FAQs

What if I need to cancel my registration?

A full refund may only be provided if cancellation occurs within 24 hours of registration. Registration may be cancelled with a minimum 14 days prior to the start of any WSET course with a partial refund of course fee minus the cost of materials and shipping fee. No refunds apply to cancellations less than 14 days prior to the start of a course or during a program. If a course is cancelled by Bayer Beverage a refund of the course fee minus the cost of materials and shipping fee

How do I get reasonable adjustments for a course?

Both WSET and Bayer Beverage, LLC want to make WSET assessments accessible for all students, so none are at an advantage or disadvantage based on a disability or differing ability. This policy and the reasonable adjustment process allows Bayer Beverage, LLC to work with you, our student, before an assessment to gather the information we need to submit a request to WSET and work with them to make arrangements that give students access to WSET qualifications.

A reasonable adjustment is any accommodation or arrangement that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that substantially disadvantages a student’s assessment. Using a reasonable adjustment does not impact how WSET grades your exam, or your result, but WSET cannot agree to reasonable adjustments where your particular difficulty directly affects performance necessary to complete the assessment outcomes (e.g. inability to smell or taste for a Level 3 Exam). The goal of a reasonable adjustment is to give you equal access to a WSET qualification, not to give unfair advantages over other students who take an assessment without the same adjustment, or to affect the overall reliability of the assessment outcomes that are explained in the course Specification.

Examples of reasonable adjustments may be:

  • Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete the assessment activity;

  • Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format;

  • Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as sign language interpreter or reader;

  • Re-organizing the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate

Bayer Beverage, LLC will gather the information we need from you to submit a Reasonable Adjustment Application form to WSET. WSET must approve and arrange reasonable adjustments before the assessment activity takes place. Before completing enrollment with Bayer Beverage, LLC, we will give all students access to this policy and the chance to identify any special needs that could require a reasonable adjustment. If a student identifies a special need, Bayer Beverage, LLC will give the student the Reasonable Adjustment Application form as soon as possible and work with the student to gather the necessary information.

For any student seeking a reasonable adjustment, please contact Maureen Bayer at bayerbeverage@gmail.com with:

  • Your full name;

  • Contact information;

  • Description of the special need, disability, or differing ability that requires an adjustment; and

  • Supporting documentation

You must submit this information at least5 weeks prior to the exam date for Levels 1-3 qualifications. The information you submit will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

Bayer Beverage, LLC will keep records of all reasonable adjustment applications.

If I miss an exam, can I get special consideration?

Special consideration is any adjustment give to a student who has temporarily experienced an illness, injury, or other event outside of their control at the time of the exam that significantly affects their ability to take the exam or their ability to show their knowledge and understanding in the assessment. Special consideration is only for things that happen immediately before or during an exam that have a material impact on your, the student’s, ability to take the exam or on your performance. To be eligible for special consideration, you must have completed the whole course and would have been fully prepared if not for the temporary illness, injury or other uncontrollable event. A special consideration may be for an individual (e.g. a student becomes ill the day of the exam) or a group of students (e.g. an exam is interrupted by a natural disaster).

You may be eligible for special consideration if:

  • Your performance on the exam is adversely affected by an event outside of your control. This may include temporary illness, temporary injury, bereavement or exam room conditions;

  • Reasonable adjustments which were agreed in advance of the exam proved inappropriate or inadequate;

  • The application of special consideration would not make a passing result and certificate misleading about the student’s ability to satisfy the qualification’s assessment criteria.

If you have taken an exam, or your exam is immediately approaching, and you feel that you have a temporary injury or illness, or other uncontrollable event that has interfered with your ability to complete your exam, please contact Maureen Bayer at bayerbeverage@gmail.com as soon as possible. Bayer Beverage, LLC will provide you with a Special Consideration Application Form, which must be completed and returned with supporting documentation within 5 working days after effected exam. The information you submit will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

If there has been serious disruption during an exam affecting a group of students, Bayer Beverage, LLC will submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to WSET to request a special consideration.

Bayer Beverage, LLC will keep records of all applications for special consideration.

Can I file a complaint or appeal?

