2016 VCE exam guide — Hospitality: Start your revision process early

All units of competency are compulsory.

Preparing for the end of year examination can be challenging.

It is important to reflect on your coursework and continue to work as hard as you can on your assessment tasks. It is important to work smart and start your revision process early to prepare for your written examination.

To be confident you have covered everything check the units of competency for the VCE VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operation streams.

Look at the elements, performance criteria and critical aspects of assessment.

This gives you the key knowledge and skills required and forms the basis of what is looked for in the VCE exam.

From here a grid or checklist can be created, that contains all elements from the units of competency that are appraised.

Use this to check your knowledge and skills for each of the relevant units of competency.

Once you have completed the grid you can highlight your strengths in green, weaknesses in red and areas where you are uncertain in yellow.

This should ensure you are targeted and efficient with your revision.

Your ability to remember what you learned will also improve with the more connections you make between the skills you have developed and the performance criteria.

It’s important to use industry standard terminology in your practical and theory classes.

For example when setting a table refer to salt and pepper shakers as cruets. In Kitchen Operations you need to learn the French terminology. For example a clear soup is a Consommé, while Espagnole is a brown sauce.

Start a glossary of words you don’t understand and continue to add to it.

Try to experience various service styles, cafes, restaurants, buffets, breakfasts, fast foods. Make observations that link to your learning.

For example you need to understand the difference between the styles of service and the different types of menus. Remember to practice the skills you have learned.

Set the table at home for dinner as if you were setting it in a restaurant.

Go through the sequence of service. Take orders and take pictures so you can show your teacher who can then give you feedback on your performance.

For Kitchen Operations practice making the different menu items that are in your units of competency. For example the different soups, stocks, sauces, salads, dressings, eggs, vegetable, fruit and farinaceous products.

Think of the quality points and specifications for purchasing the different foods. You also need to be able to complete basic calculations when purchasing goods and doing financial transactions.

Start completing past exam questions.

Try and practice exam conditions and see how you manage your time. You get 15 minutes reading time and 90 minutes writing time. See how long it takes you to complete an examination paper. There are sample questions for the units of competency that were new from 2015 to practice. You will find them in the link below. Ask your teacher to mark it and go through the examination report together.

Take note of how many marks are awarded for each question. If you are asked to explain, then give more detail.

If you are asked to give examples then list the required examples and move on. If you find you have not answered some questions in your practice exam as well as you should have, then ask your teacher for more questions in this area.

If you do not know something move on from that question as you can come back to it at the end if you have time. It is important to work on the areas you are not confident in prior to the exam.

Remember to keep in contact with your teacher as they are your best resource.

Use them in the lead up to the examination and take on board their feedback.

The VCE examination will count towards 34 per cent of your final grade in Hospitality and Kitchen Operations so everything you do will benefit your end result.

VCE Vet Hospitality

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/programs/Hospitality/VCEVETHospitality.aspx

Past Exams

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/programs/hospitality/exams.aspx

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/programs/hospitality/hospitality_kitchenops.aspx

Pat Murphy is hospitality trainer at Eltham College

EXAM DETAILS

Approved materials and equipment

•Normal stationery requirements (pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, sharpeners and rulers)

•One scientific calculator

VET Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

When: November 2, 11.45am — 1.30pm

Reading: 15 minutes

Writing: 90 minutes

Worth: 34 per cent of study score

VET Hospitality

When: November 10, 9am — 10.45am

Reading: 15 minutes

Writing: 90 minutes

Worth: 34 per cent of study score