About this event
Culinary Arts is a hands-on kitchen event for students in occupational culinary programs. On site, students cook a quality meal from menu items handed to them at the event, using industrial food service techniques and equipment, and present it to evaluators. Recipes and the equipment list are posted in FCCLA's portal for advisors. Competitors wear chef's attire. Individual event, Levels 3 and 4. Students qualify through their state (regional or district first where the state has one), and nationals are at the National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, June 22 to 26, 2027. Each participant earns a gold, silver or bronze rating, with Top 10 recognition per event and level. Sullivan University gives the national Level 3 top 3 scholarships of $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 toward a related degree there. The full guidelines, times and rating sheet are for FCCLA members only, so ChapterPrep does not print them. Students who score 70% or higher on the American Culinary Federation's Certificate of Culinary Essentials written exam and at least 75 on their rubrics earn the ACF Certified Fundamental Cook credential. To add the ACF exam, register for it with the National Leadership Conference by April 30, 2027; the exam runs online from May 10 to June 11, 2027, with the chapter advisor as proctor. In this event Level 3 students can also earn Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts scholarships: $7,000, $5,000 and $3,000 for the national top 3, and $500 for every national Level 3 participant. The Culinary Institute of America adds $4,000, $3,500 and $3,000 for the national Level 3 top 3. The Culinary School of Fort Worth gives $1,000 to each of the national Level 3 top 3 (and the Texas state top 3), for study at its school right after graduation.
FormatSkills Only
DurationOn-site kitchen production (times are in the member-only guidelines)
Solo or teamIndividual
CategoryCareer Focused
Your plan
How to study
Built from FCCLA's public information sheet.
Read the information sheet
FCCLA's public information sheet says what the event asks for. The full guidelines, times and rubric are for members only, so ask your advisor for them.
Information sheet (opens in a new tab)Practice every part
Everything is done at the event, so practice each part below until it is second nature, then run the whole thing start to finish, timed.
See what it covers
What it covers
What the event covers
From FCCLA's public summary of the event. The rubric judges use is for FCCLA members only, so it is not printed here.
- Knife skills and mise en place
- Cooking methods
- Plating and presentation
- Food safety and sanitation
- Timing and kitchen organization
Guidelines and resources
Bookmark to saveCurated by ChapterPrep. Free unless noted. External links open in a new tab.