Certified Executive Chef®
Application | CEC Job
Analysis | Requirements
Application
Certified
Executive Chef Application
Please send application and documentation of completed requirements
to:
American Culinary Federation
180 Center Place Way
St. Augustine, FL 32095
ACF conducted a job analysis resulting in a detailed list of the
knowledge and skills required for today’s successful Certified
Executive Chef. Review the Role
Description and CEC
Hypothetical Day (3.88 MB) for an overview of CEC responsibilties.
Job
analysis Domain, Task and Knowledge Statements as well as the Glossary
of Knowledge Statements (5.46 MB) will provide information on the
topics to be mastered for CEC certification.
In addition to the requirements listed below, 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.
- Minimum Job Experience: Three years as a
Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, Pastry Chef or chef in charge of
food production in a foodservice operation. Must have supervised at
least three 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 150 hours of continuing
education. If you do not have a high school diploma/GED, 250 hours of
continuing education are required. Hours earned for mandatory courses
and/or refreshers are included in the minimum CEH requirement.
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.
- 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 1½ hours to complete the 100 multiple choice
question exam.
- No support materials other than pens, pencils, and stand-alone
calculators are permitted.
- You will receive a scaled
score. The passing score is 300.
- If you do not pass the written exam there is a 30 day waiting period
before retesting is allowed after the first attempt and a 90 day waiting
period after the second unsuccessful attempt.
- Candidate is limited to three attempts per calendar year.
- Recommended
Reference Materials
- Practical
Exam: All levels of ACF certification require candidates to
be tested for practical skill proficiency. The CEC practical exam is
three hours plus a 15 minute window 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 and the CEC
Practical Exam Domains.
