Now to the key point: how fast can you write? This is a question of penmanship. Do you know how long it takes you to handwrite a lot of legible words? Can you keep that pace up for hours?

So, Distinction on D3 Theory really exists only in theory, and Merits are few and far between (~7%). That means you’re taking a test where you must get a score of 55 to pass, but 65 (Merit) takes a miracle, and 75 (Distinction) doesn’t seem to exist in nature.

If you think about the size of the step-up in commitment from WSET level 2 to level 3, then the Diploma isn’t level 4. It’s about level 10.

When the wise men and women at WSET told us what flavors and aromas to look for in a great wine, what they were really saying was: What will remind us of Christmas dinner when we were growing up in England?