Certification Designations
ACF offers 14 certification designations each
requiring specific qualifications.
Choose Your Area of Expertise
Cooking Professionals | Personal
Cooking Professionals | Baking and Pastry
Professionals | Culinary Administrators | Culinary Educators
Cooking Professionals
Certified
Culinarian (CC): An entry level culinarian professional within a
commercial foodservice operation.
Certified
Sous Chef (CSC): A chef who supervises a shift or station(s) in a
foodservice operation. A CSC must supervise a minimum of two full-time
people in the preparation of food. Job titles that qualify for this
designation include sous chef, banquet chef, garde manger, first cook,
a.m. sous chef and p.m. sous chef.
Certified
Chef de Cuisine (CCC): A chef who is the supervisor in charge of
food production in a foodservice operation. This could be a single unit
of a multi-unit operation or a free-standing operation. A CCC must
supervise a minimum of three full-time people in food production.
Certified
Executive Chef (CEC): A chef who is the department head usually
responsible for all culinary units in a restaurant, hotel, club,
hospital or foodservice establishment, or the owner of a foodservice
operation. A CEC must supervise a minimum of five full-time employees
and pass a practical exam in front of peers.
Certified
Master Chef (CMC): The consummate chef. A CMC possesses the highest
degree of professional culinary knowledge, skill and mastery of cooking
techniques. A separate application is required, in addition to
successfully completing an eight-day testing process judged by peers.
Certification as a CEC or CEPC is a prerequisite.
Personal Cooking Professionals
Personal
Certified Chef (PCC): A chef with a minimum of three years of
professional cooking experience. Also required is a minimum of one full
year of employment as a personal chef engaged in all aspects of food
preparation and serving, menu planning, marketing, financial management
and operational decision making.
Personal
Certified Executive Chef (PCEC): A chef with advanced culinary
skills and a minimum of three years of full time professional personal
chef experience. A PCEC is skilled in all aspects of food
preparation and serving, menu planning, marketing, financial management
and operational decision making.
Baking and Pastry Professionals
Certified
Pastry Culinarian (CPC): An entry level culinary professional within
a pastry foodservice operation.
Certified
Working Pastry Chef (CWPC): A pastry culinarian responsible for a
pastry section or a shift within a foodservice operation, with
considerable responsibility for preparation and production. A CWPC
supervises a minimum of 2 full time people.
Certified
Executive Pastry Chef (CEPC): A pastry chef who is a department
head, usually responsible to the executive chef of a food operation or
to the management of a pastry specialty firm. A CEPC supervises a
minimum of five full time people.
Certified
Master Pastry Chef (CMPC): The consummate pastry chef. A CMPC
possesses the highest degree of professional culinary knowledge, skill
and mastery of cooking techniques as they apply to pastry. A separate
application is required, in addition to successfully completing a 10-day
testing process judged by peers. Certification as a CEC or CEPC is a
prerequisite.
Culinary Administrators
Certified
Culinary Administrator (CCA): This is an executive-level chef who is
responsible for the administrative functions of running a professional
foodservice operation. This culinary professional must demonstrate
proficiency in culinary knowledge, human resources, operational
management and business planning skills. A CCA must supervise the
equivalent of at least five full-time employees. You must also have a
CEC to obtain this level.
Culinary Educators
Certified
Secondary Culinary Educator (CSCE): An advanced-degree culinary
professional who is working as an educator at an accredited secondary or
vocational institution. A CSCE is responsible for the development,
implementation, administration, evaluation and maintenance of a culinary
arts or foodservice management curriculum. In addition, a CSCE must
possess culinary experience equivalent to a CCC or CWPC.
Certified
Culinary Educator (CCE): An advanced-degree culinary professional
who is working as an educator in an accredited postsecondary institution
or military training facility. A CCE is responsible for the development,
implementation, administration, evaluation and maintenance of a culinary
arts or foodservice management curriculum. In addition, a CCE must
possess superior culinary experience equivalent to a CCC or CWPC.
All applications are available at the Resources
page.