A Cicerone Study Gift: My BJCP Spreadsheet

Over the last couple weeks I’ve talked to a handful of people interested in getting their Cicerone Certification now that the written portion is available digitally.

It is awesome to hear the candidates’ enthusiasm and the sentiment that making one portion of the test digital has opened the certification up to more people that may not have considered it before. After these calls I found myself emailing some collection of my study materials, notes, spreadsheets, or just a book list to get started. After copying & pasting the fourth similar email I realized, these materials are something that I could make available to everyone!

They’re not magical bullets or “tricks” or “hacks” to pass. To pass you have to study, know your stuff, and be confident. But they are a good starting point!

First up, and the easiest to get into website-ready form is my BJCP styles sheet.

As a Google Sheet it is easy to make a copy and do with it what you please! (To make a copy click “File” and on that menu click “Make a Copy”)

I have tabs for IBU, SRM, and ABV because it was helpful for me to see the styles in order when memorizing them for my Advanced Cicerone® and understanding how they relate to each other for my Certified Cicerone®.

You can also filter by region or category the style is from, or print the whole thing without numbers as a way to test yourself when you’re memorizing the parameters. I hope it is a helpful starting point for those interested in getting into the program it’s something I still reference regularly!

Over the next week or so I’m going to share more of the notes that helped me study. But the best place to start will be referencing the resource list and syllabus on the Cicerone website. Happy studying!