SCA BARISTA INTERMEDIATE COURSE COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
● Flavour Profile: Africa. Answer: Citric, floral, and fruity
● Flavour Profile: South America. Answer: Nutty, chocolatey
● Flavour Profile: Asia. Answer: Spicy, earthy
● Natural processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = fruity, sweet - Low acidity - Heavy body
● Washed processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = clean, bright and less intense fruitiness and
sweetness - Higher acidity - Lighter body
● Pulped natural processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = prominent sweetness, mellow
fruitiness - Medium to full body
● Honey processed coffee. Answer: - Caramel/honey-like sweetness and fruity - Medium
acidity and body
● Darker roasts. Answer: Higher solubility, therefore a higher extraction rate when making
espresso
● Lighter roasts. Answer: - Less solubility - Produce smaller beans, but have higher density
● Degassing. Answer: - The release of CO2 after roasting - Hinders solubility and causes
channeling
● How can packaging influence degassing rate. Answer: Reduce degassing by: - Storing
beans in an airtight, opaque bag with a one-way valve to release carbon dioxide without
letting oxygen in
● How can storage temperature influence degassing rate. Answer: Reduce degassing by:
- Storing them in a cool, dark place Avoid using the refrigerator, as moisture and odors can
alter the taste of the coffee. Hotter temperatures = faster degassing
● Logical customer-flow order. Answer: Order point → grinder(s) → knockbox/tamp →
espresso machine → milk station → hand-off point
, ● Efficient teamwork. Answer: In pairs: one on espresso and one on milk/pouring to
increase speed of service
● Retention and effect on flow rate. Answer: Grounds left inside: - Have degassed, less
resistance to water flow → under-extraction - Grounds mixed in can vary → inconsistent flow
rate = potential channelling
● Burr types and effect on flow rate. Answer: Flat/conical Flat = more uniform grind with
fewer fines → faster flow rate Conical = bimodal grind distribution (fine with coarse) → slower
flow rate
● Grinder temperature and effect on flow rate. Answer: Hotter grinds = more coarse, faster
flow rate Colder grinds = finer, slower flow rate
● Consistency matters. Answer: - Dosing + distribution + tamping consistency improves
taste and efficiency - Tamper fit matters for reducing channeling risk
● Brew ratio (formula). Answer: Brew ratio = yield/dose Expressed as dose:yield
● Expresso brew formula (EBF). Answer: (dose/yield) x 100 Expressed as %
● Strength. Answer: Measured as TDS% (via refractometer)
● Extraction % formula. Answer: (yield x TDS)/dose
● Lower EBF. Answer: - High acidity, lack of sweetness - Watery mouthfeel - Thin body?
● Normal EBF. Answer: - Balanced (acidity, sweetness, bitterness) in terms of taste - Round
and full body
● High EBF. Answer: - Bitter, burnt, dry - Intense flavor - Thin body
● SCA sensory evaluation. Answer: Sight, smell, taste, aftertaste
● Sight. Answer: - Crema: color (hazelnut-brown), thickness, consistency - Texture: smooth
or bubbly crema surface
● Smell (aroma). Answer: - Use the SCA Flavor Wheel: floral, nutty, spicy, fermented -
Descriptive categories: roasted (cocoa, caramel), fruity, spicy
● Taste (flavor and body). Answer: - Identify balance of sweetness, acidity, bitterness -
Describe body: light, medium, heavy, syrupy - Mouthfeel: dry, creamy, thin, chalky
● Aftertaste (finish). Answer: - Length: short vs long - Quality: clean, sweet, harsh, drying
STUDY GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
● Flavour Profile: Africa. Answer: Citric, floral, and fruity
● Flavour Profile: South America. Answer: Nutty, chocolatey
● Flavour Profile: Asia. Answer: Spicy, earthy
● Natural processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = fruity, sweet - Low acidity - Heavy body
● Washed processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = clean, bright and less intense fruitiness and
sweetness - Higher acidity - Lighter body
● Pulped natural processed coffee. Answer: - Taste = prominent sweetness, mellow
fruitiness - Medium to full body
● Honey processed coffee. Answer: - Caramel/honey-like sweetness and fruity - Medium
acidity and body
● Darker roasts. Answer: Higher solubility, therefore a higher extraction rate when making
espresso
● Lighter roasts. Answer: - Less solubility - Produce smaller beans, but have higher density
● Degassing. Answer: - The release of CO2 after roasting - Hinders solubility and causes
channeling
● How can packaging influence degassing rate. Answer: Reduce degassing by: - Storing
beans in an airtight, opaque bag with a one-way valve to release carbon dioxide without
letting oxygen in
● How can storage temperature influence degassing rate. Answer: Reduce degassing by:
- Storing them in a cool, dark place Avoid using the refrigerator, as moisture and odors can
alter the taste of the coffee. Hotter temperatures = faster degassing
● Logical customer-flow order. Answer: Order point → grinder(s) → knockbox/tamp →
espresso machine → milk station → hand-off point
, ● Efficient teamwork. Answer: In pairs: one on espresso and one on milk/pouring to
increase speed of service
● Retention and effect on flow rate. Answer: Grounds left inside: - Have degassed, less
resistance to water flow → under-extraction - Grounds mixed in can vary → inconsistent flow
rate = potential channelling
● Burr types and effect on flow rate. Answer: Flat/conical Flat = more uniform grind with
fewer fines → faster flow rate Conical = bimodal grind distribution (fine with coarse) → slower
flow rate
● Grinder temperature and effect on flow rate. Answer: Hotter grinds = more coarse, faster
flow rate Colder grinds = finer, slower flow rate
● Consistency matters. Answer: - Dosing + distribution + tamping consistency improves
taste and efficiency - Tamper fit matters for reducing channeling risk
● Brew ratio (formula). Answer: Brew ratio = yield/dose Expressed as dose:yield
● Expresso brew formula (EBF). Answer: (dose/yield) x 100 Expressed as %
● Strength. Answer: Measured as TDS% (via refractometer)
● Extraction % formula. Answer: (yield x TDS)/dose
● Lower EBF. Answer: - High acidity, lack of sweetness - Watery mouthfeel - Thin body?
● Normal EBF. Answer: - Balanced (acidity, sweetness, bitterness) in terms of taste - Round
and full body
● High EBF. Answer: - Bitter, burnt, dry - Intense flavor - Thin body
● SCA sensory evaluation. Answer: Sight, smell, taste, aftertaste
● Sight. Answer: - Crema: color (hazelnut-brown), thickness, consistency - Texture: smooth
or bubbly crema surface
● Smell (aroma). Answer: - Use the SCA Flavor Wheel: floral, nutty, spicy, fermented -
Descriptive categories: roasted (cocoa, caramel), fruity, spicy
● Taste (flavor and body). Answer: - Identify balance of sweetness, acidity, bitterness -
Describe body: light, medium, heavy, syrupy - Mouthfeel: dry, creamy, thin, chalky
● Aftertaste (finish). Answer: - Length: short vs long - Quality: clean, sweet, harsh, drying
