WSET Level 2 Award in Wines

The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is the step up from Level 1, described by Florida Wine Academy as a beginner to intermediate qualification. It covers how climate, grape growing, winemaking and maturation shape the style and quality of wines from the principal grape varieties, regionally important grapes and regions around the world, the key styles of sparkling and fortified wine, label terms, storage and service, food and wine pairing, and tasting with WSET’s Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting. WSET awards are voluntary professional qualifications: the certificates a yacht job actually requires are STCW Basic Safety Training and a seafarer medical such as the ENG1.

How the online course works

Online courses have fixed start and finish dates but no live log-on times. WSET School London runs five weeks of self-guided study (16 hours of guided learning) with a dedicated online tutor and one year of access to the Online Classroom; wines are not included and the school recommends tasting at least 14. Florida Wine Academy runs a five-week, six-module programme and recommends about six hours of study a week. The Wandering Wine School runs a five-week online course and offers crew studying with it discounts on Coravin wine sets.

The exam

Level 2 in English can be examined online by remote invigilation, and all three schools offer this; WSET School London also offers the exam in London. Florida Wine Academy describes a closed-book exam of 50 multiple-choice questions in one hour with 55% needed to pass, taken after the advertised end of the course and within one year of the start date. The Wandering Wine School says its exam can be sat in a spare room or cabin. WSET School London says online exams are not possible in Mainland China or the UAE.

Prices

Published online prices are £465 at WSET School London, $599 at Florida Wine Academy and £550 at The Wandering Wine School, each including the exam. WSET School London closes booking 11 to 12 days before each online start, so check the deadline on the school’s own course page before you plan around a date. Start with WSET Level 1 if you are new to wine; WSET Level 3 is the next level.

For interior crew: see the interior career pathway, interior and stewardess training and the wider wine, food and beverage courses in the directory. Facts on this page come from each school’s own website and from wsetglobal.com, read on 21 October 2026.