ACF-CCA Exam Information and Guideline
ACF Certified Culinary Administrator (CCA) 2025
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Exam Code: ACF-CCA
Exam Name: ACF Certified Culinary Administrator
Number of Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions
Exam Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)
Passing Score: 75% (minimum score of 112.5 out of 150)
Exam Format: Computer-based testing (CBT) at approved testing centers
Domain and Details
1. Business Administration 40%
2. Human Resource Management 25%
3. Strategic Business Management 25%
4. Public Engagement 10%
1. Culinary Operations (30%)
- Menu Development & Engineering
- Menu pricing strategies (food cost %, contribution margin)
- Menu psychology (placement, descriptions, design)
- Seasonal and local sourcing
- Nutritional considerations and dietary restrictions
- Food Production & Kitchen Management
- Batch cooking, mise en place, par levels
- Standardized recipes (yield testing, portion control)
- Equipment selection and maintenance
- Sustainable practices (waste reduction, energy efficiency)
- Food Safety & Sanitation
- HACCP principles (critical control points)
- FDA Food Code, OSHA standards
- Allergen management (Big 9 allergens)
- Pest control and sanitation procedures
- Sous-vide, Garde Manger, Charcuterie
- Brix, Maillard Reaction, Carryover Cooking
- FIFO, Cross-contamination, NSF standards
2. Financial Management (25%)
- Cost Control & Budgeting
- Food cost, labor cost, prime cost calculations
- Break-even analysis, P&L statements
- Inventory management (perpetual vs. physical inventory)
- Purchasing & Vendor Relations
- Bid comparisons, contract negotiations
- Just-in-time (JIT) purchasing
- Supplier evaluation (quality, reliability, pricing)
- Pricing & Revenue Management
- Markup vs. margin pricing
- Dynamic pricing strategies
- Upselling and promotional strategies
- COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), EBITDA
- ROP (Reorder Point), ABC Analysis
- Prime Cost, Controllable vs. Non-Controllable Costs
3. Human Resources & Leadership (25%)
- Staffing & Training
- Recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies
- Job descriptions, performance evaluations
- Cross-training and succession planning
- Labor Laws & Compliance
- FLSA (overtime, minimum wage)
- EEOC (discrimination, harassment policies)
- OSHA workplace safety regulations
- Leadership & Team Dynamics
- Motivational theories (Maslow, Herzberg)
- Conflict resolution techniques
- Effective communication (active listening, feedback)
- SMART Goals, SWOT Analysis
- Turnover Rate, Employee Engagement
- Servant Leadership, Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
4. Marketing & Customer Service (10%)
- Branding & Promotions
- Social media marketing, loyalty programs
- Public relations and community engagement
- Event planning and catering sales
- Customer Experience Management
- Handling complaints (LAST method: Listen, Apologize, Solve, Thank)
- Service recovery strategies
- Guest feedback analysis (surveys, online reviews)
- USP (Unique Selling Proposition), CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
- Net Promoter Score (NPS), Touchpoints
5. Legal & Ethical Responsibilities (10%)
- Regulatory Compliance
- Health department inspections
- Alcohol service laws (Dram Shop liability)
- Intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights)
- Ethical Decision Making
- Conflict of interest policies
- Sustainability and fair trade practices
- Diversity and inclusion initiatives
- HIPAA (if handling employee health data), ADA Compliance
- Code of Ethics, Whistleblower Protection