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These 10 free CSC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Cyber Secure Coder blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
During prep, mayonnaise made with pasteurized yolks splits after a cook pours in the remaining oil all at once. The batch has been out of refrigeration for only 10 minutes and has not been heated. Which method offers the best chance of recovering it?
Correct answer: B - Slowly whisk the broken batch into a little water and a fresh pasteurized yolk.
A cook removes beef shanks from their braising liquid as soon as they reach the required food-safety endpoint. The meat is moist, but a fork will not separate the muscle bundles. Which explanation and correction fit this finding?
Correct answer: A - Insufficient collagen conversion; continue gentle braising and reassess fork tenderness.
A bimetallic dial thermometer has a 2-inch sensing zone, but the chicken cutlets on the sauté station are only 1/2 inch thick. The cook has been inserting it straight down from the top. Which replacement setup will reliably measure a cutlet’s internal temperature?
Correct answer: C - Insert a thin-tip probe sideways so its sensing tip reaches the center.
A chicken-stock cooling log reads 135°F at noon, 68°F at 1:10 p.m., and 46°F at 4:30 p.m. The stock is still being actively cooled; the readings are verified and no contamination has occurred. Applying the ordinary two-stage cooling requirements of the 2026 FDA Food Code, what should the sous chef authorize at 4:30 p.m.?
Correct answer: D - Continue rapid cooling; verify a temperature of 41°F or below by 6:00 p.m.
For immediate service under the 2026 FDA Food Code, with no undercooking exception or alternative approved process, which pickup still needs additional cooking? Each temperature is the verified reading from the coldest part of the food.
Correct answer: A - Sole with crab stuffing: 157°F for 30 seconds
During croissant lamination, the dough rolls smoothly, but the butter fractures into hard plates that tear through the dough. There is no greasy smearing or butter leakage. Before the next turn, the baker should:
Correct answer: C - Let the butter become pliable enough to bend with the dough, then resume rolling gently.
A guest with a milk allergy orders pan-seared fish, normally finished with butter and a cream sauce. Cooking has not started. The sous chef has verified the other ingredients, and a separate preparation area with properly cleaned equipment is available. How should the kitchen handle the order?
Correct answer: B - Use olive oil in a clean pan and serve a verified milk-free sauce.
A banquet requires 80 portions of cooked pork, each weighing 7 ounces. Trimming retains 80% of the purchased weight, and cooking retains 75% of that trimmed weight. The supplier sells the pork only in 10-pound packages. What is the smallest order that covers the required portions?
Correct answer: C - 6 packages (60 pounds)
“I was told to make each plate look like this one,” a new prep cook explains when the sous chef finds oversized beef portions. The recipe calls for 6 ounces, and a calibrated portion scale is available. This is the cook’s first performance concern. The sous chef should first:
Correct answer: D - Demonstrate six-ounce weighing, then observe the cook portioning a fresh batch.
A nonexempt hourly cook at an FLSA-covered restaurant has already worked more than 40 hours this workweek. The sous chef knows the cook stayed after the shift to finish required cleanup, but the overtime was not approved in advance. How must that additional time be handled?
Correct answer: B - Record and pay it as overtime; address the approval-policy violation separately.
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