6 Essential Tips & Tricks to Master the Challenging Short Answer Questions of the WSET Level 3 Award in Wine Exam.
The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines has a pass rate of less than 50%, and you may be wondering why. Is it because the tasting is challenging? Or is it due to the theory part? The answer is very clear: it's mainly due to the theory part, specifically the notoriously difficult Short Written Answer Questions (SWAQs). These questions require a specific technique to formulate concise and relevant responses that demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics.
But don't worry! Once you understand how to approach this section of the exam, you're already on your way to success. With practice and a solid knowledge base, you can ace it!
In this article, we will provide you with simple yet critical tips to help you learn the technique needed to succeed in this part of the exam.
To make the tips even clearer, let's examine the first example question in the specification document:
Chardonnay can grow in both cool and warm climates. Give an example of one cool climate region and one warm climate region in Australia where Chardonnay is grown and describe the impact of the climate on the fruit characteristics of the grapes.
- Cool climate: 3 marks
- Warm climate: 3 marks
1. Understand the command verbs
Start by carefully reading the question multiple times, identifying, and underlining the command verbs. These verbs tell you exactly what the marker is looking for in your answer. Some examples of command verbs include "define," "identify," "list," "describe," "compare," "explain," and "evaluate."
Unfortunately, many students overlook the importance of command verbs and jump straight into discussing the general topic. For example, if the question is about botrytized sweet wines or the Rhône Valley, they might write everything they know about it. While this may earn some marks, it's an ineffective strategy that wastes time on irrelevant information and rarely earns enough marks to pass the exam.
In the example question provided, the command verbs to identify are underlined in red:
Chardonnay can grow in both cool and warm climates. Give an example of one cool climate region and one warm climate region in Australia where Chardonnay is grown and describe the impact of the climate on the fruit characteristics of the grapes.
- Cool climate: 3 marks
- Warm climate: 3 marks
To score full marks, be sure to address both requirements.
2. Identify the defining nouns
After identifying the command verbs in the WSET 3 Short Written Answer Question, it's crucial to understand the topic of the question by identifying the defining nouns. You can do this by circling or underlining the defining nouns in the question.
For instance, in our question, the defining nouns are underlined in green:
Chardonnay can grow in both cool and warm climates. Give an example of one cool climate region and one warm climate region in Australia where Chardonnay is grown and describe the impact of the climate on the fruit characteristics of the grapes.
- Cool climate: 3 marks
- Warm climate: 3 marks
These nouns provide the exact framework for your answer. It's important to note that you won't receive any points if you refer to regions outside of Australia or to Australian regions where Chardonnay isn't widely planted. Additionally, your answer should specifically describe the impact of the two climate types on the characteristics of Chardonnay fruit, rather than in general on grapes, on another grape variety, or on any viticultural or winemaking practices.
3. Consider how many marks are available
Each of the four WSET 3 Short Written Answer Questions (SWAQs) is divided into smaller sub-questions, each with a specific number of available marks. The available marks provide an important indication of how much to write and how much time to spend on each answer.
As a general rule, 1 Mark = 1 Fact!
Referring back to our example question, there are three marks available for the answer on cool climate. From the command verbs and defining nouns, we can determine what information to provide:
An example of a cool climate region in Australia where Chardonnay is grown (1 mark)
Description of the climate impact on the characteristics of Chardonnay fruit (2 marks)
Where one mark is available, one fact should be provided. In our example question, we should name one Australian region, and naming additional regions will not earn extra points.
If two marks are available, two solid facts should be provided to earn those marks. In our example question, we should mention two impacts that the cool climate has on the Chardonnay grapes. If we mention only one fact, we will not receive the full marks. However, it is unnecessary to spend a long time elaborating on all possible impacts or providing complementary information. The examiner will only read until the two impacts have been found and will not give any additional points for anything written beyond that. Therefore, it is important not to waste valuable time and move on to the next question.
Time management is crucial for exam success, and we have written another article on this topic. Read it here if you're interested.
4. Outline your answer
Before you begin writing your answer, it's important to create an outline either mentally or on paper. This outline should include the main points you want to cover in your response. Having a clear outline will help you stay focused on the topic and ensure that you don't overlook any critical details.
A possible outline for our example question could be:
Mornington Peninsula
Climate impact on acidity
Climate impact on flavour profile
5. Use the BLUF approach
The BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) approach is an effective communication technique that involves presenting the main point of a message at the beginning, followed by supporting details.
To effectively answer the SWAQs, we recommend using this effective approach and adapting it as follows:
Provide a concise but comprehensive answer that meets the examiner's requirements, with one good element for each available mark.
Repeat the process for all questions.
Go back to the first question, proofread and, if time allows, elaborate further by adding relevant explanations, examples, and connections between concepts to demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic.
Repeat for all questions, being conscious of time.
Referring back once again to our example question, once we are sure we answered it completely and have some time left we could:
Mention a second Australian region that presents a cool climate where Chardonnay is widely planted.
Discuss additional impacts of the cool climate on the Chardonnay grapes.
Using this technique allows you to manage time wisely and ensure you earn the maximum available points.
6. Stick to the WSET 3 terminology
In the world of wine, various terms and ways of describing wines, soils, and grapes exist. However, the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) employs specific terminology to define and describe the elements involved in the winemaking process. While other descriptions might be accurate, the WSET expects students to adhere to the terminology presented in the textbook.
7. Study with flashcards (check out ours)
You need to know a substantial amount of information to write a relevant answer to the questions, so make sure you are well-prepared. To enhance your preparation, we highly recommend utilizing flashcards and dedicating one hour each day to revise them. Alternatively, you can opt for two or three shorter study sessions spread throughout the day. We have developed a comprehensive set of 2800 digital flashcards specifically designed for the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. These flashcards are conveniently accessible through a smartphone app, which you can purchase here.
Wishing you an enjoyable studying experience and the best of luck on your exam!
Nicky
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