Frequently Asked Questions

Fees can be paid directly to us via bank transfer, Paypal or with your Visa or Master Card through a secure payment gateway on our site.

We accept Visa and Master Card payments from every county in the world. You will be billed in New Zealand Dollars in New Zealand, Australian Dollars in Australia and US dollars for the rest of the world (the reason for the different fees is to cover the additional bank fees for international payment received by us.)

Payment options and details will be provided to you in your invoice if you are enrolling in a professional programme.

If you are enrolling in a Junior Chef or Short Course programme, you will be able to proceed directly to checkout on our website.

If you have any questions about payments or fees please Contact Us .

We charge a monthly fee which varies per course and this can be paid in advance, until successful course completion. Our Chef Instructors are available to help you to complete the course in the allowed time. Should you fall behind, please do contact us for assistance on the best way to complete your studies.
You may complete short courses and junior chef courses ahead of the allowed time.

We charge a monthly fee of $200 per month, paid in advance, until successful course completion. Our Student Support is available to help you to complete the course in the allowed time. Should you fall behind, please do contact us for assistance on the best way to fast track your studies.

NZQA
These are New Zealand recognised qualifications which most New Zealand establishments regard as the industry standard in New Zealand. Internationally New Zealand has an excellent reputation for its qualifications and are well recognised globally.

Global Certification and Qualification
On completion of these courses students can apply for Worldchefs global hospitality certification. Worldchefs, teamed with City and Guilds and International Culinary Studio, matches experience gained on the job against a global benchmark for hospitality professionals, takes real life workplace skills and makes them visible, measurable and global.

The Short Courses, Junior Chef and Home School Courses successfully completed programmes will receive a Digital Badge and a Certificate of Achievement from International Culinary Studio.

All of our Professional Culinary Programmes at International Culinary Studio are internationally recognised by by Worldchefs and WACS (World Association of Chefs Societies) as the benchmark for Culinary professionals globally.

You will be able to get in touch with your Chef Instructor using your Student Log in whenever you need assistance or information. Your Instructor will also check in on you on a regular basis.

Please do take your time zone into consideration in regards to communication times with your Chef Instructor.

Yes! For the short courses and junior chef programmes. You can download the Canvas App your Learner Management System -which is available at the Appstore or Google Play.

For the Professional Programmes we recommend you have access to a computer. The app will enable you to access the checkpoints, quizzes, your module outline and some of the videos. Please note that not all course material on the professional programmes can be accessed via the app on a handheld device, and you will need a computer to upload your videos onto the Learner Management System.

In your course material you will be guided through the practical aspects of the course and be expected to practice these in a reasonably well resourced kitchen.

You will be able to access live streaming, webinars and video clips of various cooking activities.

You will be guided through practical tasks by your study guides and online recipe videos, and will need to submit various forms of evidence to your International Culinary Studio Chef Instructor, who will assess your work and assist you wherever necessary.

Professional Programmes require you to work in the industry in a commercial kitchen with a Mentor Chef (who you will appoint) and your Industry Practicals will be logged in a logbook or work diary.

In order to successfully complete a Professional Qualification, you will need to:

• Be 16 years of age, or older
• Have successfully completed 10 years of schooling
• Be a New Zealand Citizen or Resident for the NZQA Programmes Level 4 and 5
• Be working in, or be able to work part time, for a minimum 120 hours in commercial kitchen.
• Be able to read and communicate in English . You may use Google translate to change your course material into 104 different languages, however your assignments and final exams will need to be submitted in English
• Have access to the internet, e-mail (with a valid e-mail address), a scanner, a printer and a digital photographic device
• Have access to a reasonably well equipped kitchen
• Be computer literate with the ability to upload and download documents and photographs / video clips
• Be able to travel to your closest examination centre to write your final exam/s, if this option is considered

Short Course Requirements

• Be 16 years of age, or older
• Have access to the Internet
• Have access to a reasonably wellequipped kitchen
• Be computer literate with the ability to upload and download documents and photographs / video clips
• Be able to read and communicate in English. You may use Google translate to change your course material into 104 different languages, however your assignments will need to be submitted in English.

