Ten 415A Cook questions in the format of the Red Seal exam: four options, one correct answer, no trick questions. They are free to use, print and share. There is nothing to sign up for on this page.
01How to use these
The questions come from the TicketPrep 415A bank and are spread across the exam's work activities in the order and roughly the proportion the Red Seal Program publishes for this trade: A (hygiene, sanitation and safety), B (common occupational skills), C (produce), D (stocks, broths and soups), E (sauces), F (cheese, dairy, plant-based dairy alternatives, eggs and egg products), G (pastas, noodles, stuffed pastas and dumplings), H (grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins), I (meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats), J (fish and seafood). Answer each one before opening the explanation. Every explanation covers all four options, because on the real exam the wrong options are written to be plausible, and knowing why they are wrong is most of the skill.
- Pace. The exam allows four hours for 150 questions, so about 1 min 36 s per question. Try these at that pace.
- Print. The printed version shows the questions and the answer key without the explanations, so it works as a handout. Download PDF
- Mark. The pass mark is 70 percent on every Red Seal trade; seven of ten here is the same bar.
02The questions
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A hotel's receiving clerk has an infrared (laser) thermometer. Which job is it suited to?
- Reading the core temperature of a vacuum-packed striploin
- Reading the air temperature inside the walk-in cooler
- Screening the surface temperature of incoming cases
- Reading the internal temperature of a roast through its crust
Show the answer
C. Correct. The RSOS lists digital, analog and laser thermometers. Infrared is fast and non-contact, so it suits screening case surfaces at receiving or checking a griddle; any suspect reading is confirmed with a probe thermometer.
Why not the others
A. An infrared thermometer reads only the surface it is aimed at, here the plastic of the pack. A core temperature needs a probe thermometer (between packs at receiving, or in the product when cooking).
B. An infrared thermometer measures the surface of whatever it is pointed at, not the air. Use the cooler's own thermometer, or a probe or air thermometer placed inside.
D. Infrared reads the outside of the crust, which can be far hotter than the centre. Doneness and safety are checked with a probe in the thickest part.
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A hotel cook will reduce a tomato-and-white-wine sauce for 45 minutes. Which pan is the best choice?
- Well-seasoned bare cast-iron skillet
- Heavy unlined aluminum sauté pan
- Heavy-bottomed stainless-steel rondeau
- Heavy unlined copper saucepan
Show the answer
C. Correct. Stainless steel is non-reactive, so the acid in the tomato and wine will not pick up a metallic taste or discolour, and a heavy (often aluminum- or copper-cored) base spreads heat evenly so the reduction does not scorch. The wide, shallow shape also speeds evaporation.
Why not the others
A. Cast iron holds heat well, but even a well-seasoned pan loses its seasoning in a long simmer; the acid in tomato and wine gives the sauce a metallic taste and dark colour. Enamelled cast iron would be acceptable; bare cast iron is for searing, frying and baking.
B. Bare aluminum reacts with acidic foods: the sauce greys and picks up a metallic taste, and the pan pits. Aluminum is an excellent conductor, which is why it is used as a core clad inside stainless steel, but it should not touch a long-cooked acidic sauce.
D. Copper conducts heat superbly, but unlined copper reacts with acid and can leach copper into the food, a chemical hazard. Cooking pans in copper are lined with tin or stainless steel; bare copper is kept for jobs such as cooking sugar.
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What is a brunoise cut?
- 1 mm cubes, cut from paper-thin shavings
- 6 mm cubes, cut from batonnet sticks
- 12 mm cubes, cut from thick slabs
- 3 mm cubes, cut from julienne strips
Show the answer
D. Correct. Brunoise is a 3 mm × 3 mm × 3 mm dice made by cutting julienne (3 mm × 3 mm strips) crosswise. It is used as a fine garnish and in sauces and consommé garnishes; uniform size gives even cooking and a clean look.
Why not the others
A. This describes a size finer than any standard cut. A brunoise is 3 mm on each side; 1 mm pieces would be closer to a mince.
