Mastering the Heat: A Deep Dive into My Second Culinary School Practical Exam

As I’ve shared in previous posts, the journey through culinary school is a whirlwind of learning, skill development, and intense evaluations. The culmination of this last week was our second comprehensive practical and theory exam. While my previous write-up on our first practical exam offered a glimpse, I wanted to dedicate this post to a much more detailed, play-by-play account of this latest, more demanding experience. Prepare to get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, triumphs, and sheer adrenaline of a real-world chef assessment.

Before ever stepping foot into a professional kitchen, the concept of practical culinary exams was somewhat abstract to me. I understood they involved cooking, but the specifics – the pressure, the precision, the timing – remained a mystery. Each culinary institution has its unique approach, so even with a vague idea, the actual experience was a journey into the unknown.

Our first practical exam primarily focused on individual components and techniques rather than a complete dish. It was foundational, testing our ability to execute specific cuts, sauces, or preparations in isolation. This past week’s second practical exam, however, escalated the challenge significantly. We were tasked with preparing a full three-course meal – a vastly different and, admittedly, far more intimidating proposition. The stakes were higher, requiring not just individual component mastery but also complex orchestration and timing.

Thankfully, in the days leading up to the exam, we received a few crucial hints regarding the dishes we’d be expected to produce. This offered a sliver of comfort amidst the rising anxiety, allowing us to mentally prepare and strategize. Even with these clues, the “big day” remained incredibly nerve-wracking. For anyone curious about the inner workings of a professional culinary assessment, here’s a rough idea of how the day unfolds:

6:00 – 7:00 AM: Pre-Exam Setup & Strategic Organization

The culinary school day begins early, especially on exam days. Before classes officially start, we meticulously set up the classroom, transforming it into our individual workstations. Since each student is solely responsible for the organization and pristine cleanliness of their designated area, our tables are clearly marked and divided with tape, defining our personal culinary domain. This early prep time is crucial for mental and physical readiness. We’re allowed to set up essential, everyday items like salt, pepper, butter, cutting boards, and our utensil holders. Every other ingredient, every piece of specialized equipment, must be strategically grabbed by us throughout the exam. This pre-setup instills a sense of responsibility and foresight that is paramount in a professional kitchen.

7:00 – 7:30 AM: The Briefing, Grading Criteria & The ‘Holding’ Challenge

As the clock ticks closer to the exam start, we all gather in the classroom for the day’s critical briefing. This is where the chefs lay out the final instructions, clarify any last-minute details, and, most importantly, detail the grading criteria. It’s also the moment we turn in our meticulously maintained recipe notebooks for grading – a testament to our learning journey. Just recently, my notebook swelled with 82 new recipes, bringing the total to over 139 recipes in a mere eight weeks! This volume highlights the intensity and pace of culinary education.

Given that this practical exam involved numerous components and advanced techniques, the whiteboard was completely filled with the intricate grading rubric. For each of the three courses, we are assessed on multiple critical factors: “consistency, temperature, execution/technique, presentation, and seasoning/taste.” These aren’t just abstract terms; they represent the core pillars of professional cooking, each carrying significant weight in our final grade. Consistency ensures uniformity, temperature is vital for food safety and enjoyment, execution reflects skill, presentation showcases artistry, and seasoning, of course, defines flavor.

Once we complete the cooking phase, we alert our assistant, Ashley, who promptly adds our names to a list on the board at the front of the kitchen. The kitchen buzzes with activity, and it’s common for many students to finish around the same time, leading to a rapid accumulation of names on that board. This introduces one of the trickiest and most critical aspects of the exam: the “holding” period. You must ingeniously figure out how to keep all your prepared food at optimal serving temperature – hot but not overcooked or dried out – while you await the chefs’ evaluation. This requires expert timing, knowledge of heat retention, and a calm under pressure, as the order of evaluation can fluctuate.

At this point in the day, my stomach is invariably a knot of nerves. Once the menu is thoroughly explained and our strict deadline is announced – three hours to complete the entire three-course meal – we all grab our knife rolls, a symbol of our craft, and head into the bustling kitchen, ready to face the challenge.

7:30 – 10:30 AM: The Culinary Gauntlet – From Mise en Place to Panic

The moment we enter the kitchen, a controlled frenzy erupts. Everyone converges on the dish and equipment area, meticulously gathering everything needed for the day’s elaborate menu. My personal strategy always begins with securing all my plating essentials: the correct dishes, cutlery, glasses, and even napkins or straws. I then neatly tuck these away on the bottom shelf of my workstation, ensuring they are accessible but not cluttering my immediate cooking space. This seemingly small detail is a lesson learned from experience, proving invaluable when the final plating rush begins.

