The art of pastries, the good smell of yeast dough... You couldn't resist for long, you are passionate about the profession of pastry chef and you have decided to enlarge the family in the profession. Congratulation ! You will soon be able to exercise a fabulous profession . Pastry chef is one of the food trades, but it is above all part of the trades of French craftsmanship , the culinary arts .
To make your dream of professional retraining a reality, you find out about the registration procedures to take your exam as an independent candidate . You are doing well, because it is the first step in your career to practice the profession that makes you vibrate and become an artisan pastry chef .
To put the odds on your side and succeed, you must first of all be well informed! Find out everything you need to know about the most important first step in your new professional environment : registering for the cap patisserie exams as a free candidate .
For whom, when, how and where? All the answers to your questions are here.
Can I register for the pastry chef professional aptitude certificate exam?
This is THE big question you are probably asking yourself. Do I have the profile to register for the CAP as an independent candidate ? Will I be able to pass the exam and fulfill my childhood dream?
I reassure you right away… the answer is YES!
How can you be sure? Simply because there is no specific criteria or ability to meet to be eligible for pre-registration for the exam .
Whether you have a patent, bac or bac-pro level does not change anything. No degree is required . In addition, regardless of your nationality, French or not, you have the right to register .
Although the minimum age of 18 is required, no age limit is imposed.
The specificities of registration as an independent candidate
In the majority of cases, the preparation of a diploma is carried out in a training center . Sometimes, life makes us want for various reasons: professional retraining, personal challenge, realization of a childhood dream that has become possible, we yearn for a new professional experience .
To do this, you go through private training , face-to-face or remotely, in order to acquire all the skills and know-how required to carry out your new activity with peace of mind.
This educational support includes: training with applied exercises and practical work and theoretical notions in order to fully integrate your new workstation . Several preparations for theoretical tests and practical tests are taught to enable you to succeed in your business .
You then have the possibility, on an individual basis, of taking an exam, following the professional knowledge that you have acquired on your own.
When should I start my procedures for my CAP pastry as a free candidate?
Knowing the precise date of your next exam session and the opening of registrations allows you to know by what deadline you must be ready to achieve the objectives you have set for yourself.
Don't hesitate to give yourself the necessary time to succeed in your project .
For the year 2020, as you can imagine, the exams are over.
If you wish to take your tests in June 2021, you will have to start your administrative procedures between October 14 and November 22, 2020.
The first step towards your new pastry profession
Your academy sends you a registration file , by email or paper format, to complete to close your application file .
You will be asked for a number of supporting documents such as a photocopy of your national identity card or proof of professional internships .
You will also have all the information concerning the course of your final exam . Take note of this valuable information . Your success or failure is at stake.
Keep safe:
- The address of the location of your exam,
- The specialty and the compulsory tests,
- Confirmation of your pre-registration,
How to carry out the administrative procedures for your registration as an independent candidate?
When you are educated in an authorized establishment, your training center is responsible for all the administrative procedures relating to your registration as part of a national diploma .
The “free candidates” must take care of all these modalities themselves. In your particular case, all these steps are only done online. For all districts, one and the same address with the Ministry of National Education: registration for professional examinations: registration service for the general public !
Make sure you register for the session of the academy on which you depend. Otherwise, you will not be able to take the exams.
Finally pay close attention to your input. Once your registration has been validated , you cannot go back. A typo or a careless error, and you commit your CAP...
You must enter:
- Your identity: title, birth name and usual name if necessary, your first name(s) as well as your place of birth. (Everything must be identical to your CNI [National Identity Card].
- Your contact details: complete address [do not hesitate to specify the locality, the name of the building, the apartment number, or any additional information for the proper follow-up of your file. For example, you can specify the name and address of the person hosting you if this is your case.]
- Your specialty: exact title of the exam for which you are applying.
Particular case :
If you have a disability , you should know that a number of accommodations can be granted to you.
Be careful, between the moment you register and the reception of your diploma… several months pass. You may move in the meantime. You must absolutely remember to inform your academy and the professional examination services . Refer to the documents received during your pre-application. You will not be able to receive your transcripts or diploma.
The different stages of registration
A well-completed file is a validated file!
Mid-November, after online pre-registration closes, you will receive your registration confirmation in your mailbox, a file to complete and supporting documents to provide. Check each point of your registration notification in order to validate it or correct it if necessary.
