• Proposal for Inclusion of Mead and Cider Certification in the BJCP

    Section 1: BJCP Program Impacts

    1. The scope of the BJCP includes mead and cider in addition to beer. Developing programs, materials or services to support mead and cider does not imply setting up a parallel program to the BJCP.
    2. Including mead and cider certification within the BJCP has no impact on the existing BJCP (beer) exam. The existing Exam Committee charter for revising and improving the BJCP exam is not affected by this proposal.
    3. Including mead and cider certification within the BJCP has no impact on the existing BJCP style guidelines.
    4. There is no prerequisite for taking any BJCP exam, including the to-be-developed mead and cider exams.

    Section 2: Scope of Work and Program Constraints

    1. New exams for mead and cider will be developed. Mead and cider exams will be separate from each other, and from the beer exams. The exact number, type, format, length, etc. is not defined by this proposal; that will be determined by a properly formed committee.
    2. Every BJCP exam should have a corresponding study guide. These need not be developed before new exams are ready to be initially tested, but should be a high priority after exams have been drafted. The study guide should focus on specific issues related to taking and passing the exam, not necessarily the full range of subject material.
    3. Additional training, education and study materials are needed for all BJCP exams, including the to-be-developed mead and cider exams. This proposal affirms that the CEP has existing authority to develop these tools independently of any action on exams, and requests priority action on CEP projects in direct support of this proposal. The educational materials are not exam-specific (the study guides are focused on the exams). The materials should be written for both existing BJCP judges and judges who have not taken a BJCP exam.
    4. Until such time as mead and cider exams are considered equivalents to beer exams, they are not direct substitues and cannot be used for advancement purposes within the current BJCP rank structure. Exam scores will be recorded, however.
    5. A passing grade on the to-be-developed mead/cider exams is 60. Those non-BJCP members taking the test who pass will receive the new rank "Mead Judge" or "Cider Judge", depending on the exam taken. These ranks have only one requirement: a passing grade (60) on a mead or cider exam; no experience points are required. Those non-BJCP members who fail to pass the test will receive the existing rank "Apprentice". Existing BJCP members who take the exam and pass will receive a mead and/or cider endorsement on their judging record, but will not be able to advance in rank based on their mead or cider exam score.
    6. Existing BJCP judges who pass the exam will receive to-be-determined CEP credit, as determined by the committeee.
    7. All who pass the mead and/or cider exam will get a certificate of accomplishment.
    8. A new mead and a new cider pin will be created for all who pass the mead and/or cider exam. The pin will be similar to the Recognized/Certified pins now in use.
    9. Any non-BJCP member taking the mead and/or cider exam will become a full BJCP member, be assigned a Judge ID based on region, and be able to have their experience points recorded and tracked in a manner similar to all other BJCP members. Any BJCP member taking the mead and/or cider exam will not have their existing rank modified in any way.
    10. The existing scoresheets will be revised to include the two new ranks.

    Section 3: Implementation

    1. A committee will be properly formed in a prompt manner, and be chartered to investigate all open topics presented in this proposal and to develop a solution within the guidance of this proposal. The committee must contain representatives from the CEP, Exam and IT functions, as well as any other interested BJCP staff. This core team will recruit and work with third-party subject matter experts as needed. Related CEP projects do not necessarily come under this committee, but related activities should be properly coordinated so as to not produce conflicting results.
    2. The committee will investigate the length of the exams, and whether existing BJCP members can opt-out of certain questions. To the extent that there are common topics between the beer and mead/cider exams, the new mead/cider exams should coordinate with the existing Exam Committee to ensure that common questions, formats and methods are used to the extent practical.
    3. A staged implementation is necessary. New exams will be tested using existing BJCP judges before opening up testing to non-BJCP judges. Longer-term goals, such a a full integration of mead and cider ranks, and setting mead and cider exams at an equal status as beer exams, will not be undertaken without review of field testing data, analysis and recommendation by the committee, and additional consideration by the BJCP board.
    4. Educational materials for beer, mead and cider will continue to be developed regardless of the stage of implementation of the subject program additions.