What is a Q Grader?

A Q Grader is a professional coffee taster licensed by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) to evaluate and grade coffee according to the SCA cupping protocol, producing an official Q score on the 100-point scale. The Q Grader qualification is one of the most rigorous sensory certifications in the specialty coffee industry.

Achieving Q Grader status requires passing 22 individual tests covering sensory skills, including identifying specific flavour and aroma compounds, calibrating cupping scores to international standards, assessing green coffee appearance, and grading coffees to within a defined margin of a reference score. Exams are typically spread across a week and must be retaken every three years to maintain the licence.

For the green coffee trade, Q scores produced by licensed Q Graders carry significant commercial weight. A lot scored 85+ points by a licensed Q Grader commands a meaningful premium over uncertified lots. For buyers evaluating offer sheets, a Q score accompanied by the name of a licensed grader and a sample reference number is the most reliable independent quality indicator available - though cupping the coffee yourself remains the final verification.