B. Cubes of 6 mm cut from batonnet are a small dice, not a brunoise. Brunoise is half that size and is cut from julienne.
C. Cubes of about 12 mm are a medium dice. Brunoise is the smallest standard dice, at 3 mm.
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A remote camp cook is blanching veal bones for a white stock. What is the correct procedure?
- Soak in warm water overnight to draw out the blood
- Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, drain, rinse, restart cold
- Roast lightly at 200 °C until just coloured, then rinse
- Drop into boiling water, then keep that water as the stock base
Show the answer
B. Correct. Starting cold lets blood and soluble proteins coagulate and rise; after a short boil the water is drained, the bones and pot are rinsed, and the stock is started with fresh cold water. Blanching gives a clearer, whiter stock at the cost of a little flavour.
Why not the others
A. Warm water overnight holds raw bones in the danger zone (4 °C to 60 °C) for hours. Soaking, if used, is done in cold water under refrigeration; the standard blanching method is a cold-water start, brief boil, drain and rinse.
C. Roasting is the first step of a brown stock; any colour on the bones will tint a white stock. White stock bones are blanched (or used raw), never roasted.
D. The whole point of blanching is to throw the first water away with the scum and impurities in it. Keeping it puts back everything blanching removed, and a boiling start leaves particles dispersed rather than collected.
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What is beurre manié?
- Butter and flour cooked together until blond
- Butter melted and skimmed of its milk solids
- Raw butter and flour kneaded into a paste
- Cold butter whisked into a wine and shallot reduction
Show the answer
C. Correct. Beurre manié is equal parts soft butter and flour kneaded together, uncooked. It is whisked in small pieces into a simmering sauce or braising liquid near the end, then simmered briefly to cook out the flour; the butter coats the flour so it disperses without lumps.
Why not the others
A. That is a blond roux, which is cooked before the liquid is added. Beurre manié is the raw, kneaded version used for last-minute thickening.
B. That is clarified butter, used for hollandaise and high-heat sautéing. Beurre manié is raw butter and flour kneaded together as a thickener.
D. That is beurre blanc, an emulsified butter sauce. Beurre manié is a thickener made of raw butter and flour kneaded into a paste.
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An à la carte brunch menu lists a classic French omelette. How is it cooked?
- Stirred and shaken to small soft curds, rolled, with no browning
- Left to set undisturbed, folded in half, lightly golden
- Yolks and whipped whites folded together and baked puffed
- Set on the stove, then finished under the salamander in the pan
Show the answer
A. Correct. Beaten eggs go into a hot buttered pan and are stirred and shaken to small, soft curds, then rolled into a smooth oval and turned onto the plate seam-side down. The outside has no browning and the centre stays moist.
Why not the others
B. This describes the American-style omelette: set with little stirring, folded over the filling, often lightly browned. A classic French omelette has no colour.
C. Folding whipped whites into the yolks gives a soufflé or puffy omelette. A French omelette uses whole beaten eggs with no whipped whites.
D. Setting the eggs on the stove top and finishing the top under the salamander is how a frittata is made; it is served flat or in wedges, not rolled.
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Which potato gives the lightest potato gnocchi?
- Russet, a dry, floury high-starch potato
- Fingerling, a firm waxy potato that holds its shape
- Sweet potato, for its moisture and natural sugar
- Red-skinned new potato, a waxy low-starch type
Show the answer
A. Correct. Dry, floury russets (baked, or boiled in their skins) need the least flour to form a dough, so the gnocchi stay light and tender. Rice them while hot so steam escapes and the flesh stays dry.
Why not the others
B. Holding its shape is exactly what a gnocchi potato should not do. Fingerlings are waxy and moist, so the dough needs extra flour and ends up dense.
C. Sweet potatoes are wet, so a sweet-potato gnocchi needs a lot of flour and is heavier. Moisture is the enemy of light gnocchi; a dry, floury potato is the standard choice.
