Evolved Q Grader Course (SCA) – Cyprus | Become a Certified Coffee Professional

The Evolved Q Grader Course is the newest, fully updated professional certification from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). This internationally recognized program is designed for coffee professionals who want to master sensory evaluation, cup with precision, and fully understand the new Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) system that defines modern specialty coffee.

Held at the iHeart Coffee Roasters Warehouse Latsia Cyprus, this 6-day advanced course prepares you to evaluate coffee using today’s most rigorous and science-driven standards.

Why Take the Evolved Q Grader Course?

The evolved Q Grader pathway trains you to evaluate coffee using the SCA’s newest system, which separates coffee evaluation into:

• Descriptive Assessment

• Affective Assessment (Impression of Quality)

• Physical Assessment (Green Coffee Grading)

• Olfactory Recognition & Sensory Foundations

• Triangulation & Discriminative Skills

• Roasting Problem Identification

The goal: to create a high-resolution sensory professional who can reliably identify attributes, communicate value, and evaluate coffees consistently across the entire global supply chain.

What You Will Learn

Over six intensive days, you will practice and complete:

✔ Main Taste Identification & Intensity Scaling

Using calibrated taste solutions (sweet, sour, salty) you learn to identify modality and intensity using the 15-point scale.
(Solutions prepared according to SCA standards )

✔ Olfactory Category Identification

Work with 20 fragrance/aroma category examples used in CVA descriptive cupping.
Includes blind identification of floral, fruity, brown sugar, roasted, spice, cocoa, chemical, musty, woody and more.
(Practical exam instructions provided in SCA learner packet )

✔ Descriptive Assessment (CVA Descriptive Form)

Learn to identify intensities and CATA descriptors for fragrance, aroma, flavor, acidity, sweetness, and mouthfeel across six coffees.

✔ Affective Assessment (CVA Affective Form)

Rate “impression of quality” using the nine-point scale, including uniformity and defect identification.

✔ Physical Assessment of Green Coffee

Perform moisture, bean size, color evaluation, and complete full green-grading defect analysis using SCA standards.

✔ Triangulation & Discrimination Testing

Identify the odd cup in controlled-difficulty triads across six sets.

✔ Roasting Problems Identification

Taste and classify samples that are:
• too light
• too dark
• too fast
• too slow
• optimum roast

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Roasters & green buyers

• Quality control teams

• Baristas looking to advance to professional sensory work

• Cuppers transitioning from the 2004 SCA Cupping Protocol to the new CVA framework

• Professionals preparing for sourcing, competitions, or sensory leadership roles

No prerequisites are required, but strong cupping experience or CVA is recommended.

Course Format & Exams

The Evolved Q Grader program consists of:

• One written exams

• Eight practical exam components, which include:

  • Main taste identification

  • Complex taste solutions

  • Olfactory exam

  • Descriptive exam

  • Affective exam

  • Physical assessment

  • Triangulation

  • Roasting problems

All exam structures follow the official SCA curriculum and documentation used globally .

Learners receive two attempts for each practical exam.