American Culinary Federation's Guide to Culinary Certification

AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION (ACF) is a professional, not-for-profit organization for chefs and cooks, whose goal is to promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education among culinarians at all levels, from apprentices to the most accomplished Certified Master Chefs. MICHAEL BASKETTE, CEC, CCE, AAC, is an ACF-certified executive chef and certified culinary educator who holds the position of Director of Educational Development for the ACF. He has authored several texts and articles on professional cooking, kitchen management, and quality control in foodservice and hospitality.BRAD BARNES, CMC, CCA, AAC, is Certification Chair for the American Culinary Federation and the creator of the practical testing program for all chef certification levels currently used in the United States. He is one of sixty-one Certified Master Chefs in the United States and co-owner of B&B Solutions, a culinary information and training company.

• Foreword from the Series Editor viiPreface ix1 The History of ACF Certification 1Setting the Bar for Professional Development 2Gaining Distinction 4The New Professional Chef 6The Future of the Culinary Profession 72 The Significance of ACF Certification 9Building the ACF Certification Ladder 10Climbing the Rungs of the ACF Ladder 11What ACF Certification Means to the Marketplace 143 The ACF Validation Process:Meeting Measurable Objectives 17How the ACF Certification Program Works 18Background of ACF Development 19Setting Measurable Objectives 21Measuring Performance Objectives 22Conclusion 274 Laying a Foundation in Learning 29Classical Cuisines Set the Standard 30Presenting the Classics for Certification 31Cross-Training in Culinary Fundamentals 33Progressive Learning 41Continuing Education 42Conclusion 435 Planning a Career Path in Foodservice 45Considering the Possibilities 46Staying the Course 48Conclusion 526 Documenting Your Experience 55The Proof Is in the Documentation 55Organizing, Protecting, and Storing Documentation 57Conclusion 577 Levels of ACF Certification 59ACF Levels of Achievement 60Conclusion 708 The ACF Written Test: Strategies in Learning 71Who Takes the ACF Certified Exams? 72Who Administers the Tests? 73The Exam Matrix 73Reference Materials 74Study to Achieve Success 789 Evaluating Cooking Skills: The Premise behind the Practical Exam 81Mind-set for Success 82Understanding the Role of the Evaluators 83Conclusion 8510 Taking the Show on the Road: More on the Practical Testing Process 87Preparing to Prepare 88Addressing the Subsets of the Cooking Practical 93Conclusion 10111 The Application Process 105Application Basics 106Completing the Application Process 11412 Achieving the Ultimate Goal: Certified Master Chef 121Details of the CMC Test 123Conclusion 125Index 127