Toro’s tricks for the WSET examination
You’ve studied, crammed as many villages into your brain as you can and are still feeling anxious for the exam. That’s totally normal. I put together a list of a few things you can do to optimise yourself for the day of the exam.
one
Eat something before you go in, nothing too highly flavoured, but you need to feed your brain. I had a sausage roll, but healthier students had a protein shake. (Something protein based is best)
Two
Read the questions carefully, underline specific words.
Three
Use the full time allowed, even if you feel like you’ve finished and there’s no more you can do, it’s always good to go back and check and then check again. You might as well, you’ve got this far!
four
For the multiple choice questions make sure you have coloured in the correct circle for the correct question (It happens!) The questions are read by a machine so if they don’t match up, that’s it the points are lost.
five
For the tasting exam bring your glasses with you (that’s your wine glasses, not your eye glasses), which I wondered why they were reminding me to bring after a particularly tiring lesson. I did get a distinction in theory for WSET 2 and 3 I promise!
six
Don’t drink wine the night before the exam, easy do when you’re stressed, but you’ll feel much brighter and refreshed if you abstain.
Seven
If you are stuck on a question, I found it helpful to write a few quick words in pencil of things I did know about the topic, then once I’d gained some confidence answering questions I did know well, I could go back and build an answer around my bullet points.
Eight
Turn your phone off and don’t wear your smart watch (don’t want to get this far only to be disqualified).
Nine
Bring several spare pens and pencils, better to be safe than sorry.
Ten
Don’t forget your water bottle.
Eleven
Wear something comfortable or at least something that you associate with studying, it can really help get you in the right mindset.
Twelve
Try not to discuss questions before or after the exam, it’ll only make you feel like you forgot something, and likely you didn’t!
Thirteen
Plan your time, this is really important for the theory section of WSET 3. The multiple choice should take half an hour, 45 mins, because the short answer questions are going to need your full concentration and plenty of time.
fourteen
Write as clearly as you can, I have terrible handwriting when I’m writing fast, you don’t want to miss any marks so try and make it nice and clear.
Fifteen
Go back and check for any silly mistakes!
where to next?
