Those who wish to take the Master Sommelier exam must have passed the Advanced exam, be invited or recommended to sit the exam and have typically worked in the industry for at least 10 years.
The exam covers all aspects of the world and industry of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, and hospitality from a business, service and philosophical approach.
The three part, oral exam consists of theory (must be passed before taking the other two parts), blind tasting six wines before a panel, and service; the three sections do not need be attempted at once.
Candidates may take the blind tasting and service exam in successive years. Once the first portion is passed, a candidate has a three-year window, starting with the first attempt, to pass all three portions, i.e. a candidate can pass one part each year for about three consecutive years and successfully become a Master Sommelier.
If all three parts are not passed in the three-year window the candidate resets to zero and must retake all parts. The minimum score for each of the three sections to pass is 75 percent at the Master Sommelier level.
The typical pass rate at the Master Sommelier exam is around 3–8 percent of applicants; in some instances as few as 1 in 70 have succeeded.
The Master Sommelier exam is offered twice per year in the US and once per year in the UK. On average candidates sit for the exam two to three times, and some take the test as many as six times.
Only 14 people have ever passed the Master level on the first try. Some attempt the exam up to a dozen times before passing. Passing on the first attempt and with the highest score, earns the new Master Sommelier the Remi Krug Cup.
In 2020, the American branch of the court removed the single term “master” from its title-ship, instead adopting the full term “master sommelier” to cultivate diversity and reducing racism.