Junior Chef Course Requirements

• For ages 8 -16
• Have access to the Internet
• Have access to a reasonably well-equipped kitchen
• Be computer literate, or have the assistance from someone who is computer literate with the ability to upload and download documents and photographs / video clips
• Be able to read and communicate in English. You may use Google translate to change your course material into 104 different languages, however your assignments will need to be submitted in English

Home School Course Requirements

• Be 13 years old and up to 19 years
• Have a minimum of 8 years schooling to begin the first module

• Be able to read and communicate in English. You may use Google translate to change your course material into 104 different languages, however your assignments will need to be submitted in English

Please note: Cancellations will not be considered due to not being able to understand the course content

Professional Programmes:

Yes, you will be expected to submit formative assignments / tasks for both the theoretical and practical elements of your studies. These are in the form of checkpoints and quizzes also assignments and essay type questions which involve research and feedback.

You will also submit summative practical assignments / tasks (final exams), these will be completed in front of a mentor chef/assessor.

These are submitted at various stages during the course in order for your International Culinary Studio Chef Instructor to assess your comprehension and ability, and to guide you towards your final examinations, held at the examination centre nearest to you (For NZQA level 4 and 5 qualifications).

Short Courses, Junior Chef and Home School Programmes:

You will be expected to complete checkpoints and quizzes throughout your programme which are self-marking and you have 3 opportunities to better your score on most of them.

Our NZQA level 4 and 5 examinations are commonly held in either Auckland or Christchurch whichever is closest to you. Travel and accommodation if required will be at student’s cost.

All students have a unique profile on our Student Portal where they have access to their study material, assignments, the Chef Instructor and the Student Administrator.  It is via this system that assignments / tasks will be either done online, or downloaded, completed, uploaded for marking.

If you have any questions about how your assignments are submitted, Contact Us and we assist you with the information you need.

Your study material will be immediately available to you online once you have completed your induction with your chef instructor. registration process and your fees have been paid.

As you progress through a study unit, and reach the specified outcomes for that unit, the following unit will be made available for you.

If you have a question about fees, the registration period or anything about the study material, Contact Us and we will assist you with what you need to know.

Executive Head Chef is in charge of everything from the menu creation to staff management and quality control.  This is the highest level a Chef can achieve.

Sous Chef is the second in command to the Executive Head Chef and may be required to stand in for the Executive Head Chef from time to time.  The Sous Chef may be responsible for staff rosters and similar responsibilities.

Chef de Partie is in charge of a particular section of the kitchen/production such as grill, sauces or roast.

Commi Chef is immediately below the Chef de Partie and is the apprentice Chef of the kitchen/establishment.

Yes, you will be part of an online forum via the student portal.  In addition, we try to make your learning experience as much fun as possible and have therefore introduced interactions on various Social Media platforms.

Yes, this would be possible if the qualification forms part of the relevant NZQA qualification. This however, would be assessed on an individual basis upon registration using our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Process.

If you have any questions about previous qualifications, Contact Us and we will assist you with everything you need to know. You cannot however claim more than a certain % for RPL with us and this will be discussed on an individual basis.

Formative assessments are generally used to monitor a student and to provide the student with feedback that can assist him/her in achieving the final qualification, i.e. it forms part of the course programme and preparation for a final examination or assessment.

A Summative assessment is your final exam.

International Students living outside of New Zealand:

As International Culinary Studio is an online culinary Programme, all students living outside of New Zealand are able to complete their programme in their home country.

International students can study our range of Global Certification and Qualifications, short courses, junior chef or home school course.

International Students currently living in New Zealand who do not have residency or citizenship.

International students living and working in New Zealand may study our short courses or if working in the culinary industry apply for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) of our NZQA level 4 Certificate in Cookery.

Free Trial

Each student completes a flavor profile wheel where they get to judge their own dishes’ taste and give feedback to the chef instructor. Taste is subjective and thus everyone will taste dishes differently. It is more about following the recipe and getting a standard dish correct by following skills and techniques. The flavor will then be the same for each student.