Ship's Cook Certificate Assessment
Ship's Cook Certificate
The Assessment
Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Summary
The Ships’ Cook Certificate is a mandatory requirement for all chefs on commercially registered vessels operating more than 60 miles off shore and with 10 or more seafarers / crew on board. This qualification is run in accordance with the requirements of MLC to confirm that candidates have the necessary skills and knowledge to then apply to “flag” for the “Ship’s Cook Recognition Certificate” and replaces the previous Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Competency as Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981.
Ship’s Cooks may qualify from the age of 18 and with a minimum of one month at sea.
To be eligible for the Ship’s Cook Certificate, applicants are required to have completed Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) basic safety courses and hold a current Seafarer’s Medical Certificate. You will also require a Level 3 Award in Food Safety in Catering, no less than 3 years old, as part of the certificate application process.
This course is aimed at all chefs, from experienced chefs, already working on board a vessel, who need to update their certification, or chefs with solid industry experience who are just starting their onboard career.
The Ocean Wave Monaco Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment takes place over two full days and includes both an ongoing cooking assessment in our dedicated assessment galley and a theory exam.
The fee for this course does include (if required) your Food Safety Level 3 certification and also the CISR Ship’s Cook Certificate. The Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment can also be taken as a stand-alone course.
On completion of the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment, we, together with the candidates, will complete the application forms, to ensure that all information is correct, before submitting the application and all required documents to CISR for validation. Ocean Wave Monaco take care of the application process for you from start to finish.
Course Location
All onshore courses take place at our dedicated training premises in Antibes but can also be run on board your yacht, at a time and place to suit you and your crew.
Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Course Content
Areas Covered
A number of learning outcomes will be covered within the galley practical assessment and, in addition, some of the criteria will also be covered in the theory assessment.
The key food knowledge and preparation areas to be covered in both the theoretical written examination and the practical assessment will cover the preparation and cooking of:
- Soups and sauces
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, poultry fish and shellfish
- Rice, pasta, grains and egg dishes
- Desserts and bakery products
Preparation and assessment is run over two full days.
Also covered within the course will include:
- Health and Safety at Sea
- HACCP
- COSWP
- ISM
- MSDS
- Marpol
- PPE
- Galley Management
- Menu Planning
- Crew Dietary Requirements
- Cultural and Religious Requirements
- Allergies
- Nutrition types, including healthier foods and special diets
- Signage- colours and meaning
- Fire
Please be aware that the Food Safety Level 3 qualification (when taken) requires online study to be completed before a final exam on the first day of the course.
The Process
Course Preparation & Assessment Process
Candidates should recognise that this is an assessment of skills not a taught course.
Candidates will be issued with the recipes on which they will be assessed prior to the course, enabling them to adequately prepare for the assessment. The use of these recipes and any notes is permitted during the practical assessment.
Candidates will prepare all dishes under assessment conditions, with an assessor confirming that all skills criteria have been met and that competency has been demonstrated. Candidates may be asked additional verbal questions to ensure knowledge and competency in the skills assessment module.
Candidates will also be assessed on their time and work space management skills.
Candidates will be continually assessed on safe food practices and adherence to correct health and safety working practices throughout the course.
In order to complete the Ship’s Cook Certificate application, you must have completed 30 days onboard, working as a chef. However, it is possible to complete the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Course before gaining the requisite sea time and it may help in gaining employment onboard a yacht.
Many chefs have completed the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment before accumulating the 30 days ,which helped them to go on to secure a position as a chef onboard a yacht, using their OceanWave Monaco Certificate of completion as proof of successfully passing the course.
In these cases, OceanWave Monaco are able to finalise the Ship’s Cook Certificate application once candidates have provided their proof of sea time.
Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Course Eligibility & Application Process
Requirements – Please read this information carefully
- Fees should be settled in full, at time of registration
- Candidates must be aged 18 or over
- Candidates must have a working knowledge of both written and spoken English
Original copies of the following documents:
- Valid passport
- Up to date CV
- Seaman’s Discharge Book / Proof of Sea Time,
- Up to date STCW,
- Up to date ENG 1 / Seafarer’s Medical Certificate
- All relevant Catering Certificates/Qualifications
- Food Safety Level 3 certificate, if already held
Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Course Pricing
The complete Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment & Food Safety Level 3 Training Course costs €1,650 (this includes the Level 3 Food Safety, which is priced at a discounted rate when taken in conjunction with the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment Course), with final certification from CISR.
