SCA BARISTA TEST LVL 1 CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
● Coffee bean. Answer: The seed of the Coffea plant, processed and roasted to produce the
beverage ingredient
● Coffea arabica. Answer: The primary species of commercial coffee, grown at higher
elevations and known for complex flavors
● Coffea canephora (robusta). Answer: A hardy coffee species with higher caffeine content
and typically more bitter, earthy flavor
● Coffee cherry. Answer: The fruit of the coffee plant containing one or two seeds (beans)
● Pulp. Answer: The fruit flesh of the coffee cherry surrounding the seeds
● Parchment. Answer: The papery layer surrounding the coffee bean beneath the pulp and
mucilage
● Silver skin. Answer: A thin, papery inner layer on the coffee bean that often remains as
chaff after roasting
● Mucilage. Answer: The sticky, sugary layer of the coffee cherry between the pulp and
parchment
● Coffee processing. Answer: Methods used to remove the fruit layers from the coffee bean
after harvest
● Washed (wet) processing. Answer: A method where pulp and mucilage are removed with
water before drying, producing clean, bright flavors
● Natural (dry) processing. Answer: A method where whole cherries are dried in the sun
before depulping, producing fruity, complex flavors
● Honey processing. Answer: A method where pulp is removed but some or all mucilage is
left during drying; produces intermediate sweetness and body
● Growing altitude. Answer: Higher altitude slows bean development, producing denser
beans with more complex acidity and flavor
, ● Terroir. Answer: The environmental conditions (soil, altitude, rainfall, temperature) that
contribute to a coffee's flavor
● Origin. Answer: The geographic region where a coffee was grown; influences flavor profile
● Single origin coffee. Answer: Coffee sourced from one specific farm, region, or country
● Blend. Answer: A combination of coffees from multiple origins roasted together or mixed
post-roast to achieve a consistent flavor profile
● Light roast. Answer: Roasting to the first crack stage; preserves origin characteristics,
higher acidity, lighter body
● Medium roast. Answer: Roasting beyond first crack to develop balance between origin
character and roast flavor
● Dark roast. Answer: Roasting into or beyond the second crack; reduces acidity, increases
bitterness, produces oily beans
● First crack. Answer: An audible cracking sound during roasting when water vapor expands
and cell walls break; marks light roast
● Second crack. Answer: A second cracking phase during roasting indicating deep
development of roast flavors
● Maillard reaction. Answer: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars
that produces brown color and roasted flavors
● Caramelization. Answer: The browning of sugars during roasting, contributing sweet,
caramel flavors
● Pyrolysis. Answer: Chemical decomposition of organic compounds during roasting that
develops coffee flavor complexity
● Roast development. Answer: The period from first crack to the end of roasting where
flavor compounds develop
● Charge temperature. Answer: The temperature at which green coffee beans are loaded
into the roaster drum
● Drop temperature. Answer: The temperature at which the roaster discharges the beans to
stop the roast
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
● Coffee bean. Answer: The seed of the Coffea plant, processed and roasted to produce the
beverage ingredient
● Coffea arabica. Answer: The primary species of commercial coffee, grown at higher
elevations and known for complex flavors
● Coffea canephora (robusta). Answer: A hardy coffee species with higher caffeine content
and typically more bitter, earthy flavor
● Coffee cherry. Answer: The fruit of the coffee plant containing one or two seeds (beans)
● Pulp. Answer: The fruit flesh of the coffee cherry surrounding the seeds
● Parchment. Answer: The papery layer surrounding the coffee bean beneath the pulp and
mucilage
● Silver skin. Answer: A thin, papery inner layer on the coffee bean that often remains as
chaff after roasting
● Mucilage. Answer: The sticky, sugary layer of the coffee cherry between the pulp and
parchment
● Coffee processing. Answer: Methods used to remove the fruit layers from the coffee bean
after harvest
● Washed (wet) processing. Answer: A method where pulp and mucilage are removed with
water before drying, producing clean, bright flavors
● Natural (dry) processing. Answer: A method where whole cherries are dried in the sun
before depulping, producing fruity, complex flavors
● Honey processing. Answer: A method where pulp is removed but some or all mucilage is
left during drying; produces intermediate sweetness and body
● Growing altitude. Answer: Higher altitude slows bean development, producing denser
beans with more complex acidity and flavor
, ● Terroir. Answer: The environmental conditions (soil, altitude, rainfall, temperature) that
contribute to a coffee's flavor
● Origin. Answer: The geographic region where a coffee was grown; influences flavor profile
● Single origin coffee. Answer: Coffee sourced from one specific farm, region, or country
● Blend. Answer: A combination of coffees from multiple origins roasted together or mixed
post-roast to achieve a consistent flavor profile
● Light roast. Answer: Roasting to the first crack stage; preserves origin characteristics,
higher acidity, lighter body
● Medium roast. Answer: Roasting beyond first crack to develop balance between origin
character and roast flavor
● Dark roast. Answer: Roasting into or beyond the second crack; reduces acidity, increases
bitterness, produces oily beans
● First crack. Answer: An audible cracking sound during roasting when water vapor expands
and cell walls break; marks light roast
● Second crack. Answer: A second cracking phase during roasting indicating deep
development of roast flavors
● Maillard reaction. Answer: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars
that produces brown color and roasted flavors
● Caramelization. Answer: The browning of sugars during roasting, contributing sweet,
caramel flavors
● Pyrolysis. Answer: Chemical decomposition of organic compounds during roasting that
develops coffee flavor complexity
● Roast development. Answer: The period from first crack to the end of roasting where
flavor compounds develop
● Charge temperature. Answer: The temperature at which green coffee beans are loaded
into the roaster drum
● Drop temperature. Answer: The temperature at which the roaster discharges the beans to
stop the roast
