SCA Intermediate Barista Skills (2025/2026
Latest Update) | Specialty Coffee Association |
Complete Study Guide & Practice Q&A
Which plant does coffee come from? - correct answerThe Coffea genus of the
Rubiaceae family of flowering plants - shrubs or small trees (4-7 foot tall)
Name 5 species of coffee - correct answerArabica (66%), Canephora/Robusta (33%),
Liberia, Racemora, Eugenioides
What is the origin myth for coffee? - correct answerDiscovered by a goat herder in
Ethiopia in the 1300s - discovered a change in his goats
What is Typica? - correct answerThe oldest variety of coffee - discovered in Ethiopia
What is Bourbon? - correct answerNatural mutation of Typical - on the island of Reunion
(known as Bourbon)
What is Timor Hybrid? - correct answerNatural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta -
discovered Timor
What are SL28/SL34/SL14? - correct answerBred by Scott Labs in Kenya in the 1930s -
high-quality, resilient, fruity
What is Pacas? - correct answerFound in 1949 in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador
What is Gesha/Geisha? - correct answerWild Ethiopian coffee - cultivated in Central
America
Flavour profile of African coffee - correct answerFloral/fruity
Flavour profile of South American coffee - correct answerNutty/chocolatey
Flavour profile of Asian coffee - correct answerEarthy/spicy
How are coffee cherries picked? - correct answerStrip-picked (doesn't discriminate
between ripeness) or hand-picked (more likely for specialty coffee)
How are coffee cherries sorted? - correct answerFloated on water channels - ripe
cherries sink so floaters can be removed
, What does pulping involve? - correct answerRemoving the skin and fruit of a cherry
using a depulper
What does washing involve? - correct answerSoaking the bean in tanks of water to
remove remaining fruit and then rinsing
What does drying involve? - correct answerLaying out the bean or cherry in the sun on
raised beds, nets or patios
What does hulling involve? - correct answerRemoving dried fruit or parchment from the
green coffee bean
What does the natural process involve? - correct answerDrying the whole unwashed
coffee cherry - as would happen in nature
What does the honey/pulp natural process involve? - correct answerPulping the bean
and then drying without washing
What does the washed process involve? - correct answerPulping and washing the bean
before drying
Taste profile of the natural process - correct answerLow acidity, heavy body
Taste profile of the washed process - correct answerLight flavours, light body
What is the Maillard reaction? - correct answerA chemical reaction between the amino
acids and sugars in the bean that cause the browning of the bean
How does roasting affect the flavour of coffee? - correct answerSoluble flavours are
created during roasting, so the darker the roast, the more soluble flavours are there
How does roasting affect the density of coffee? - correct answerThe darker the roast,
the less dense the coffee is
1st step in the roasting process - correct answerDrying - as the bean loses moisture
when it enters the roaster
2nd step in the roasting process - correct answerYellowing - when the Maillard reaction
begins and causes the bean to brown
3rd step in the roasting process - correct answer1st crack - when the water vapour in
the bean causes the bean to explode (doubles in size, halves in weight)
4th step in the roasting process - correct answerDevelopment - when soluble flavours
and CO2 build
Latest Update) | Specialty Coffee Association |
Complete Study Guide & Practice Q&A
Which plant does coffee come from? - correct answerThe Coffea genus of the
Rubiaceae family of flowering plants - shrubs or small trees (4-7 foot tall)
Name 5 species of coffee - correct answerArabica (66%), Canephora/Robusta (33%),
Liberia, Racemora, Eugenioides
What is the origin myth for coffee? - correct answerDiscovered by a goat herder in
Ethiopia in the 1300s - discovered a change in his goats
What is Typica? - correct answerThe oldest variety of coffee - discovered in Ethiopia
What is Bourbon? - correct answerNatural mutation of Typical - on the island of Reunion
(known as Bourbon)
What is Timor Hybrid? - correct answerNatural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta -
discovered Timor
What are SL28/SL34/SL14? - correct answerBred by Scott Labs in Kenya in the 1930s -
high-quality, resilient, fruity
What is Pacas? - correct answerFound in 1949 in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador
What is Gesha/Geisha? - correct answerWild Ethiopian coffee - cultivated in Central
America
Flavour profile of African coffee - correct answerFloral/fruity
Flavour profile of South American coffee - correct answerNutty/chocolatey
Flavour profile of Asian coffee - correct answerEarthy/spicy
How are coffee cherries picked? - correct answerStrip-picked (doesn't discriminate
between ripeness) or hand-picked (more likely for specialty coffee)
How are coffee cherries sorted? - correct answerFloated on water channels - ripe
cherries sink so floaters can be removed
, What does pulping involve? - correct answerRemoving the skin and fruit of a cherry
using a depulper
What does washing involve? - correct answerSoaking the bean in tanks of water to
remove remaining fruit and then rinsing
What does drying involve? - correct answerLaying out the bean or cherry in the sun on
raised beds, nets or patios
What does hulling involve? - correct answerRemoving dried fruit or parchment from the
green coffee bean
What does the natural process involve? - correct answerDrying the whole unwashed
coffee cherry - as would happen in nature
What does the honey/pulp natural process involve? - correct answerPulping the bean
and then drying without washing
What does the washed process involve? - correct answerPulping and washing the bean
before drying
Taste profile of the natural process - correct answerLow acidity, heavy body
Taste profile of the washed process - correct answerLight flavours, light body
What is the Maillard reaction? - correct answerA chemical reaction between the amino
acids and sugars in the bean that cause the browning of the bean
How does roasting affect the flavour of coffee? - correct answerSoluble flavours are
created during roasting, so the darker the roast, the more soluble flavours are there
How does roasting affect the density of coffee? - correct answerThe darker the roast,
the less dense the coffee is
1st step in the roasting process - correct answerDrying - as the bean loses moisture
when it enters the roaster
2nd step in the roasting process - correct answerYellowing - when the Maillard reaction
begins and causes the bean to brown
3rd step in the roasting process - correct answer1st crack - when the water vapour in
the bean causes the bean to explode (doubles in size, halves in weight)
4th step in the roasting process - correct answerDevelopment - when soluble flavours
and CO2 build
