of study, professional service, blind tasting, travel, and repeated attempts at examination.

The Court of Master Sommeliers is one such organization. Since its formal establishment in 1977, it has become one of the most recognizable names in restaurant wine service. The Court prides itself on the standards it imparts in beverage service, especially wine service, food-and-wine pairing, and hospitality for hotels and restaurants.

Before you start this process, you need to understand what you are getting into. Earning a Master Sommelier credential requires enormous work. That is fair. What is more complicated is the organization itself. The Court has faced credible reporting and public criticism involving cheating, sexual misconduct, governance failures, racial-inclusion concerns, and transparency problems. We strongly recommend reading those reports before investing in CMS exams. You should also compare the Court with other wine education options, including WSET, the National Wine School, and local wine schools that can help you pursue your sommelier goals.

What Is the Court of Master Sommeliers?

• The Court of Master Sommeliers was formally established in England in 1977.
• The first Master Sommelier Diploma exam was held in 1969.
• The Court was created to raise standards in restaurant beverage service.
• CMS is not a traditional college, university, or full-time wine school.
• CMS functions primarily as a credentialing and examination body.
• Its strongest identity is restaurant service, not academic wine study.
• Its four credential levels are Introductory Sommelier, Certified Sommelier, Advanced Sommelier, and Master Sommelier Diploma.

Court of Master Sommeliers Levels

Level I — Introductory Sommelier

This introductory course is open to candidates interested in restaurant service, wine, hospitality, or beverage education. Topics include grape varieties, basics of winemaking, wine-and-food pairing, major wine regions, service, spirits, sake, beer, and the Court’s deductive tasting method.

Candidates who pass receive an Introductory Sommelier certificate and lapel pin. This is an introductory credential, not full recognition as a Certified Sommelier.

The price of the Online Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination is currently $650. Additional costs include the wine kit ($250) and, if necessary, the $150 retake fee. If you prefer in-person, the cost of the two-day program is currently $950.

Level II/III — Certified Sommelier

The heat is turned up at this level because passing the exam allows you to use the “Certified Sommelier” title. Having passed the introductory level, your quality of service, tasting ability, and knowledge of the wine world are tested more seriously.

The evaluation is in three parts: theory, blind tasting, and practical service. For many working restaurant professionals, this is the most useful CMS credential. It carries industry value without requiring the years of preparation associated with the Advanced and Master levels.

This is where the pricing structure for CMSa diverges from WSET and NWS. Both WSET and NWS are structured like schools: offering classes that culminate in examinations. CMS is different: from Level Two onwards, the Court only offers exams. This may seem more cost-effective, but the opposite is true.

The exam costs $800 and is held annually in various cities across the country. On average, it will be offered 12 times a year. The Court offers a Deductive Tasting Workshop several times a year in various cities for $600. Most people sitting for this exam also are part of a tasting group, which will help defray the wine costs. Expect to pay at least $750 as part of a group.

If you are traveling to take the exam, you can expect to spend at least $1,000 in travel, lodging, and meals. Double that if you are also attending the Deductive Tasting Workshop as well. Other costs include books and wine service tools.

With this type of prep work, you have a fair shot at passing this exam, which has an average pass rate of 66%. All in, the total cost will be between $2k and $5k, with a median cost of about $3,500.

Level IV — Advanced Sommelier

The Advanced Sommelier level is a major jump. A candidate is expected to understand wine regions, producers, wine styles, tasting logic, service standards, and beverage-program management at a much higher level.

The exam itself includes theory, tasting, and service. The Advanced level is the gateway to the Master Sommelier Diploma, and the barrier to entry is very high. The costs, requirements, and required knowledge levels are many multiples of the Certified Sommelier program.

First, there are the prerequisites. You must currently be employed in the restaurant industry and have been for at least two of the last five years. You have to pass the Certified Sommelier program and attend the three-day Advanced Sommelier Course, which is held once a year and costs $1,900, plus travel costs.

There are two $100 application fees as well. The first is to attend the Advanced Sommelier Course. In addition to that fee, you must complete the Sommelier Knowledge Assessment at a Pearson VUE testing center. The other fee is to apply to take the Advanced Sommelier Examination.

The exam itself is divided into two sections, which are taken separately but must be passed within a year of each other: the Advanced Theory Examination ($400 fee per attempt, taken at a local Pearson VUE testing center) and then the Advanced Practical and Tasting Examination ($1,100 fee per attempt). The Court does not disclose the pass/fail rates, but our research puts the first-attempt pass rates at about 54% for the Theory examination and 43% for the Practical exam. Since you must pass both within 12 months and the Practical is only offered once a year, the chance of having to retake at least one is high. In fact, your chance of passing both exams in a year is about 35%.

Costs to include are travel fees, wine study costs, memberships, and coaching. Most Advanced Sommelier candidates attend classes at either WSET or NWS at this stage and also pay for a GuildSOMM membership. Some candidates also pay for coaching by a Master Sommelier. You can expect to spend between $10k and $30k to earn your Advanced Sommelier Pin, with an average of about $12k.

