CDACC Food & Beverage Service study guide
CDACC Food & Beverage Service · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CDACC Food and Beverage Service qualification is a competency-based award for people who serve food and drink in hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, lodges, catering units and function venues. It suits entry-level servers moving into formal service, experienced waiters seeking certification of skills learned on the job, and supervisors who need to demonstrate that they can run a service period, control stock and coach a team. The CDACC Food & Beverage Service study guide has 10 sections and about 3,680 words.
01Food and Beverage Service Operations
This domain tests whether you can set up, run and close a service period to hotel standard: covers and mise-en-place, service styles, the sequence of service, clearing and billing rules, and how the front of house coordinates with the kitchen. Plate (American) : food is plated in the kitchen; the plate is placed before the guest from the right with the right hand.
419 words, about 2 min02Customer Service and Guest Relations
This domain tests how you create and recover guest satisfaction: the service cycle, moments of truth, complaint handling, service recovery, special needs and how service quality is judged. Every guest passes through enquiry and booking, arrival, service, departure and follow-up.
358 words, about 2 min03Food Safety, Hygiene and Sanitation
This domain tests whether you can keep food safe from delivery to service: temperature control, cross-contamination, personal hygiene, cleaning and the HACCP records that prove you did it. Danger zone: 5 °C to 63 °C, where bacteria multiply fastest.
353 words, about 2 min04Beverage Knowledge and Service
This domain covers the drinks you will be asked to describe, sell and serve: categories, glassware, temperatures, measures and the etiquette of opening and pouring. Non-alcoholic : water, tea, coffee, juices, squashes, mocktails.
387 words, about 2 min05Menu Knowledge and Menu Planning
This domain tests whether you can read, explain, cost and design a menu: menu types, the classic course order, menu balance, allergens and menu engineering. À la carte : each item priced and ordered separately.
372 words, about 2 min06Cost Control
Cost control is where service meets arithmetic: standard recipes, portion control, food cost percentage, yield, waste and the monthly calculation of what was actually consumed. Standard recipe : fixed quantities, method, portion size and cost per portion.
338 words, about 2 min07Stock and Inventory Management
This domain tests the paperwork and numbers behind the store: stock levels, receiving, storage conditions, records and how variance is found and explained. Maximum stock : what the store can physically and financially hold.
341 words, about 2 min08Communication and Interpersonal Skills
This domain tests the everyday exchanges that decide whether service works: taking orders accurately, speaking to guests and colleagues, listening, body language and the written records that back it up. Listening : hear the whole order, note allergies and special requests, and never finish a guest's sentence.
374 words, about 2 min09Workplace Safety and Security
This domain tests whether you can spot hazards before they injure someone and protect guests, staff and property: risk assessment, fire, manual handling, equipment and the security routines of keys, property and reporting. A hazard is anything with potential to harm; risk is the likelihood and severity of that harm.
385 words, about 2 min10Professional Ethics and Industry Regulations
This domain tests the conduct expected of a food and beverage professional and the laws that frame it: integrity, confidentiality, responsible service of alcohol, licensing, and the guest's right to safety and fair dealing. Honesty in billing, portions and description - no substituting a cheaper product after the guest has ordered.
353 words, about 2 min