D. Waxy potatoes are moist and dense; they need much more flour to bind and give heavy, gummy gnocchi. They are chosen for salads and dishes where the potato must hold its shape.
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A noodle bar wants crisp cubes of tofu to top a stir-fry. Which method gives the best result?
- Cube silken tofu and deep-fry it at about 150 °C until it colours
- Press extra-firm tofu, cube, coat in cornstarch, deep-fry at about 180 °C
- Batter wet firm tofu straight from the tub and fry it at 120 °C
- Simmer firm tofu cubes in the stir-fry sauce until they crisp
Show the answer
B. Correct. Pressed extra-firm tofu has little surface water, the cornstarch dries the surface and forms a crisp shell, and a fryer at 175–190 °C sets that shell quickly without soaking the tofu in oil. Add the cubes to the sauce at the last moment so they stay crisp.
Why not the others
A. Silken tofu is too soft and wet to hold a cube in a fryer; it breaks apart and spatters. At 150 °C any coating absorbs oil and turns greasy instead of crisp.
C. Unpressed tofu releases water into the batter, and 120 °C is far below frying temperature. The result is a pale, greasy, soggy coating.
D. Simmering in a liquid can soften or flavour tofu but can never make it crisp; crispness needs dry heat such as deep-frying, pan-frying or baking.
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What is the usual sequence for carving a whole roast turkey at a carving station?
- Slice the breast straight down to the bone before removing any legs
- Remove the legs and thighs first, then carve the breast across the grain
- Carve the whole bird straight from the oven, without resting
- Cut the bird in half down the backbone and portion the halves
Show the answer
B. Correct. After resting, take off the legs and thighs at the joint, separate drumstick and thigh, and slice the dark meat. Remove each breast lobe whole along the keel bone and slice it across the grain for even, tender slices and consistent portions of white and dark meat.
Why not the others
A. The legs block access to the lower breast, so carving the breast first on the frame gives ragged, uneven slices and more waste. Remove the legs first, or take the breast lobes off whole.
C. Carving without a rest loses juices onto the board and gives dry, crumbly slices. A large turkey rests about 20 to 30 minutes first.
D. Halving suits small birds such as Cornish hens or quail served as halves. A turkey is carved into slices for portion control.
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What is a classic mignonette served with raw oysters?
- Ketchup, prepared horseradish and fresh lemon juice
- Minced shallot, red wine vinegar and cracked pepper
- Mayonnaise with chopped capers, pickles and herbs
- Warm clarified butter with a squeeze of lemon juice
Show the answer
B. Correct. Mignonette is a sharp, cold sauce of finely minced shallot and red wine (or sherry) vinegar with coarsely cracked black pepper, spooned on at the table. It seasons raw oysters without masking their briny taste.
Why not the others
A. That is cocktail sauce, served with chilled cooked shrimp and sometimes oysters. Mignonette is vinegar-based, with shallot and pepper.
C. That is tartar sauce or a rémoulade, served with fried or breaded seafood. Mignonette contains no mayonnaise.
D. Drawn (clarified) butter with lemon is served with hot lobster or crab. Raw oysters are served cold with mignonette, lemon or hot sauce.
03Answer key
| Question | Answer | Work activity |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | C | Hygiene, sanitation and safety |
| Q2 | C | Common occupational skills |
| Q3 | D | Produce |
| Q4 | B | Stocks, broths and soups |
| Q5 | C | Sauces |
| Q6 | A | Cheese, dairy, plant-based dairy alternatives, eggs and egg products |
| Q7 | A | Pastas, noodles, stuffed pastas and dumplings |
| Q8 | B | Grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins |
| Q9 | B | Meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats |
| Q10 | B | Fish and seafood |
04More free questions
For the 415A exam itself, the 415A exam guide covers the work activities, their weights and how the exam is scored, and the 415A Cook practice exam page describes the full TicketPrep 415A question bank. The same free format is available for the other 9 trades, plus the free guides on the pass mark, question counts, exam day and how to study.
How these questions are written and checked: how our questions are made. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.