ACF Sous Chef (CSC) study guide
ACF Sous Chef (CSC) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ACF Sous Chef (CSC) certification is a professional credential from the American Culinary Federation for cooks and working chefs who run a station, a shift, or a production team and are moving into or already holding the sous chef role. It signals that you can bridge the line and the office: executing and supervising food production, enforcing sanitation and HACCP, costing menus, controlling inventory and receiving, training and scheduling staff, reading basic financial reports, and maintaining equipment and workplace safety. The ACF Sous Chef (CSC) study guide has 9 sections and about 1,899 words.
01Culinary Fundamentals, Food Science, and Nutrition
A sous chef must command the "why" behind technique: the Maillard reaction and caramelization (both require low moisture and heat, but Maillard needs amino acids plus reducing sugars), protein denaturation and coagulation, starch gelatinization and retrogradation, emulsion stability (vinaigrette vs. hollandaise), and the gluten network.
287 words, about 1 min02Kitchen Operations and Production Management
Operations is about flow: mise en place, station (partie) organization, the brigade, par levels, prep lists, and the production schedule. Understand the flow of a service-receiving, storage, prep, line, expo, dish-and where bottlenecks form.
235 words, about 1 min03Food Safety, Sanitation, and HACCP
Know the temperature danger zone (41–135°F / 5–57°C), the big six pathogens (Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Listeria), and the FAT TOM growth conditions.
222 words, about 1 min04Menu Development, Costing, and Purchasing
Menu engineering classifies items by popularity and contribution margin: stars (high/high), plowhorses (high popularity, low margin), puzzles (low popularity, high margin), and dogs (low/low). Understand standard recipe costing: yield percentage, as-purchased (AP) vs.
215 words, about 1 min05Inventory and Receiving Management
Receiving is a control point: verify against the purchase order and specification, check temperatures (frozen ≤0°F, refrigerated ≤41°F), inspect dates and condition, and reject substandard product. Use FIFO and date-labeling; know the difference between perpetual and periodic inventory and how to compute inventory turnover (cost of goods sold ÷ average inventory).
202 words, about 1 min06Supervision, Training, and Human Resources
A sous chef supervises through clear standards, training, and feedback. Know the four-step training method (prepare, present, practice, follow-up), the difference between coaching and discipline, and progressive discipline (verbal, written, suspension, termination).
177 words, under 1 min07Financial Management and Budgeting
Know the P&L structure: revenue, cost of goods sold, labor, prime cost (COGS + labor), operating expenses, and profit. Understand controllable vs.
191 words, under 1 min08Facilities, Equipment, and Safety Management
Know equipment safety: lockout/tagout, guards, and proper cleaning of slicers, mixers, and fryers. Understand fire safety (Class K extinguishers for cooking oils, hood suppression systems), gas and electrical hazards, and slip/trip prevention.
177 words, under 1 min09Professionalism, Ethics, and Leadership
Leadership in the kitchen blends standards with respect. Understand the difference between leadership (vision, influence) and management (planning, control).
193 words, under 1 min