From 20 Exams to 9: What the “Evolved Q Grader” Really Means for the Coffee Industry

The Q Grader Program — for two decades the global benchmark for sensory certification — has just undergone a historic transformation.

Now under the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), it moves from the old CQI model (20 exams, 9 modules) to a condensed version of 9 integrated exams.
Behind this structural change lies a deeper shift: a new way of defining quality.

The new SCA “Evolved Q” is based on the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA): four domains — physical, descriptive, affective, and extrinsic.
The famous 100-point form remains, but it’s no longer the center of gravity.

Advantages
• Efficiency: 9 exams reduce fatigue and barriers to entry.
• Evolution: All coffees have a value and CVA allows them to give this value, it is not only for Specialty Coffees. New modern post-harvest processes couldn’t be scored with the 2004 cupping form, CVA allows them to have a value as well. More inclusive at the end.
• Accessibility: tiered pricing and faster retakes make certification more inclusive.
• Relevance: the CVA aligns better with how buyers actually evaluate coffees today — not just by score, but by value narrative.
• Modernization: it invites producers and cuppers from origin countries into the quality conversation as storytellers, not just data providers.

Limitations
• Less granularity: fewer tests mean fewer checkpoints for error detection.
• Higher stakes: failing one exam can invalidate the entire course.
• Subjectivity: the “extrinsic” domain (traceability, branding, social impact) depends on interpretation.
• Transition friction: for now, two systems coexist — CQI’s legacy and SCA’s new model.

The Real Questions
Will coffee professionals embrace this as a modern, inclusive evolution — or see it as a downgrade of the once-elite Q Grader status?
Does simplifying sensory certification risk diluting the definition of Specialty Coffee, traditionally anchored above 80 points?
Or is it finally time to move beyond numbers toward a richer, multidimensional definition of value?