At the beginning of December 2020 at the latest [the exact date will be specified in your file during online pre-registration], you must have sent, by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt, confirmation of your registration for the professional examination services of which you depend.
Is the file closed?
Not quite, you will need to provide the following supporting documents:
- Copy of both sides of your identity document [you can use your CNI, your passport or, failing that, your driving license]
- Copy of diploma, transcript or VAE decision if you wish to be exempted from certain tests
Finally, sign and photocopy your registration confirmation. The signature is a mandatory step and you will not receive a duplicate of your confirmation.
Invitations to the exams
Much later, when you'll be all about the marvelous lemon tart , the fabulous pastry cream recipe and French pastry will no longer hold any secrets for you… exam time will be fast approaching.
At the end of May, beginning of April, you will receive your invitation to the various tests. If you have not received anything after April 15, do not hesitate to contact the Professional Examinations Department. If you do not show up on time on the day of your exam, you may be refused.
How to prepare well for the Cap Pâtisserie exam as a free candidate?
It's D-Day, the theoretical and practical test of your CAP pastry chef is underway. For 2021, there are a few changes to expect. It is essential that you know the different exam methods to best prepare yourself during your training. The more you know about the tests, the better you will choose the training that will provide your professional education.
The test takes place in several stages. You will have written, practical and oral tests .
Some changes to expect for sessions in 2021
Please note that for the coming year, professional internships have become mandatory , including individual applications.
Do not hesitate to compare the different examination centers in order to find the one that will meet all your needs in terms of know-how, technical skills, theoretical knowledge... and which offers you the possibility of carrying out practical internships !
Unless you value a diploma exempting you from this test, your exam will also include a modern language test . This must be a criterion when choosing to find a good training course that provides quality content .
You've all been waiting for it, drum roll, here are the practical tests for the exam!
How will you be eaten!
Professional tests include a practical test. During this test, you will not have the choice of the subject, it will be imposed on you. But don't worry, you have time to learn and practice the different techniques for making desserts and other pastries and the different cooking methods .
As an apprentice, you will have the opportunity on several occasions to benefit from training with an accompanying person.
Your subject will be composed of 4 technical sheets :
- The desserts
- The pie
- Choux pastry or puff pastry
- Yeast dough or puff pastry
In 2018, one of the topics on the theme “holiday by the sea” included:
- Pistachio red fruit desserts
- a raspberry pistachio crumble tart
- 14 raspberry eclairs
- 16 crescent.
To give you an overview of the pastry, bakery, chocolate or ice cream products that you may be required to make, here is a non-exhaustive list of the subjects chosen by the rectorate .
- The entremet : pear tree, black forest, pineapple vanilla charlotte, royal chocolate
- Tart : Norman tart, apple tart, cherry clafoutis tart, hazelnut chocolate tart
- Choux pastry or puff pastry : raspberry mille-feuille, coffee nuns, pistachio éclairs, apple turnovers
- Leavened puff pastry or brioche : headed brioches, individual brioches, pain aux raisins, pain au chocolat
For each of the categories, you will find a complete technical sheet which includes the ingredients of the recipe and the different stages of production , cooking and dressing. At the bottom of the page, you will finally find a diagram to guide you on your realization.
You will find terms such as: make, dress, bake, reserve, line, apply, garnish, cool or finish and decor. For the latter, it is often left to the free choice of the candidates . However, you must try to get closer to the theme evoked. Here, it's holidays by the sea. Each of the stages is there to serve as a guide throughout the event. The event lasts 7 hours, rely on your technical sheet to be well organized throughout your performance .
Train well to succeed
Of course, nothing beats the expertise of a Baker-Pastry Chef . However, if for a particular reason a professionalization contract or an apprenticeship contract with a bakery is not possible in your situation, you can opt for correspondence courses . In this case, choose your training well.
The criteria for choosing your future distance learning center
Make sure that the program is complete and prepares you for the practical exam as a whole.
You must master at the end of your apprenticeship , all the basic techniques of artisanal pastry , optimize your time, your products, your workspace and all this while respecting of course the rules of hygiene and safety.
Also check how you can contact your trainers . Are they easily reachable? Do they respond quickly? Taking a course is the very foundation of your success, both for the exam and for the rest of your career .
Some courses offer several weeks of internships . They will allow you to register for the exam, but also to highlight a few months of professional experience on your CV.
Your success depends on you, but largely on your training. Take the time to compare content. Good luck !