Level V — Master Sommelier Diploma

This is the exam the documentaries are made about. The Master Sommelier Diploma is the Court’s highest credential and one of the most famous titles in restaurant wine service.

The examination covers wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, sake, hospitality, service, salesmanship, and the business of beverage programs. The evaluation has three parts: oral theory, practical restaurant wine service, and blind tasting.

A candidate must pass the theory exam and then has three years to pass the practical and tasting portions. The tasting exam requires identification of six wines. The service exam evaluates restaurant hospitality, beverage knowledge, technique, and composure under pressure.

Failing late in the process can mean years of additional work, travel, and expense. That difficulty is part of the credential’s appeal, but it is also part of the risk. Currently, the pass rate stands at 10% and an average all-in cost of about $45k.

Each of the three sections of the exam costs $1000. The theory portion is in person, and only candidates with a score of 75% or higher are invited to the next round of exams. The other two portions of the exam are also in person and will be taken on a separate date.

The total costs for this program are high due to the need to hire a private coach, travel, and other wine courses. According to anecdotes from several owners of top wine schools in the country, a number of their top-performing students are also studying for the Master Sommelier exam.

How Much Does the Court of Master Sommeliers Cost?

The direct CMS fees are only part of the actual cost. Candidates also need to account for travel, lodging, tasting groups, study wines, books, retakes, and time away from work.

These fees do not include travel costs. Most candidates for CMS credentials spend heavily on wine education beyond these costs, which significantly increases the cost of these programs. Actual costs for these programs are in the tens of thousands of dollars.

How Hard Are the CMS Exams?

Pass rates are as high as 80% for Level One, but decrease rapidly as the levels increase, bottoming out at 10% for the Master Sommelier certification.

The main reason for the low pass rates is that the exams are divided into multiple sections. Both the Advanced and Master-level exams are broken up into two distinct sections. Both must be passed within a specific time frame. If not, both must be retaken.

The other issue is that CMS differs from both NWS and WSET in that it does not offer classes to help candidates pass the higher-level programs. The Advanced Sommelier program has a pass rate of about 35%, and the Master Sommelier exam has an average pass rate of 10%.

CMS vs WSET vs NWS

CMS is the top pick for restaurant professionals. WSET is a top pick for international-focused programs. NWS is a better fit for US-based certification.

Reputation, Scandals, and Reforms

Before you invest in the Court, you need to understand the public record. The organization’s reputation cannot be separated from the scandals that came to light between 2018 and 2021.

In 2018, the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas voted to suspend the diplomas of 23 of the 24 candidates who had passed that year’s Master Sommelier exam at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. The reason: a board member had leaked advance information about two of the six wines in the blind tasting section.

The decision stripped almost an entire class of newly credentialed Master Sommeliers of their titles shortly after they were told they had passed. Not all affected candidates were accused of cheating. The result was a scandal over both exam integrity and institutional fairness.

In 2020, Sommelier Tahiirah Habibi made a viral Instagram post about racial bias within the Court of Master Sommeliers. In response, numerous Master Sommeliers publicly denounced the Court for institutional bigotry.

Later in 2020, The New York Times reported allegations from women who accused prominent Master Sommeliers of sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual conduct. The fallout was immediate. Members were suspended, the board came under intense pressure, and the organization faced a reckoning that many candidates and former members believed was long overdue.

After a third-party investigation, several Master Sommeliers were moved toward expulsion or removed from the organization. The scandal damaged the Court’s reputation and raised questions about whether its internal culture had protected powerful members at the expense of candidates and students.

The Court has taken multiple steps toward reform, including a new board of directors and policy changes. However, in 2026, Reuters reported the litigation against CMS over the exam scandal is ongoing.

Is the Court of Master Sommeliers Accredited?

The Court is not accredited. It offers a trade credential which is not recognized by any government or agency. The value of a CMS certification is its prestigious status within the restaurant industry.

This is an important distinction as a CMS credential is neither a license nor a degree, and is not regulated by statute or law in the United States.

Who Should Choose the Court of Master Sommeliers?

CMS may be a good fit if you want to work in restaurant wine service, fine dining, luxury hospitality, private clubs, beverage-director roles, or high-touch service environments.

The Court is especially relevant if you want a credential that tests service under pressure. This is not just a wine-theory program. The practical service component is central to the credential.

This is the best credential for anyone seeking a career in fine dining.

Who Should Consider Another Path?

Not everyone needs the Court. In fact, many students would be better served elsewhere.

Students who want academic wine study, online flexibility, lower cost, written assessment, or a more transparent curriculum structure may be better served by another credentialing path.

WSET offers a wide network of wine schools that offer a similar level of credentialing. The National Wine School offers sommelier credentials for the wine trade and offers a higher level of governmental recognition. The Wine Scholar Guild offers specialized regional credentials, and the Society of Wine Educators offers lower-cost online credentials.

Related CMS Profile

For a profile of the organization itself, including its institutional history, reputation, scandals, reforms, and credential structure, see our Court of Master Sommeliers review.

Frequently Asked Questions