Certified Chef de Cuisine®
Initial Application | Recommended Study Materials | Final Application
Requirements
- Minimum Job Experience: Three years as a
Sous Chef or chef who supervises a shift or station(s) in a foodservice
operation. Must have supervised at least two full-time people in the
preparation of food. Experience must be within the past 10 years.
Employment
Documentation Forms
- Minimum Educational Courses: High school
diploma/GED plus 100 hours of continuing
education. If you do not have a high school diploma/GED, 200 hours of
continuing education are required. Hours earned for mandatory courses
and/or refreshers are included in the minimum CEH requirement.
In addition to the requirements
listed above, you must provide documentation of three 30-hour
courses—one in Nutrition, one in Food Safety and Sanitation, and
one in Supervisory Management. If these courses were taken more than
five years ago, an eight hour refresher course is required in each
topic. These courses are available at Chefcertification.com or any accredited
school.
Submit application and documentation of requirements to ACF for
approval by:
E-mail (preferred): certify@acfchefs.net
Fax: (904) 825-4758
Mail to: American Culinary Federation, Inc.
Certification Department
180 Center Place Way
St. Augustine, FL 32095
Approval
Once the candidate’s application is approved he or she will be
eligible to take the written and practical exams. Only after approval
may a candidate register for the written or practical exam.
Certification Examinations
The purpose of the certification examinations is to assess and
objectively measure the knowledge and skills of a candidate to determine
if they meet ACF standards.
- Written
Exam: ACF written exams are administered by Comira. The written exam fee is $75. An ACF
number is required at time of registration. To request an ACF
identification number contact certify@acfchefs.net prior to
registration. You can register for the exam by calling (800) 947-4228,
option 4, Mon.–Fri. 6 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific time, Sat. 8
a.m.–noon Pacific time, or you can register 24/7 at the ACF/Comira Online Registration Site. Please
note that you must have a credit card to register online. Written exam
scores are valid for two years.
- Candidates have one hour to complete the 100 multiple choice
question exam.
- No support materials other than pens, pencils, and calculators are
permitted.
- A score of seventy percent (70%) or higher is required to pass.
- Practical
Exam: All levels of ACF certification require candidates to be
tested for practical skill proficiency. The CCC practical exam is three
hours and can be taken at any ACF Approved test
site. A score of 75% or higher is required to pass. Practical exam
scores are valid for one year.
To help you prepare for the Practical Exam, review the Practical
Exam Candidate Manual.
Upon successful completion of the written and practical exams, the
candidate should submit final application along with appropriate
documentation: written and practical exam passing forms and remaining
certification fee. Make sure all back-up documentation, copies only (no
originals) are included.
Recommended Study
Materials
The ACF Foundation offers certification training courses and practice
certification exams on eCulinary.
Courses contain study materials in all major subjects related to the ACF
certification exams, including sanitation, nutrition, and supervisory
management.
The following books are suggested in preparation
for the written and practical exams:
- Culinary Fundamentals, ACF:
Prentice Hall BUY
- Baking Fundamentals, ACF: Prentice
Hall BUY
- Supervision in the Hospitality Industry:
Applied Human Resources, 5th Ed., Miller, Walker, Drummond: John
Wiley & Sons BUY
- Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary
Professionals, 6th Ed., Drummond, Brefere: John Wiley & Sons
BUY
- Food Safety Fundamentals: Essentials of
Food Safety & Sanitation, McSwane, Rue, Linton, Williams:
Prentice Hall BUY
- The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals
of Baking Pastry, 4th Ed., Friberg: John Wiley & Sons BUY
- Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art
of Modern Cookery, John Wiley & Sons BUY
