🎓 🍷 How to achieve a distinction grade in WSET Diploma D1 Wine Production?

After an incredibly long wait of 11 weeks, I finally received my WSET results. To my delight, I achieved what I hardly dared to hope for: a pass with distinction, the highest grade possible.

👇 Here are 5 valuable tips to help you achieve a distinction grade

✅ STUDY EVERY DETAIL AS OUTLINED IN THE STUDY MATERIAL

WSET expects you to understand all the ins and outs of each step in viticulture and vinification. For instance, you should be able to explain the differences between powdery and downy mildew. Identify your weaknesses and put extra effort into studying topics outside of your primary interest.

✅ VISUALIZE THE DAY OF YOUR EXAM

What strategy will you apply to conquer the exam? In what order will you answer the questions?

I dedicated 1 minute to scribble down 3 VERY important reminders I could rely on while addressing the questions:

✔ State the obvious

Don't forget to mention basic facts, even if they seem obvious. For example, explicitly state that Pinot Noir is a red grape variety.

✔ Give examples:

Showcase your knowledge by providing relevant examples. When discussing premium-priced, outstanding red wines, mention a top Bordeaux estate.

✔ What? Why? How? Result?

Go beyond stating facts. Always explain the reasons and consequences behind them.

Afterwards, I started working on the smaller questions right away. Time is tightly limited, so by getting the easy points first, more time was left for questions requiring a multipage answer.

✅ MANAGE YOUR TIME

Your exam paper will not indicate the points assigned to each question. Instead, WSET provides a guideline for the amount of time (in percentages) you should spend on each question.

The exam lasts 90 minutes, so if a question is worth 20%, allocate 18 minutes to write your response.

I placed a clock in front of me, and as soon as the allocated time expired, I immediately moved on to the next question, even if I hadn’t finished the current one.

You will likely run out of time by the end of the exam. I believe this setup serves as a test of your ability to concisely answer questions under significant time pressure.

✅ ENCIRCLE THE COMMAND VERBS IN THE QUESTIONS

The WSET Theory Guidance is one of the most important documents as it specifies the difference between "describe," "explain," and "compare”.

These verbs provide insight into how to answer the question and the level of detail the examiner expects you to provide.

✅ KEEP YOUR WORDING SIMPLE

As a non-native English speaker, I often have to search for the right words. Therefore, as part of my exam strategy, I used the simplest wording possible.

Also, shorter sentences give you more time to delve into answers deeply, which could lead to better scores.

While I'm still enjoying my result for the D1 module, there is still much to do to earn my DipWSET diploma.

🗓 Next up: the D2 exam on Wine Business on June 12th.