10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The CEC exam has 100 questions and runs 1 hour 30 minutes.
These 10 free CEC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Executive Chef blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
While finishing hollandaise, a saucier adds clarified butter too quickly. A thin ring of oil appears, but the sauce is still warm and the yolks have not curdled. The freshly made batch has remained under safe time-and-temperature controls. What is the best first attempt to restore the emulsion?
Correct answer: C - Whisk in a little warm water, away from direct heat.
Beef shanks intended for a fork-tender braise have met their required food-safety cooking endpoint, yet a skewer still meets firm resistance around the connective-tissue seams. The meat remains covered in ample liquid at a gentle simmer, and the production schedule allows more cooking. How should the chef finish the shanks?
Correct answer: B - Continue the gentle braise, checking periodically for tenderness.
The clarification raft has formed on a beef consommé, and the liquid beneath it is beginning to clear. Choose the instruction that should guide the rest of the clarification and straining process.
Correct answer: A - Hold a bare simmer; keep the raft intact and strain gently.
The purchasing sheet needs potatoes for two preparations: a sliced potato salad that must retain its shape after dressing, and a light, fluffy mash. Which pairing best matches those specifications?
Correct answer: B - Waxy potatoes for the salad; high-starch russets for the mash.
Two approved suppliers offer fish of equivalent quality. Supplier A charges $6.00 per purchased pound, with a tested usable yield of 70%. Supplier B charges $7.20 per purchased pound, with a tested usable yield of 90%. Preparation labor and all other costs are equal, and discarded trim has no value. Which purchase provides the lower cost per pound of usable fish?
Correct answer: A - Supplier B, at $8.00 per usable pound.
An entrée earns a $21 ingredient contribution margin per sale, compared with a $16 weighted average for its category. It accounts for 8% of category sales; the restaurant's high-popularity threshold is 14%. It has never been unavailable, and guest feedback is favorable. Which menu-engineering assessment is most appropriate?
Correct answer: D - Puzzle: improve menu visibility and server familiarity before considering a discount.
A chowder's continuous cooling record shows 135°F at 10:00 a.m., 68°F at 11:00 a.m., and 39°F at 3:30 p.m. It then stays at 39°F. A cook proposes discarding it because more than four hours elapsed after the first-stage check. Under the FDA Food Code 2026 ordinary two-stage cooling provisions, how should the chef assess this batch?
Correct answer: C - Retain it under cold holding; both cooling limits were met.
After Friday's service, the executive chef reviews the week's cooking records, checks that deviations have documented dispositions, and confirms that thermometer-calibration checks were completed. Which HACCP function is being performed?
Correct answer: C - Verification
A guest requests mushroom soup suitable for a milk-protein allergy. The kitchen can make a fresh portion with verified milk-free stock on a cleaned, segregated station. Complete ingredient and cross-contact information is available for each proposed substitute. Which instruction should the chef give?
Correct answer: D - Finish with coconut cream containing only coconut extract and water.
Unfilled éclairs expand well in the oven but are removed while their shells are still pale. They collapse within minutes, and a cut shell has a damp, soft interior. The paste was mixed correctly and piped to the specified size. For the next tray, the chef should first change the:
Correct answer: A - Baking endpoint, allowing the shells to set and dry fully.
The CEC exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
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