Description of Certification from the American Culinary Federation:
Differentiate Yourself: ACF Certification adds value to the certificants, employers and the public. With thousands of chefs competing in the job market, it is essential to prove your culinary competency. Benefits of ACF Certification:
At chefcertification.com, we provide 30-Hour Courses, 8 Hour Refresher Courses and Essential Foodservice Concept Courses that satisfy the mandatory course requirements for ACF Certification. There are additional fees required to pursue certification with the American Culinary Federation (ACF). These fees are payable directly to the ACF. For additional information on ACF certification levels, application, written and practical examination fees, please visit the Certification section of ACF Web Site at www.acfchefs.org
Below you will find a detailed breakdown of each level of ACF Certification and the mandatory courses you will need to complete in order to pursue your chosen level of ACF Certification.
Work Experience Requirement:
No Experience Required
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include 15 hours of coursework in food sanitation and safety as well as culinary nutrition. We recommend the following courses:
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
Work experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements with Work Experience (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
All candidates must have two years of experience supervising a shift or food station. Experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements with Work Experience (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
All candidates must have supervised at least two full-time people in the preparation of food. Experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
All candidates must have five years as a chef de cuisine, executive sous chef or chef in charge of food production in a foodservice operation. Must have supervised at least five fulltime people in the preparation of food. Experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago (excluding Beverage Management and Cost Control Management) will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
ACF Certification Requirement:
Candidate must be a current CCC, CEC, CEPC
Work Experience Requirements:
Three years as an Executive Chef with fiscal responsibility over food service operations. Must have supervised at least 3 full-time people. Experience must be within the past 10 years.
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago (excluding Advanced Sanitation and HR Management), also require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirement:
Successful completion of written exam.
Additional Requirements:
Written Narrative: A 400 (minimum) typed word narrative detailing your job duties and responsibilities, particularly as they relate to administrative and fiscal responsibilities.
Work Experience Requirement:
No experience required
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirement:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and performance exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
Work experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements with Work Experience (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
Must have supervised at least two full-time people in the preparation of food. Experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements with Work Experience (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
Five years as an executive pastry chef or chef in charge of production of baked goods, pastry and/or confection. Must have supervision experience in the production of baked goods, pastry and/or confection. Experience must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago (except for Beverage Management and Cost Control Management) will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams.
Work Experience Requirements:
Two years in the hospitality industry. Industry work experience must be within the past 10 years prior to employment as a culinary instructor. Culinary instructors with work experience prior to 10 years of employment as a culinary instructor must demonstrate 1000 on-the-job hours within the past five years. On-the-job hours can include catering, part-time/summer employment, etc. 1,200 secondary or postsecondary teaching contact hours are required. Teaching hours must be within the past ten years.
Education Requirements (must fulfill one of the following):
Mandatory Course Requirements:
120 hours of Education Development with a minimum of eight (8) hours in the following courses:
Must include documentation of completion of the following 30 hour courses:
Courses completed more than five years ago will require an 8 hour refresher in each topic.
Additional Requirements:
Classroom Video Demonstration. Instead of submitting a recorded video lesson, CCE candidates can opt for an evaluation of a live teaching lesson. Contact the ACF national office for more information.
Exam Requirements:
Successful completion of written and practical exams. Candidates will complete either the CSC®(savory) or CWPC® (pastry) practical exams. If current CCC®, CWPC®, CEC® or CEPC® who has taken a practical exam, no practical exam is required.
In order to re-certify, the guidelines for required continuing education hours (CEHs) are as follows:
All levels require 80 CEHs every five (5) years. The requirement of 80 CEHs over a five-year period was determined so that, on average, a chef would complete 16 CEHs per year, keeping them current and up to date on culinary trends and practices.
If you have additional certification levels, your CEH recertification requirements will be as follows:
For additional information regarding the recertification application process, please visit the ACF Web Site at www.acfchefs.org