ACF-CC Exam Information and Outline
Certified Culinarian (CC)
ACF-CC Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official ACF-CC exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
ACF.
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: ACF Certified Culinarian (ACF-CC)
Written Exam (Multiple Choice)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Questions: ~100
1. Sanitation and Safety
- Foodborne Illnesses (Causes- Prevention- and Control)
- Bacteria- viruses- parasites- fungi
- Cross-contamination
- Temperature danger zone (41°F–135°F / 5°C–57°C)
- Personal Hygiene
- Handwashing procedures
- Proper attire (hairnets- gloves- uniforms)
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)
- Seven principles of HACCP
- Critical control points in food production
- Safe Food Handling & Storage
- FIFO (First In- First Out)
- Proper refrigeration & freezing techniques
- Dry storage guidelines
2. Culinary Fundamentals
- Knife Skills & Cutting Techniques
- Julienne- brunoise- chiffonade- batonnet- etc.
- Knife safety & sharpening (whetstone- honing steel)
- Cooking Methods
- Dry Heat (Grilling- roasting- baking- sautéing- frying)
- Moist Heat (Boiling- simmering- poaching- steaming- braising)
- Combination Cooking (Braising- stewing)
- Stocks- Sauces & Soups
- Mother Sauces (Béchamel- Velouté- Espagnole- Tomato- Hollandaise)
- Derivative Sauces (Mornay- Supreme- Chasseur- etc.)
- Types of Stocks (White- brown- fish- vegetable)
- Soup Classifications (Clear- thick- specialty)
3. Ingredients & Nutrition
- Identification of Ingredients
- Herbs & spices
- Meats (Beef- pork- poultry- lamb)
- Seafood (Finfish- shellfish)
- Dairy & eggs
- Nutrition Basics
- Macronutrients (Carbohydrates- proteins- fats)
- Micronutrients (Vitamins- minerals)
- Dietary restrictions (Gluten-free- vegan- allergies)
4. Baking & Pastry Fundamentals
- Doughs & Batters
- Short dough- laminated dough (puff pastry- croissants)
- Cake mixing methods (creaming- sponge- chiffon)
- Leavening Agents
- Chemical (Baking powder- baking soda)
- Biological (Yeast)
- Mechanical (Whipped egg whites- steam)
- Pastry Components
- Custards (Crème anglaise- pastry cream)
- Meringues (French- Italian- Swiss)
5. Kitchen Equipment & Tools
- Cooking Equipment
- Ranges- ovens (convection- combi)- grills
- Fryers- steamers- sous-vide machines
- Smallwares
- Whisks- spatulas- mandolins- chinois
- Measurement & Scaling
- Weight vs. volume measurements
- Metric & U.S. standard conversions
6. Culinary Math & Cost Control
- Recipe Conversions
- Scaling recipes up/down
- Yield percentages
- Food Costing & Purchasing
- AP (As Purchased) vs. EP (Edible Portion)
- Calculating food cost percentage
7. Professionalism & Communication
- Workplace Ethics
- Teamwork- leadership- time management
- Customer Service
- Handling complaints- dietary requests
- ACF Code of Ethics
- Mise en Place – Preparation and organization of ingredients
- Maillard Reaction – Browning of proteins under heat
- Garde Manger – Cold kitchen (charcuterie- salads- dressings)
- Deglazing – Using liquid to loosen fond (caramelized bits) from a pan
- Sous Vide – Low-temperature- vacuum-sealed cooking