Exam & certification information
About the Cook Red Seal exam.
The published examination has 150 four-option multiple-choice questions, a four-hour writing time and a 70% passing mark. Our two full forms match that length, time and published task distribution. The questions are independently developed.
Prepare beyond the menu you normally cook. The national scope covers a broad range of methods, ingredients and kitchen operations.
Your provincial or territorial authority determines eligibility, fees, booking and permitted references. This study package does not register you for the official exam or confer certification.
References checked 16 October 2026: official trade exam information ↗ and official preparation guide ↗.
The work, skills and trade scope
Prepare food using a range of ingredients, techniques and production methods. Cooks organise service, manage quality and apply food-safety and cost-control practices.
Restaurants, hotels, institutions, catering, resorts and food-service operations.
Organisation, timing, sensory judgement, recipe interpretation, yield calculations and consistent execution.
- Stocks, sauces, soups and cooking methods
- Meat, poultry, fish and plant-based ingredients
- Baking, pastry and desserts
- Food safety and kitchen organisation
- Recipe scaling, yields and food costing