If the candidate already hold a Level 3 Food Safety (not older than 3 years), then the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment course is €1,350, with final certification from CISR.
FAQs
What is the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment ?
The Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment verifies that a candidate has been assessed by an accredited organisation and proven to be competent as a ship’s cook. It replaces the Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Competency as Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981, which have been revoked.
This assessment sets out the minimum training requirements for all ship’s cooks. New training prerequisites take into consideration religious and cultural requirements and practices as they pertain to food, as well as duration and nature of the voyage, in accordance with MLC requirement regulations .
The Ships’ Cook Certificate of Competency is a mandatory requirement for all chefs on commercially registered vessels operating more than 60 miles off shore and with 10 or more seafarers / crew on board.
Why Do I need the Ship’s Cook Certificate?
The Ship’s Cook Certificate provides industry wide recognition for chefs.With all departments being subject to more exams and assessments, this is an opportunity for chefs to be recognised as a valued member of the crew, highlighting the hard work involved in managing a successful galley operation, from menu planning and budgets to supplies and stock control.
Now, with a Ship’s Cook Certificate, professionally qualified and self-taught chefs alike can get the certification they need to demonstrate their skills and aid their career development.
Can I avoid Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment and can I do it online?
The requirement to carry a Ship’s Cook Certificate applies only to chefs working on board ships operating beyond 60 miles from a safe haven and on ships operating with 10 or more seafarers on board.
Whilst ‘Flag’will accept certain qualifications as Accredited Prior Learning (refer to MSN 1846 M) these qualifications do not meet the required Learning Outcomes in their entirety. All chefs will have to be assessed in person to ensure all Learning Outcomes are met and that they meet the minimum standards.
Any chef and crew involved in the processing, preparation and handling of food for others need to hold a valid Food Safety Certificate. At Ocean Wave Monaco the Level 3 Food Safety Certificate can be incorporated within the Ship’s Cook Assessment
The MCA only accepts Food Safety certificates from courses which are listed in MIN 689 (M). The HABC Highfield Awards in Food Safety, delivered by Ocean Wave Monaco, are listed as approved in MIN 689 (M).
Please note that the MCA will not accept course certificates which are not listed in MIN 689(M) and the MCA will not accept courses which have been delivered solely by computer-based training (CBT).
How do I apply?
To apply for registration for the Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment course, candidates must submit their:
- Home address
- Current telephone number
- CV
- Copy of valid Passport
- Copy of Seaman’s Discharge Book/Proof of Sea Time
- Up to date STCW
- Up to date ENG 1
- Catering Certificates/Qualifications
- Copy of Food Safety Level 3 certificate, if already held
Once eligibility has been confirmed and payment received, all candidates will receive their detailed joining instructions, menus and the course preparation documents, for completion before the course begins.
What will be provided?
Ocean Wave Monaco will provide all recipes and ingredients needed to complete the cooking elements and will also provide you with advice and online help prior to in-house assessments.
Chef’s knives, Chef’s whites will be provided, if required.
When can I expect my Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency?
On successful completion of the assessment, an Ocean Wave Monaco Certificate of Completion will be awarded to candidates on the final day of the course.
Candidates will usually receive a PDF copy of their official CISR Ship’s Cook certificate within 10 days, with a hard copy of the certificate being sent shortly thereafter.
What do I need to bring with me?
Candidates will still need to bring the original copies of the following documents on the first day of the course for visual confirmation
- Valid passport
- Up to date CV
- Seaman’s Discharge Book / Proof of Sea Time
- up to date STCW
- up to date ENG 1 / Seafarer’s Medical Certificate
- All relevant Catering Certificates/Qualifications, including Food Safety Level 3 certificate, if already held
- Chef’s Knives (if you wish to bring your own); if not they will be provided
- Chef’s Whites (if you wish to bring your own); if not they will be provided
I am worried about the written theory assessment.
The theory assessment pass mark is set at 70%. The theory assessment is made up of 40 multiple choice questions.
In the unlikely event that a candidate does not achieve the required mark, they will have the opportunity to retake the assessment, using a different theory examination paper. The candidate must have a working knowledge of both spoken and written English, to be certain of meeting the course requirements.
The Ship’s Cook Certificate, as a whole, is not simply an assessment of a candidate’s cooking ability, but of the wider theoretical and professional abilities as a cook which include the need to be able to understand HACCP, COSWP, ISM, COSHH, MSDS, MARPOL & PPE documents, which will be written in English.
