Becoming A Beer Judge

[dr K]

And while we're talking about becoming a beer judge, the best way is to just get out there and do it... be a steward for a few competitions, sit in on a table with a few experienced judges, have a good group of fellow beer enthusiasts you can share tasting sessions with. It all helps immensely.

Spot on the Money !
You can learn your stats by rote to the point where you start looking down to which pirates shoulder you are perched on, but none, none of this is going to be as much help as actually getting involved with experienced judges and just doing it. Its the J in BJCP that gives it away, its all about knowing how to Judge a beer, how to assess a beer how to not just identify faults but make positive suggestions as to what may have caused them.
Does being a Certified or higher BJCP judge mean you are a good judge, perhaps not but it does show that you have sat for a fairly rigorous exam, judged by your peers, exceeded 70% in the exam and had reasonable experience in judging, as you need experience as well as exam points. What it does mean is that you are experienced and posses a vry good understanding of the process of making beer, of beer styles and of the reasons why those styles are styles.
If you would to fork out $US50 to sit an exam for the hell of it, then do so, or you join a study group, meet every two weeks for 6 months and then sit the exam. I went the second option....

K