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ACS CCP Exam® Training and Education

By marcellaPosted on

 

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February 2022: It has now been nine years since I took the exam and as with most things, the CCP exam has evolved. Because non-disclosure of the exam questions is required, I do not have any inside knowledge of how it has changed. The basics of the science of cheese and cheesemaking have not changed. The basic terms remain the same although new ones are out there. Hundreds of new artisan cheeses have been created and become popular, many are now considered “essential” and most likely referenced in the exam. Those of you on the front line, have stayed current; I have not. 

All this being said, you can start here but this is not where you should end your preparation. A good starting point for your 2022 preparation includes this new video from Nathan Aldridge, ACS Certified Educator and head of Education.

After becoming an ACS CCP in 2013, I spent the next 5 years creating and compiling hundreds of documents to assist those sitting for the ACS CCP Exam and all Cheese Enthusiasts who wanted to increase their Cheese IQ.  These documents are all posted and linked here.

25 October 2021 – I am in the process of adding new educational articles from The Cheese Professor website (cheeseprofessor.com) to assist all of us in our continuing cheese education. These articles will appear within the domain where their information is pertinent and will precede the information and link with a +++ designation. My thanks to Cheese Professor Editor, Amy Sherman for her generosity in allowing me to share articles from the website.

Blueprint of 2018 ACS CCP Exam

1/7/2019 – Today I added links to ALL my shareable documents stored on my google drive. If you find errors with the links, please let me know so I can correct. Many of these files/docs are also available in the “Files” section of the Facebook Cheese Study Group’s Page.

Since 2014, the Administrators of the Facebook Cheese Study Group have shared cheese information, documents and links to assist those preparing to take the yearly American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional Exam®.

I’d like to pass along a special “shout-out” to those Administrators who went above and beyond to make the Cheese Study Group the number 1 destination on Facebook for unbiased, just-the-facts, cheese information: Allin Tallmadge ACS CCP, Babs Hogan M. Ed., Elizabeth Nerud ACS CCP, Pat Polowsky ACS CCP, Crystal Schroeder ACS CCP, Adam Burstein ACS CCP, Jessica Reichert ACS CCP, Erin Clancy ACS CCP, Miranda McQuillan ACS CCP, Marge Porter ACS CCP, James Danforth ACS CCP, Sheri Allen ACS CCP ACS CCSE. To quote Liz, “The truth of the matter is you couldn’t have done it without us” and she’s correct – my thanks to all of you who have contributed to make this bigger and better than I ever envisioned.

This page is a menu of links to guide you through the various domains of study included in the ACS Body of Knowledge. 

Disclaimer: Our purpose in sharing cheese education is to provide a wide, overview of the various domains of cheese. Neither the CSG nor any of the Authorized Educators “teach to the test” because none of us are privy to the questions. New questions are constantly being written for the exam and added to the exam. Our goal is to give you a well-rounded exposure to what encompasses the ACS Body of Knowledge and the world of cheese. With our documents and links coupled with your study of the ACS Body of Knowledge, you should stand a better-than-average chance of passing. With your 4000 hours of employment and volunteer work, your day-to-day experiences and knowledge will also contribute to your success both on the exam and your cheese career.

As a point of pride for all of us at the Facebook Cheese Study Group, in 2017 and 2018, we crowd-funded scholarships for six cheese professionals sitting for the ACS CCP Exam – all six passed.

Glossary of Cheese Terms

Books I Recommend for CCP Study

2018 ACS Body Of Knowledge Domain Re-Cap Index

Food Safety

Nutrition

Operations

Milk and the Raw Materials for Cheesemaking

Cheese History, Definitions and Categories

EU Cheeses, Rules and Regulations – DOOR Listing

EU Quality Schemes Explained

Cheese Styles

Cheesemaking

Affinage

Cheese Assessment and Evaluation

Transportation, Handling, Storage, Merchandising and Selling

Cheese Service

Cheese Pairings Suggestions

Business Practices

  • 2018 Business Practices Review
  • 2018 Business Practices Bullet Points, Terms and Useful Links
  • 2018 Business Practices Sample Questions
  • Documents stored in my google drive

2018 Math, Weights and Measurement Questions

Study Suggestions

Test-Taking Tips

Other available documents and databases for your cheese studies and increasing your cheese IQ:

Kosikowski’s Eight Steps in Cheesemaking (from Max McCalman’s Mastering Cheese)

Step 1: Setting the Milk

Step 2: Cutting the Curds

Step 3: Cooking and Holding the Curds

Steps 4, 5 & 6: Dipping, Draining, Knitting & Pressing the Curd

Steps 7 & 8: Salting and Curing Cheese

 

Databases of Cheese-centric Information:

Miscellaneous Educational Posts and Google Drive Docs:

Google Drive of my 2013 Flashcards

Google Drive of Glossary Terms

Google Drive of Math Docs

Top ACS Cheesemongers Share Their Secrets

Understanding the Value and Implications of Terroir

2010 ACS Charcuterie Seminar 

Lysolac

What Is a Cheesemonger?

A Brief history of Cheddar by Gordon Edgar

Sample Questions

Bibliographies (Includes Re-Caps, Bullet Points, Terms and Useful Links)

In addition to being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

Pardon our dust… we’re remodeling the website and over the next few weeks, you will see old files moved to new places and some old files may be gone. If you can’t find something you need, just send me an email and I’ll locate it and send you a link… the new site should be complete by end of September to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the website. (Marcellathecheesemonger at gmail.com)

Latest updates and additions include: Updated About Me page, a new Availability page, Cheese Menu, Cheese Education Index and Cheese Index pages. (All of these pages are still “under construction” and will be completed in the coming days.)

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