
Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery
Professional training in the essentials of commercial cookery, carefully structured to prepare students for a first career role in various kitchen environments.
Programme overview
This course consists of a more substantial professional cookery qualification, available at Diploma (180 credit) level.
Diploma level core units
Students undertaking the Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery must study the mandatory units from the Level 3 Certificate plus a choice of five additional options that allow them to focus on particular areas of interest. They can select from:
- Food safety practices in the preparation, service & storage of food
- Kitchen organisation
- High volume food production
- Food product development
- Nutrition & producing healthier dishes
- Techniques & skills in producing fermented dough products
- Producing farinaceous goods
- Vegetarian cookery
- Ethnic cookery
- International cookery
All teaching on this programme should be tutor guided and within a practical kitchen environment. Units are assessed via either practical examination or by written assignment.
Assessment Methods
All units of the Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery are assessed via practical examination where candidates will be required to produce dishes in a professional kitchen environment. Each unit is assessed and carries equal weighting towards the qualification. All units must be passed to achieve the qualification.
The qualification is internally assessed but with external moderation from a CTH assessor. Moderation will take the form of attending examination sessions and analysis of internal assessor’s mark schemes for consistency of application of marks. CTH will also carry out a standardisation session with each delivery centre prior to practical examinations taking place.
Sample Certificate

Syllabus Overview:
CTH Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery (QAN: 601/8363/9) |
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For the Diploma, students must achieve a total of 50 credits, all at Level 3.
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Credit Value (CV): 50 | |||||||
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for Qualification: 420 | Total Qualification Time (TQT) for Qualification: 500 | ||||||
Mandatory Units | |||||||
Unit Code | Unit Title | L | CV | GLH | URN | Assessment Method | |
PCVSS | Techniques and skills in preparation, cooking and finishing vegetables, sauces and soups | 3 | 5 | 42 | M/508/0673 | Practical exam | |
PCPMG | Techniques and skills in preparation, cooking and finishing poultry, meat and game | 3 | 5 | 42 | T/508/0674 | Practical exam | |
PCFFS | Techniques and skills in preparation, cooking and finishing fish and shellfish | 3 | 5 | 42 | A/508/0675 | Practical exam | |
PCCHD | Techniques and skills in producing frozen, cold and hot desserts | 3 | 5 | 42 | F/508/0676 | Practical exam | |
PCBBP | Techniques and skills in baking and baked products | 3 | 5 | 42 | J/508/0677 | Practical exam | |
Optional Group (choose 5 from 11) | |||||||
PCSS | Food safety practices in the preparation, service and storage of food | 3 | 3 10 84 100 L/508/0678 Assignment5 | 42 | L/508/0678 | Assignment | |
PCKO | Kitchen organisation | 3 | 5 | 42 | R/508/0679 | Assignment | |
PCFP | High volume food production | 3 | 5 | 42 | J/508/0680 | Assignment | |
PCDP | Techniques and skills in producing fermented dough | 3 | 5 | 42 | R/508/0682 | Practical | |
PCPD | Food product development | 3 | 5 | 42 | L/508/0681 | Practical or Assignment | |
PCNH | Nutrition and producing healthier dishes | 3 | 5 | 42 | D/508/0684 | Practical exam | |
PCFG | Producing farinaceous goods | 3 | 5 | 42 | Y/508/0683 | Practical exam | |
PCVC | Vegetarian cookery | 3 | 5 | 42 | H/508/0685 | Practical exam | |
PCEC | Ethnic cookery | 3 | 5 | 42 | K/508/0686 | Practical exam | |
PCIC | International cookery | 3 10 84 100 Practical3 | 5 | 42 | T/508/0686 | Practical exam | |
PCSPS | Supervising the professional kitchen | 3 | 5 | 42 | T/615/5318 | Assignment | |
Diploma Total (5 mandatory plus 5 optional units) | 50 | 420 |