INTERESTED IN JUDGING?
Taste some of the best coffee in the world
ASCA Judges literally get front row seats to taste some of the best coffee on the planet, presented by world-class baristas.
Increase your coffee knowledge
Taking part in ASCA Judging calibration is some of the least expensive training available in the industry, with world-class instructors offering training in a globally certified format.
Be part of something bigger
With your investment into judging, you are making a difference within the specialty coffee industry. At the base level, barista’s are given the opportunity to increase their confidence and industry knowledge while feeling supported. Consumers are given the chance to learn to drink and pay more for specialty coffee, helping everyone in the value chain, from baristas through to café owners, roasters, traders and coffee farmers. Just as pivotal, the coffee community gets the chance to learn from you and bring more voices into conversation about important topics surrounding coffee in Australia.
Network with the industry’s best
Doing business in the Australian specialty coffee scene is all about relationships. ASCA judging circles include the leadership of Australia’s top coffee companies. Taking part in ASCA judging is the best way to connect and network with the Australian specialty coffee industry.
National Judges
ASCA is very proud to have some of the best judging talent in the world. Our team of judges play a vital role in developing and selecting the next generation of barista champions, as well as supporting our Australia’s up and coming talents.
Being a judge is a selfless pursuit with our judges giving up their time, expertise and resources, as well as flying around Australia and the world. ASCA endeavors to support our judging community with accreditation, calibration and workshops that are second to none. In turn, our judges are renowned on the world stage for their skills and abilities.
WHO CAN JUDGE?
Short answer – you can! We encourage all members of ASCA who meet the prerequisites below to get involved and apply for CCC competitions. The ASCA judging stage is an inclusive, encouraging and education focused environment built around supporting coffee professionals to take this leap.
In saying this, it is not easy and individuals interested in pursuing judging are encouraged to study the rules, attend events and practice their craft as often as possible before arriving at their event. Just turning up on calibration day does not make you a judge. ASCA will provide the guidance and the tools required for you to study prior to the event, with the opportunity to shadow the judging team or take on alternative roles available to judges who do not yet feel confident.
Judging at the ACC (Australian Coffee Championships – National Competition) is reserved for experienced judges who meet the criteria outlined below.
NEW JUDGES PATHWAY (UNACCREDITED)
ASCA Membership:
You must be a current financial ASCA member at the level of “Coffee Professional” or higher.
Judging without Accreditation (Regionals):
Unaccredited judges are invited to judge in their local CCC (Community Coffee Champs) competition.
They should look to attend any Judging Workshops that are available to be facilitated in their region. All judges must undergo in person calibration (can be completed at the event) before judging at the CCC or the ACC. This may extend to attending a mandatory, online, rules and regs session prior to competition. Only judges that successfully pass calibration (See Calibration Workshop below) and demonstrate the key judging competencies will be eligible to be selected to judge. This will be at the discretion of the Lead Head Judge(s) and the National Body Representative.
CALIBRATION WORKSHOPS
The fee for calibration is:
$150+GST for new judges
$100+GST for returning judges (from the immediately preceding year)
$50+GST for (CCC) for current World Certified Judges
$100+GST for (ACC) for current World Certified Judges
You will only be able to judge in one competition discipline at a time. You cannot coach and judge during the competition. Anyone part of a Coaching team must cease contact and or coaching with competitor from the morning of calibration up until the winners’ announcements.
Calibration Day:
Calibration day involves sensory and technical exercises as well as a calibration competitors presenting full routine(s). You will be asked to judge them as a technical or sensory judge. You will go into a judges’ deliberation. You will also need to justify your scores in a debrief with the calibration competitor afterwards.
You will be assessed on:
1. Your capacity to explain your visual/sensory/technical scores.Your ability to clearly articulate your sensory experience or what transpired from a technical perspective.
2. Your understanding and ability to be present in the deliberation, listen to other judges experiences, and your propensity to adjust your scores upon reflection, as required, during the deliberation.
3. Your ability to correctly and legibly fill in your scoresheet with comments that reference the rules.
4. Your ability to describe your experience and justify your scores to the competitor in the debrief.
Passing calibration makes you eligible to be selected to judge. The selection is at the discretion of the Lead Head Judge, National Body / WCC Representative. This is an opportunity to support your local community and support your local coffee competitors in their coffee journey. It should not be taken for granted and should be a source of pride for you.
