Coffee Value Assessment for Cuppers – SCA Certificate Course

📅 Hosted by AST & CQI Instructor Zoey Thorson | Saturday & Sunday, December 6-7 9 am – 5 pm | 2-Day Course

This immersive, hands-on course is designed for experienced cuppers ready to transition into the next era of coffee evaluation. The Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) for Cuppers introduces the SCA’s groundbreaking new system for assessing coffee quality and value—moving beyond traditional cupping scores to a more nuanced, data-driven approach.

This will be the final opportunity for CQI Q Graders to transfer their license to the new SCA Evolved Q License. After 1/1/2026, the full Q Course will need to be completed to hold an EQ license. 

Over two full days, participants will learn to apply the complete CVA toolkit, including intensity scales, flavor mapping, and consumer preference evaluation, all while calibrating with SCA’s official sensory references. Students will perform guided cuppings and practical assessments using the CVA Descriptive and Affective Forms.

Ideal for Q Graders, quality control professionals, and seasoned cuppers, this course offers a fresh, structured approach to evaluating and communicating coffee quality in a modern marketplace.

🌟 What You’ll Learn

• Implement the complete Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) in your daily cupping practice

• Calibrate your sensory acuity using SCA’s official olfactory and intensity references

• Apply 15-point intensity scales for consistent and repeatable attribute scoring

• Use CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) methodology to capture complex flavor profiles

• Integrate hedonic scaling to reflect consumer preferences in quality assessment

• Distinguish between descriptive, affective, and extrinsic evaluation tools

• Interpret and apply CVA Descriptive and Affective Forms with confidence

💡 Topics Covered

• Introduction to the Coffee Value Assessment Framework

• Calibration with CVA Sensory References

• Conducting and Recording Evaluations with CVA Forms

• Integrating CVA into Professional Cupping Environments

🍴 Additional Details:

• Registration includes: SCA certificate cost, lunch, snacks, refreshments, and roasted coffee samples.

• Includes 4 formal assessments (written exam, olfactory reference test, descriptive evaluation, and affective evaluation)

• Participants receive an official certificate of acknowledgement from the SCA upon successful completion

• Certificate indicates CVA training completion

• Lunch, refreshments, and all materials provided

• SCA course Enrollment link

About the Instructor:

Zoey Thorson is a Q Instructor and SCA Authorized Skills Trainer (AST), currently consulting on coffee quality projects across the supply chain. She serves on the Standards Development Panel for the Specialty Coffee Association and is a council member for Living Wage for Us. With experience from farm to cup, Zoey brings a values-driven approach to specialty coffee. A passionate advocate for Hawaiian coffee since 2013, she remains actively involved in supporting its local communities. Outside of coffee, she enjoys the ocean, dogs, community building, and permaculture.