If you clicked on this article, you’ve probably already figured out that in order to serve alcohol in the State of California, you will need to get RBS certified.
But now, you need to know how to get certified. Well, you’ve come to the right place because we are going to break it down for you into four, simple steps!
Our course walks you through the process of getting RBS certified!
Although these are the steps we recommend following to get RBS certified, please note that Step #1 and Step #2 are completely interchangeable. Since RBS Certification is new to California, we like to explain the process a little before sending students over the ABC’s online portal.
THE STEPS REQUIRED TO GET RBS CERTIFIED?
Step #1: Take a course.
The first step is to purchase an RBS training course that has been approved by the ABC. You must purchase a class whether you are getting RBS certified for the first time or renewing RBS Certification after three years.
Craft Serving’s new, modern online course is not only approved by the ABC, but it also features fun videos and interactive lessons developed by bartenders with years of experience working in the service industry. So, in other words… it’s practical!
Step #2: Register with the ABC.
The second step is to register as an alcohol server at the ABC’s online portal. From the portal’s landing page, select “LOG IN/REGISTER” in the top righthand corner. If you don’t already have an account with the ABC, you will need to create a new one.
Landing Page of ABC’s Online Portal
Once logged into your account, select “Server” to complete and pay $3 for your Server Application. This process takes about five minutes.
After you submit the application, you will be provided with a Server ID Number. Save this number as you will need it for the next step.
Step #3: Complete your RBS course.
Return to the course and provide Craft Serving with your Server ID Number. Immediately after you complete the course, we will send your Server ID Number to the ABC.
After the ABC matches our submission to the record they have for you, they will send you an email letting you know you have been granted access to take the final exam. Please allow the ABC up to 2 hours to complete this process.
IMPORTANT!
If the name and Server ID Number you provide us do not exactly match the name and Server ID number on record with the ABC, you will not be granted access to take the final exam.
Immediately after you finish our course, our system is set up to automatically transmit your data to the ABC.
As soon as it is transmitted, the ABC’s system automatically sends you an email letting you know you now have access to take the final exam.
Step #4: Pass the ABC’s exam.
After receiving access to the final exam, you have 30 days to pass it. To do this, log on to the ABC’s online portal and select “Take Exam.”
You will need to get a score of 70% or higher to pass the exam. Immediately after passing the exam, your certification status within the portal will change from “Not Certified” to “Certified.”
IS IT EASY TO GET RBS CERTIFIED?
Our course isn’t just a breath of fresh air, it’s a breeze! But we have to be honest, you might run into some difficulty with the ABC’s final exam. Some of our students have relayed they felt irrelevant and poorly worded exam questions created unnecessary confusion.
For example, below is a question that caused us a little personal hardship. As former bartenders at a craft cocktail lounge, we are guessing that the “right” answer here is “mai tai,” but just so you know ABC, we make our piña coladas with both a white and dark rum (because well, that’s how we tiki).
We hope that with time, and consistent feedback from alcohol servers, the ABC will look at revising some of their more subjective questions. In the meantime, we wanted to provide some helpful tips.
TIPS FOR PASSING THE ABC’S FINAL EXAM
The ABC’s final exam consists of 50 questions. You must score 70% or higher to pass; this equates to 35 correct answers out of 50.
According to the ABC, the final exam is an SAT-style test where the 50 questions are randomly generated from a larger bank of approximately 100+ questions. So, while each exam should be different from another, sometimes questions are reused.
The exam is an open note, open-book test with no time limit. You can also leave and return to the exam as many times as needed. That means, if you run into a tricky question, just head back to our course and look for the answer.
The ABC charges you a $3 non-refundable fee to take the exam. That fee grants you three attempts to pass the exam. If you fail three times, you will need to retake the entire course and exam. We won’t charge you to retake our course, but the ABC will charge you $3 to retake the exam.
In order to help ensure students pass the final exam, Craft Serving’s course content was written and developed with the ABC’s final exam questions in mind. Here are a couple of hot tips! 😉
- Our course teaches to the final exam as much as possible and oftentimes, bolded sections pertain to information that will be covered in the exam.
- Craft Serving provides all its students with a free Practice Test. The questions on the practice test are very similar to the questions on the ABC’s exam, so it’s a great way to prepare for the final exam.
MORE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GET RBS CERTIFIED
If you finished this article and still have questions, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page specific to California. These resources cover the Five W’s (and more!) to help you get RBS certified to serve alcohol in California today.
The Who, What, When, Where and Why:
