How To Become A Certified Cheese Professional

How did you study?

GM: I downloaded the whole ACS body of knowledge. I read and re-read. Folks online offered old tests, so I downloaded those. I had my husband testing me. I did a stint at Jasper Hill Farm, their hands-on experience was really, really helpful. That was a four-day program for cheesemongers in preparation for the exam. It was everything, soup to nuts, starting in the classroom talking about the science of cheese, then being out with the herd manager and in the milking barn, the cheese-making room, and then wrapping cheese. That was where I crossed the t's and dotted the i's because hands-on is very different from book learning. It was funny because I kept reading things. I knew I had it in the back of my head, but I was nervous I didn't get it. It wasn't until I went to Jasper Hill and I saw milk curdling, saw what happens. It was interesting, really great. There are huge Facebook communities, of the ACS, the prep work, and just support. It's a really great community.

Take us through the test-taking experience.

GM: I was nervous, for sure. There were a couple more prep classes ahead of the test. A bunch of the cheesemakers in town for the convention were speaking. It was a great way to mingle and meet people. I'd finally whittled down my notes, like a book, and I kept going over and over them. You show up and you're in this huge ballroom, there were several hundred people taking the test. I didn't know anybody else; I was kind of all by myself. You've got the timer and monitors walking up and down the aisles.

You've got a book of a lot of questions (gallows laughter). I went through it once and answered everything I was sure of. Then I went back again, working my way through the ones that I was uncertain of. There were a lot of questions that I thought were subject to personal taste, like which of these cheeses is the fourth-best cheese on this platter? You have to think of why they're asking that, so you have to spend a little bit more time on certain questions. There were some people who submitted their test in like an hour. I remember thinking, 'Okay, well, either they're geniuses, or they just gave up.' Because the majority of us were there. It took me two hours and 45 minutes to get through everything.

I was exhausted. Seriously. I remember calling home, speaking to my husband, and being spent. I had one drink, it went right to my head, and I went right to sleep.

I had told all of my customers that I was flying to Denver to take the test to become a certified professional. Of course, they are like, 'so how did it go? Did you pass?' I was so nervous waiting for the results. I thought, 'my God if I fail, what are my customers gonna think of me?' I thought at the very least, they'll be proud I tried.