Any candidate may file a complaint with Bayer Beverage regarding WSET programming by contacting Maureen Bayer, owner, by email at bayerbeverage@gmail.com. All complaints will be confidential. If the candidate wants to first submit and informal complaint, they may speak directly to their course educator. A formal written complaint must be submitted to Maureen Bayer, owner, by email to bayerbeverage@gmail.com. When submitting a formal complaint the following must be included;

  • Name, address and contact information

  • Full details of the complaint i.e. the cause of dissatisfaction with operations, actions or behavior

  • All supporting information i.e. relevant documentation, dates, locations, any witnesses

  • Details of any previous attempts to resolve the identified dissatisfaction

  • What action or response they seek to resolve the dissatisfaction.

Bayer Beverage will acknowledge it in writing within 3 working days of receipt. Maureen will respond to the appellant in writing within 10 working days of the acknowledgement of the appeal, providing an explanation and resolution. A formal complaint must be received as well as the resolution before a complaint is referred to WSET. Should the student be dissatisfied with the proposed resolution, they may submit their complaint directly to the WSET Quality Assurance team at qa@wsetglobal.com.

Malpractice & Maladministration Policy

This policy is to protect the interest of WSET candidates and the integrity of the WSET qualifications. Maladministration, where non-compliance is accidental rather than intentional; and malpractice where non-compliance is intentional or the result of negligence. The boundaries between maladministration and malpractice are not clear-cut. WSET will determine through investigation whether an event is malpractice (unintentional) or maladministration (intentional or negligence). Malpractice or maladministration may include:

  • Insecure storage of assessment materials;

  • Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of certificates;

  • Plagiarism of any nature by students;

  • Impersonation (including forgery of signatures);

  • Disruptive behavior in an examination;

  • Unauthorized reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers

Any incident of non-compliance should be reported in writing to the Maureen Bayer, Owner at bayerbeverage@gmail.com immediately, who will inform WSET. If the non-compliance incident occurs during an exam, the Exams Officer must notify WSET by submitting the Notification of Malpractice Form. Any incidence of malpractice or maladministration, or failure to report such incidences, may lead to an investigation that can result in a number of sanctions, including but not limited to;

  • The suspension or discontinuation of Bayer Beverage approval as a WSET Approved Program Provider or a Candidate’s registration.

  • Disqualification of a student’s exam result and/or invalidation and recall of student’s certificate.

Conflict of Interest Policy

A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to WSET Awards when conducting activities associated with WSET qualifications.

Examples of Conflicts of Interest include:

  • The undertaking of any assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;

  • The undertaking of any moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;

  • The tutoring of candidates by an individual involved in the assessment process;

  • The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by an APP;

  • The invigilation of a WSET assessment by any individual involved in the delivery of training leading to the assessment;

  • The coaching of candidates by any individual involved in the assessment of candidate scripts or the authoring of examination questions;

  • The employment by an Bayer Beverage of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programs or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP;

  • The investigation of a non-compliance incident by someone who is unable to act impartially.

Though some conflicts of interest can be managed, Bayer Beverage will take all necessary steps to avoid conflicts of interest for candidates. Should a candidate feel there is a conflict of interest they must bring it to the attention of Maureen Bayer, owner at bayerbeverage@gmail.com. Any conflict of interest will be declared to the WSET Quality Assurance team.

Privacy & Data Protection Policy

All information collected for WSET candidates will be stored on a private server. Candidate information necessary for course and exam registration, to administer and conduct your examination, including making arrangements for reasonable adjustments and/or special considerations and to communicate with your course provider and issue your examination results and qualification certificate as appropriate, including name, gender, date of birth, phone number, email, and mailing address, will be submitted to WSET Global. Data submitted to WSET Global will be handled in accordance with WSET Data protection policy. Bayer Beverage will not sell or provide a third-party personal information.

Diversity & Equality Policy

Bayer Beverage assures fair and equal treatment to all candidates regardless of: age, disability; sex; sexual orientation; race; religion or belief; marital or familial status or any other status protected by law. Bayer Beverage will promote open access to WSET qualifications, having regard to the legal minimum age for the retail purchase of alcohol and assessment competence standards. Please contact Maureen Bayer, Owner at bayerbeverage@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.