Judging should be undertaken seriously but should also be an enjoyable moment. Don’t forget to soak in the opportunity and have fun. It is literally the best seat in the house, plus you hopefully get served some amazing coffees.
If you were unsuccessful at calibration, it does not end there. You will be given the opportunity to participate in competitions in other ways. You may be given the role of Scribe, Shadow Judge, Timekeeper, or Station Runner or other roles that may need to be filled to run successful competitions. This will keep you in touch with the competitions and give you the opportunity to see how it all works and hopefully you will learn how to improve for next time.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Travelling Judges:
With our new Community Coffee Champs (CCC) program, ASCA will endeavour to offset some of the accommodation cost for travelling judges. ASCA will be providing a communal Airbnb(s) for travelling judges to share if they desire. This is to better support our judges and recognise their commitment in making judging in our competitions more consistent and of the highest quality. Places for the Airbnb need to be confirmed a minimum of 3 weeks out from competition to: president@aasca.com.
Housekeeping:
Prior to attending calibration day, you should have a thorough knowledge of the rules and regulations. You should have read them multiple times. Highlighting important bits or making notes.
You should always bring along your own personal copy of the rules and regulations to refer to throughout the day (Tip: They will last longer if you put them in a display folder with plastic pockets)
Always bring along a refillable water bottle so you can stay hydrated. A water station will be provided to refill at. Wear comfortable shoes and appropriate, neat, pressed clothes.
If you are fussy about your pencil or prefer to use a particular mechanical pencil, please bring along a small pencil case with your preferred pens, pencil, highlighter, eraser and sharpener. ASCA does have a limited stationery kit, but you will always find yourself short of what you want.
If you have specific dietary requirements, allergies etc. please bring along your own personal food to make sure you are properly nourished. If you need certain “snacks” to get you through the day, please bring them along so you are comfortable. We will provide some food, fruit and snacks but if you have specific requirements please try and be self-sufficient.
INTRODUCING JUDGES ACCREDITATION
For experienced judges, ASCA have developed a new Judges Accreditation program. This program aims to certify and acknowledge experienced judges’ skillsets within our community as well as give them a pathway to judge national competitions.
Based on some of the best accreditation programs globally, the new testing criteria will consist of a combination of theory as well as practical sensory and skill based exercises.
JUDGES PATHWAY (ACCREDITED)
ASCA Membership:
You must be a current financial ASCA member at the level of “Coffee Professional” or higher.
Judges Accreditation (National Competition):
A current Judges Accreditation certificate must be obtained through a Judging Accreditation Workshop for the ability to participate in Judging at the ACC (Australian Coffee Championships – Nationals). See below for more information.
JUDGING ACCREDITATION WORKSHOPS
In order to be eligible, and adequately prepared, to undertake the ASCA Judges Accreditation, you need to have judged for a minimum of 2 years in regional competitions and then have been selected to judge at a minimum of 2 Australian Coffee Championships (Nationals)
The fee for the ASCA Judges Accreditation is $450+GST. (This is professional development and may be tax deductible, check with your accountant). It will consist of an online or in person written test, an olfactory test, a sensory and practical test.
Anyone who successfully passes the ASCA Judges Accreditation will be accredited for a period of two (2) years which can be rolled over for a further one (1) year if they attend and judge at one Community Coffee Champs (CCC), outside their local one, and get selected to judge at the Australian Coffee Championships (ACC) in the same competition year.
If fully Accredited there will be no cost to judge at the Community Coffee Champs or the Australian Coffee Championships.
Only fully Accredited judges will be eligible to be selected to judge at the Australian Coffee Championships, unless one has met either criteria in the top clause listed.
ASCA reserves the right to invite judges outside these criteria to judge specific national competitions where appropriate.
World Certified Judges
ASCA recognises your commitment to judging. ASCA encourages all current WCC certified judges to undertake the ASCA Judges Accreditation when possible. However, if you have valid WCC certification at the commencement of the competition you wish to judge in, you will only need to take part in the online written test and attend the calibration before the competition you wish to judge in. The fee for each CCC (Regionals) calibration is $50, the fee for the ACC (Nationals) is $100
We want to make sure everyone is calibrated on the day of the competition and will rely on your experience and knowledge to upskill new and returning judges. ASCA officially recognises your World Judge Certification and relies on your example to encourage other judges to pursue this pathway.