Strategy

It’s less applicable given the changes in the Written exam, but there are still ways to leverage your preparation.  Look at the eleven Recipe styles, the frequency of styles that could appear in the two Style questions, and then look at which Style threesomes offer the Exam Directors the best coverage of all 80-plus styles.  The two style questions combined with the Recipe question will likely represent the important major categories of styles, and are the only opportunity to ensure a new National/Master judge knows pilseners or wheats, as well as some of the obscure styles like sours. For example, anticipate different combos that cover all the bases:  if you practice writing an ale Recipe, then write the Pilsners style question (CAP, Bo, German) along with it.  If you write a Pilsner Recipe, then you should practice a English or Belgian style threesome.

So, total and complete preparation of every possible question is more important than ever. There is barely time to unload well-formed answers that you have prepared, so showing up without having already prepared your answers will make it more difficult.

There are roughly 16-17 minutes per question now, allowing five minutes to do the 20 T/F questions.  The best way to prepare is to write down your answers as you plan to during the exam, and then tweak and hone it each time you practice “unloading” it during your study/review time.  In my opinion, merely reading about the styles and reading the study guide or How to Brew is not enough to prepare for the time crunch, and to write the quality of answers needed to excel on the exam.  The Written exam requires much written preparation to do your best.