This assessment is run across three days, including one evening/afternoon session and two days.
A typical course schedule will consist of:
Day 1: Afternoon
A theory examination covering:
- Kitchen operations, costs and menu planning
- Applying work place skills
- Healthier foods and special diets
- Cultural and religious catering requirements
- Dietary requirements of shift workers
Once all candidates have completed the theory assessment, they will receive a briefing on kitchen orientation and skills.
Candidates will then be issued with the recipes on which they will be practically assessed, enabling them to prepare for the assessment.
Day 2:
A one-day practical, kitchen-based assessment in:
Candidates will be provided with a menu for assessment the day before.
Candidates will be assessed on hot and cold desserts, bread and pastry.
All competencies and food preparation requirements for assessment can be found in MCA MSN 1846 Document, Annex 2, which can be found here.
Day 3:
A one-day practical, kitchen-based assessment in:
- Soups
- Starters
- Meats
- Fish
- Poultry
- Vegetables
Candidates will be provided with a menu for assessment the day before.
Candidates will then prepare, cook, finish, serve and evaluate each dish under assessment conditions.
The Chef Assessor will confirm the ranges covered and if competency has been demonstrated. Candidates may be asked additional verbal questions to ensure knowledge and competency in the skills assessment module.
Candidates will be allowed to take breaks during the assessment according to their own time management skills. Any breach of safe food practices or health and safety working practices will result in failure of the assessment.
Areas Covered
Areas which will be covered will include the relevant MCA requirements, namely:
- Health and safety
- Kitchen operations, costs and menu planning
- Dietary requirements of shift workers
- Applying workplace skills
- Cultural and religious requirements
- Healthier foods and special diets
A number of learning outcomes will be covered within the kitchen practical assessment and in addition, some of the criteria will also be covered in the theory assessment. Full details of the criteria can be found in MCA MSN 1846 Annex 2.
Cookery skills:
The key food knowledge and preparation areas to be covered in both the theoretical written examination and the practical assessment will be the preparation and cookery of:
- Soups and sauces
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat and offal
- Poultry
- Fish and shellfish
- Rice, pasta, grains and egg dishes
- Desserts and puddings
- Bakery products
Preparation & Assessment
Revision and Preparation:
You should allow at least half a day to review the content for the theory assessment on Day 1.
Assessment:
The overall outcome of assessment by Leiths chef assessors will be determined as ‘Competent’ or ‘Not Competent’.
Theory Assessment:
This is a written examination which has a total of 60 questions: 40 multiple choice and 20 marks for written answers, consisting of 5 questions worth 4 marks each.
The required pass mark is 70%.
Practical assessments:
The outcome of these assessments will be decided by teachers and assessors at Leiths and will be determined as either ‘Competent’ or ‘Not Competent’.
Qualifications:
Leiths School of Food and Wine will provide successful candidates with a recognised Assessment Award to submit to the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). Candidates must complete the Application for UK (MLC) Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency (SCC) using application form MSF4395.
Please note that this Certificate of Competency will constitute part of the MCA certification and applicants will also need to comply with the additional requirements as outlined in MCA MSN 1846, Section 3, which can be found here.
Eligibility
To be eligible to take this assessment, candidates must:
- Be aged 18 or over
- Have all fees settled in full, at time of booking
- Have competent spoken and written English and numeracy skills, including using a calculator
- Have reviewed the revision material
