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Knowledge test for catering

Cooks and stewards are tested on food hygiene and storage temperatures, galley safety and galley fires, the MLC rules on food and water, and the basic safety and emergency duties that every crew member shares.

Sit the practice test for catering

If you are a Chief Cook, Cook, Steward or Messman, this is your paper: 30 multiple-choice questions drawn from 325 original questions relevant to your rank, 30 minutes, no feedback until the end, then a score by knowledge area with links to revise. All questions are ours; nothing comes from any real test.

Start the catering test

Independent practice. Not affiliated with any test provider; names of commercial tests appear only to explain what they are. Read our guide to the CES test for what to expect rank by rank.

What the test covers for catering

Weighted by the competence tables of MLC 2006 Regulation 3.2 and STCW A-VI/1. "Core" areas give most of the questions; "basics" appear once or twice.

Knowledge areaWeightShareRevise
Galley, food hygiene and catering core 21% Fire protection (galley fires)
Emergencies, fire and life-saving important 14% Life-saving appliances and fire protection
MLC: rest hours, contracts and welfare important 14%
Occupational safety and permits important 14% Ship safety signs
Communications, SMCP and GMDSS basics 7% VHF and Channel 16
Conventions and regulations basics 7% STCW English requirements guide
Pollution prevention (MARPOL) basics 7%
Ship security (ISPS) basics 7%
Vessel types and their cargoes basics 7% English and safety by ship type

Temperatures and times are the core: fridge and freezer, cooking and reheating, thawing, hand washing. Add your muster duties and the galley fire drill, and you have most of the paper.

Sample questions for catering

Five questions of the kind you will meet, from the core areas. Think first, then open the answer.

  1. Galley, food hygiene and catering Cooked food must be kept hot at or above:

    1. 63 degrees C
    2. 37 degrees C
    3. 45 degrees C
    4. 20 degrees C
    Show the answer

    63 degrees C. Danger zone for bacteria: 5 to 63 degrees C. Hot holding above 63, chilled storage at 5 or below.

  2. Galley, food hygiene and catering MLC 2006 requires the ship's cook to:

    1. Be a licensed deck officer
    2. Have no training if the crew is small
    3. Be certified only on passenger ships
    4. Be trained and qualified for the position, including food and personal hygiene
    Show the answer

    Be trained and qualified for the position, including food and personal hygiene. MLC Regulation 3.2: ships with a prescribed manning of ten or more carry a qualified cook; food is free of charge to seafarers.

  3. Galley, food hygiene and catering Food allergens (nuts, shellfish, gluten and others) must be:

    1. Served without any information
    2. Removed from all food on every ship
    3. Known to the cook and communicated to the crew, with meals for allergic persons kept separate
    4. Ignored at sea
    Show the answer

    Known to the cook and communicated to the crew, with meals for allergic persons kept separate. An allergic reaction at sea is a medical emergency far from help; ask the crew and label the food.

  4. Galley, food hygiene and catering Frozen meat should be thawed:

    1. In the oven at low heat while still frozen
    2. In the fridge or under cold running water, never at room temperature
    3. On the galley counter overnight
    4. In hot water
    Show the answer

    In the fridge or under cold running water, never at room temperature. Thawing at room temperature lets bacteria multiply on the outside while the inside is still frozen.

  5. Galley, food hygiene and catering Knives and cutting boards for raw meat and for ready-to-eat food should be:

    1. Separate, ideally colour coded
    2. The same, rinsed between uses
    3. Wooden only
    4. Kept in the same drawer without washing
    Show the answer

    Separate, ideally colour coded. Colour coding (for example red for raw meat, green for vegetables) prevents cross-contamination.

Take the full 30-question test

How to prepare

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