What is beer scoring? What are the scores used for and how do I enter one?

You are probably aware of the ‘Good Beer Guide’, National CAMRA’s flagship publication which lists the best pubs in the UK. But what you may not know is how those pubs are selected to appear in the Guide.

The answer is that it is largely via beer scores submitted by CAMRA members from all over the country. So, if you are a CAMRA member you can send in beer scores, if you’ve ever wondered why your favourite pub isn’t in the Guide, this may well be because you, and others, haven’t entered scores rating the quality of beer there. By beer scoring, you can contribute to the process of selection of pubs that go in the Good Beer Guide.

So how do I score the quality of the beer?

You don’t have to be an ‘expert’ to begin scoring your beer. However, it is not about your personal favourite beer receiving the highest scores!
You may try a beer that isn’t to your normal taste but what you need to consider is the quality of that beer, how well the pub has kept it and served it, and score it according to the general guide below.

From 1 June 2026, we’re using a new set of ratings, rather than a numerical scale of scores, for our beer scoring system.
We’ve done this after listening carefully to feedback, to help make scoring easier and encourage more people to do it.
Some people simply don’t remember the definitions that correspond to the numbers or still struggle to pick a numerical score under the old system.
We’ve also removed the ‘half score’ options to make the scoring scale simpler and added a new set of ‘reactions’ to help people choose the best rating for the beer they’re drinking.

How do I submit my scores?

WhatPub.com where you will have previously scored your beers was shut down in December 2025 as we’ve brought all our data and pub-going tools together, so you can get the best of everything CAMRA has to offer in one convenient place.

In order to start submitting scores you need to:
1. Login to the national CAMRA website here (or use the mobile app).
To do this you need your membership number and your CAMRA password.
2. Search for the pub by name.
Be careful here as there are many pubs in the country which share the same name. We advise is to search by the pub name and the town. The mobile app also gives you the option to search for real ale pubs nearby, very useful if you are in an unfamiliar town.
3. Click on the Beer Score link on the right hand side of the web page. If using the mobile app the link will be below the photo if the pub.
a) Fill in the date.
b) Give the beer a score.
c) As you begin typing the name of the brewery the name regular beers should automatically appear, just click on the one you're scoring. Can't find what you are looking for? Click the Enter the beer manually link.
Please note you do not have to enter the name of the brewery and beer as your can 'score' the pub without this.
d) Click ‘Submit and close' and your score will be entered into the database. If you wish to 'score' more than one beer in the pub click 'Submit and score again’.

It is as simple as that. An added bonus is that it will keep a record of your scores so you can look back to see what beers you have had and how you rated them.

(more information on beer scoring and FAQs can be found camra.org.uk/beer-scoring)

Cheers for your support!