34. Top 5 Mistakes Students Make in the WSET Level 3 Tasting Exam

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Episode Summary

In this episode, Joanne tackles one of the most stressful parts of the WSET Level 3 exam: the tasting portion. As someone who has graded many exams, she walks through the five most common mistakes students make when writing their tasting notes—and explains how to avoid them.

This episode is packed with clear, practical advice to help students approach the tasting exam with structure and confidence.

In This Episode

• Why the tasting section feels intimidating, and why you shouldn’t panic

• The importance of using specific SAT vocabulary—no wine poetry

• Why guessing the wine and building your note around it can lead to failure

• The difference between aromas and flavors, and why you must list both

• Why omitting key words like “lemon” or “dry” can cost you

• The mistake of using “medium plus” for alcohol and how to get that point back

• Why memorizing the SAT order is crucial (you can’t use the card during the exam)

• The value of creating your own “anagram” to structure your note under pressure

• A reminder that calibration matters—know your instructor’s tasting style

Next Week

We’ll move on to the theory portion of the WSET Level 3 exam and discuss the top five most common mistakes students make in their written answers.