A New Era in Coffee Evaluation

A historic new partnership between the Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) will provide better support to the coffee industry with more accessible educational opportunities. The evolved Q Grader Program is built on the SCA Coffee Value Assessment—an innovative evaluation system introduced in 2023 that expands coffee assessment to highlight the diverse attributes that make specialty coffee unique.

The partnership will evolve the content of the Q Grader Program and transition its management. As of October 1, 2025, the SCA will be operating an evolved Q Grader program based on the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), and CQI will no longer be involved in the operations of the Q Grader Program. 

The Evolved Q Grader program will help to expand the definition of ‘specialty’, support communication and collaboration in the coffee industry, and unlock deeper value for consumers.