Group A Electives: Cookery and Catering
What Group A electives test
Group A electives cover advanced cookery and catering operations: menu planning and costing, stock control and ordering, food production planning, buffet and function catering, dietary requirements, and specialised cookery methods such as sous vide, braising, and pastry work.
You must understand standard recipe cards and how to calculate portion cost (total ingredient cost ÷ number of portions), yield testing (usable weight ÷ as-purchased weight), and food cost percentage (food cost ÷ selling price × 100). Know how to plan production for a function: count covers, allow for dietary requirements, stagger preparation, and build in holding times that keep food safe.
Traps in questions
- Yield vs. waste: yield testing accounts for trim and cooking loss; the trap is using as-purchased weight in portion costing.
- Buffet safety: food on display must be held above 60°C or below 5°C, and must be replaced rather than topped up.
- Dietary requirements: "gluten-free" is not the same as "wheat-free"; allergen control requires separate utensils and documented communication.
- Production planning: the trap is preparing high-risk items too early; work backwards from service time.
Worked example
A recipe uses $12 of ingredients and yields 8 portions. Portion cost = $12 ÷ 8 = $1.50. If the selling price is $6.00, food cost percentage = $1.50 ÷ $6.00 × 100 = 25%. If the target is 30%, the dish is profitable.
Rule of thumb
Cost per portion first, then price to hit your target food cost percentage - never price first and hope.
Group B Electives: Asian Cookery
What Group B electives test
Asian cookery electives cover preparation and cooking of dishes from cuisines such as Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian. You must understand flavour balancing (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami, heat), ingredient identification (fish sauce, shrimp paste, tamarind, lemongrass, galangal, miso, dashi, gochujang), knife skills for stir-fry (uniform cuts for even cooking), wok technique (high heat, small batches, constant motion), and rice and noodle cookery (rinsing, soaking, steaming, draining).
You must also know food safety for raw fish (sashimi-grade, parasite control by freezing), marinade and sauce hygiene (never reuse marinade that touched raw meat), and dietary adaptation (fish sauce and shrimp paste are not vegetarian; soy sauce contains wheat).
Traps in questions
- Wok heat: the trap is overcrowding the wok; small batches keep the heat high and prevent stewing.
- Uniform cuts: uneven pieces cook unevenly - the question often asks why julienne must be consistent.
- Fish sauce vs. soy: fish sauce is salty and fermented; soy is salty and soy-based; they are not interchangeable for allergens.
- Raw fish safety: freezing at the correct temperature and time is the control, not rinsing.
Worked example
A question asks how to balance a Thai green curry that tastes too salty. Rule of thumb: taste, then adjust with acid (lime), sweetness (palm sugar), or dilution (coconut milk); add fish sauce last and in small amounts because it is highly concentrated.
Rule of thumb
Balance flavours in small increments and taste after each addition.
Group C Electives: General Electives
What Group C electives test
General electives broaden the commercial cookery skill set: kitchen financial management, rostering and supervision, purchasing and receiving, stock rotation, menu engineering, customer service, and sustainability practices such as waste reduction and energy efficiency.
You must understand stock rotation (FIFO), receiving checks (temperature, quality, quantity, documentation), stocktake (opening stock + purchases − closing stock = usage), menu engineering (stars, plowhorses, puzzles, dogs based on popularity and profitability), and roster planning (matching staff to forecast demand while meeting award conditions).
Traps in questions
- FIFO vs. LIFO: FIFO means first in, first out - oldest stock used first.
- Receiving: the trap is accepting chilled deliveries above 5°C; reject them.
- Stocktake formula: usage is calculated, not guessed; the trap is forgetting opening stock.
- Menu engineering: high popularity + high profit is a star; low popularity + high profit is a puzzle.
Worked example
Opening stock $2,000, purchases $8,000, closing stock $2,500. Usage = $2,000 + $8,000 − $2,500 = $7,500. If sales were $30,000, food cost % = $7,500 ÷ $30,000 × 100 = 25%.
Rule of thumb
Rotate stock FIFO, reject out-of-spec deliveries, and calculate - never estimate - usage.