ACF-CEC Exam Format | ACF-CEC Course Contents | ACF-CEC Course Outline | ACF-CEC Exam Syllabus | ACF-CEC Exam Objectives

Exam Code: ACF-CEC
Exam Name: Certified Executive Chef
Format: 100 multiple-choice questions.
Duration: 90 minutes.
Topics Weighting (approximate, based on ACF guidelines):
Passing Score: 75% or higher.

Written Exam: A 100-question multiple-choice test (90 minutes) that evaluates theoretical knowledge across key culinary and management domains.
Practical Exam: A hands-on assessment where candidates demonstrate advanced culinary techniques, sanitation practices, and organizational skills in a timed kitchen setting.
To qualify, candidates must meet prerequisites such as:

A combination of education (e.g., an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent) and work experience (e.g., five years in a supervisory role within the past ten years).
Completion of mandatory 30-hour courses in Nutrition, Food Safety and Sanitation, and Supervisory Management (with 8-hour refreshers if taken over five years ago).

1. Culinary Fundamentals
- Cooking Techniques:
- Mastery of advanced methods such as braising
- poaching
- grilling
- roasting
- sautéing
- steaming
- sous-vide
- Flavor Development:
- Understanding seasoning
- balancing flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami)
- use of herbs, spices, and aromatics.
- Knife Skills:
- Proficiency in cuts like julienne
- brunoise
- chiffonade
- tournée
- emphasis on speed
- accuracy
- safety
- Stock and Sauce Preparation:
- Knowledge of classic mother sauces
- béchamel
- velouté
- espagnole
- tomato
- hollandaise
- and their derivatives, as well as reductions, emulsions, and jus.
- Protein Fabrication:
- Butchery skills for meat
- poultry
- fish
- portioning
- filleting
- trimming
- Garde Manger:
- Techniques for charcuterie
- terrines
- pâtés
- cold food presentations

2. Food Safety and Sanitation
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points):
- Principles for identifying and controlling food safety hazards throughout the production process.
- Cross-Contamination:
- Prevention methods, including proper storage, handling, and equipment sanitation.
- Temperature Control:
- Safe cooking
- holding
- cooling temperatures
- 165°F/74°C for poultry
- 41°F/5°C or below for refrigeration
- Pathogens:
- Understanding bacteria
- Salmonella
- E. coli)
- viruses
- parasites
- prevention through hygiene and proper cooking
- ServSafe Standards:
- Compliance with industry-recognized food safety protocols
- personal hygiene
- allergen management
- cleaning schedules.

3. Culinary Nutrition
- Nutritional Components:
- Knowledge of
- macronutrients
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- fats
- micronutrients
- vitamins
- minerals
- their roles in diet
- Dietary Guidelines:
- Application of USDA guidelines and adaptations for special diets
- gluten-free
- low-sodium
- vegetarian
- Menu Planning:
- Creating balanced menus that meet nutritional needs while maintaining flavor and presentation.
- Caloric Content:
- Calculating and adjusting recipes for caloric intake and portion control.
- Food Labeling:
- Understanding nutritional labeling requirements and ingredient transparency.

4. Supervisory Management
- Leadership Skills:
- Techniques for motivating staff
- resolving conflicts
- fostering teamwork in a kitchen environment
- Human Resources:
- Recruitment
- training
- scheduling
- performance evaluation of kitchen personnel
- Cost Control:
- Budgeting
- inventory management
- food cost percentage calculations
- Food Cost % = [Cost of Goods Sold / Sales] × 100)
- waste reduction strategies
- Menu Engineering:
- Analyzing menu profitability
- popularity to optimize offerings
- stars
- plowhorses
- puzzles
- dogs
- Operational Efficiency:
- Streamlining workflows
- managing time
- ensuring compliance with labor laws

5. Beverage Management
- Pairing Principles:
- Matching wines
- beers
- spirits with food based on flavor profiles and textures
- Beverage Costing:
- Calculating pour costs
- pricing drinks
- managing beverage inventory
- Service Standards:
- Proper storage
- temperature
- presentation of alcoholic
- non-alcoholic beverages
- Trends:
- Awareness of current beverage trends
- such as craft cocktails
- mocktails
- sustainable sourcing

- À la Minute:
- Cooking to order
- emphasizing freshness and speed
- Bain-Marie:
- A double boiler used for gentle heating or keeping food warm.
- Brigade de Cuisine:
- The traditional kitchen hierarchy
- chef de cuisine
- sous chef
- commis
- Deglaze:
- Adding liquid to a pan to loosen browned bits for sauce-making.
- Emulsion:
- A mixture of two immiscible liquids
- oil and vinegar in vinaigrette
- FIFO (First In, First Out):
- Inventory rotation method to ensure freshness.
- Mirepoix: A flavor base of diced onions, carrots, and celery.
- Roux: A cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent.
- Sous Chef:
- Second-in-command in the kitchen
- often responsible for daily operations
- Yield Percentage:
- The usable portion of an ingredient after trimming
- Yield % = [Usable Weight / Original Weight] × 100).