It’s truly remarkable to reflect on how much more organized and efficient we’ve all become since those initial, somewhat chaotic days of preparing simple dishes like French onion soup and basic salads. Back then, we were often completely lost, scrambling for “important” items at the very last second. Now, I understand the profound importance of foresight: making the last 30 minutes of service as smooth as possible by handling these small, critical details proactively. It’s always hectic during plating, but good planning can mitigate a lot of stress.

Our most significant and time-consuming task for the day was meticulously preparing our mise en place for the main course. This involved everything from finely dicing vegetables and portioning proteins to pre-making sauces and garnishes. Flawless mise en place is the backbone of efficiency and consistency in a professional kitchen, allowing for seamless execution during the high-pressure cooking phase. It’s a dance of anticipation, ensuring every ingredient is ready precisely when needed.

This picture wasn’t actually from exam day, but pretty close in concept! It captures the essence of a well-organized station.

Another item I prioritized at the start was our first course soup. Luckily, this particular soup could be made in advance and set aside, requiring only a final reheat and garnish before service. While it offered a bit of a breathing room in terms of immediate pressure, it still demanded careful attention to details in its preparation – a subtle balance of flavors and textures that could easily be overlooked in the rush.

Practical 2: 1st Course Soup – after my chefs dug into it a bit! The first taste test is always the most nerve-wracking.

Though three hours might sound like ample time to prepare a three-course meal, in the context of a high-stakes practical exam, it passes by extremely quickly!

As seems to be the recurring theme of all practical exams, the initial two hours typically flow relatively smoothly. I usually feel a sense of calm, methodically working through my tasks and feeling adequately organized, confident in the remaining time to finish and plate everything. Then, without warning, I glance at the clock and a jolt of panic hits: only 45 minutes left until the deadline, and a significant number of components still require my attention. It’s a sudden, jarring shift from composure to crisis management.

Practical 2: Dessert – the sweet finish that demands precision, even under duress.

As you can imagine, this “45 minutes left” period is the most nerve-wracking segment of the entire exam. My biggest concern at this critical juncture was my protein. I had seared it initially, but it wasn’t cooking through quickly enough in the oven. The added complexity was the crucial need to let it rest properly before slicing and serving, to ensure tenderness and juiciness. Though I worried about over-doing it or compromising quality, I made a snap decision: I sprinted to grab another sauté pan and quickly seared the protein again on both sides. This improvisation was a calculated risk, but it significantly sped up the internal cooking process, a testament to adapting under pressure.

At this frantic point, I had successfully completed all other dish components (aside from the final plating) and, with a sigh of relief, called my name to be added to the chef’s evaluation list. I landed third on the list, which was a decent spot. Then commenced the agonizing “waiting game” – the period where you try to maintain the perfection of your dishes while others finish and the chefs make their rounds.

Fortunately, my improvisation paid off, and I managed to pull everything off in time, finishing third in my class with a comfortable 7-8 minutes to spare before the absolute deadline. The feeling of accomplishment mixed with sheer exhaustion was palpable. Next up: the moment of truth, the chef’s evaluation.

Practical Results: The Chefs’ Verdict and Personal Reflections

Despite my internal assessment, I wasn’t entirely certain how I had performed when Chef Brian and Chef Somchet approached my station to evaluate my dishes. There’s always a degree of uncertainty. However, I felt a wave of relief that my protein was well-cooked, especially considering the last-minute scramble and improvisation. My soup tasted relatively good, and I felt a fair amount of confidence in my dessert, a dish that often reveals the true precision of a chef.

Overall, I ended up feeling extremely happy with my performance on this exam. While I was pleased with my first practical results, I had been quite hard on myself for the mistakes I made on that occasion. Therefore, ending this day with such a positive feeling was incredibly satisfying and a true confidence booster.

Adding to the sense of accomplishment, both chefs commended my attention to detail in presentation. This feedback was particularly rewarding, as presentation is an aspect of cooking I genuinely enjoy and strive to perfect. It’s about making food not just taste good, but look equally appealing, engaging all the senses. We’ll receive our official grades next week, but the immediate feedback was incredibly encouraging and validated the hard work.

After the intense cooking and evaluation, the day wasn’t quite over. Cleaning up the kitchen, another task that is meticulously evaluated as part of our overall exam grade, followed. This emphasizes that a chef’s responsibility extends far beyond just cooking; it encompasses the entire environment. After this thorough cleanup, we took a much-needed short break before diving into our second theory test. Luckily, this portion also concluded on a high note, leaving me feeling confident and accomplished by the end of what had been a long, demanding, yet incredibly rewarding day.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this detailed, behind-the-scenes peek into the demanding yet exhilarating world of our monthly culinary school practical exams. It’s a journey of continuous learning, pressure, and immense satisfaction. Have a fantastic rest of the weekend, and perhaps ponder what goes into that next restaurant meal you enjoy!