New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3)

New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3)

New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3)

Kickstart your culinary career and unleash your creative cooking skills with our entry-level programme designed to prepare you for professional kitchens.

The New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3) is a comprehensive, hands-on 19-week course that focuses on developing basic cookery skills across a wide range of culinary applications. You'll gain practical experience and foundational knowledge through a blend of practical sessions and supporting theory classes.

SIT's School of Hospitality provides the professional training necessary to equip you with the culinary skills and knowledge needed to enter the industry or pursue further studies.

     
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Key Details
Queenstown
Qualification:
Certificate
Level:
3
Credits:
60
Duration:

20 weeks full-time

Study Modes:
On Campus
Dates:

2026 Semester 1: 16 February to 26 June

2026 Semester 2: 13 July to 20 November
Fees:

This programme is eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme.

  • NO tuition fees
  • Direct material costs of $3,998.00 (GST inclusive). 
     
     

International Fees can be found here.

SIT's School of Hospitality offers professional level training for those who aspire to become chefs within the hospitality industry.

This programme will develop your knowledge and culinary skills and help develop the flair and creativity necessary in the culinary arts to gain employment in this exciting and dynamic industry.

You will learn to:

  • Apply fundamental cookery skills to prepare, cook, and present a range of basic dishes, employing commodities commonly used in industry
  • Follow standard operating procedures to deal with familiar problems in a commercial kitchen
  • Apply health and safety, food safety and security practices, to ensure own safety and minimise potential hazards for customers
  • Communicate effectively and behave in a professional manner with colleagues, managers, and customers.
     

Introduction to Cookery 1

13314 Prepare and cook egg dishes in a commercial kitchen

27955 Apply food safety practices in a food-related business

13293 Prepare and cook basic vegetable dishes in a commercial kitchen

 

HOSP3402 Introduction to Cookery Skills 2 

27929 Apply standard operating procedures and the code of conduct to a work role in a service delivery workplace

13316 Prepare and cook basic pasta dishes in a commercial kitchen.

13315 Prepare, cook and present rice and farinaceous dishes in a commercial kitchen

 

HOSP3403 Introduction to Cookery Skills 3 

27937 Apply health, safety and security practices to a work role in a service delivery workplace

13322 Prepare and cook basic pastry dishes in a commercial kitchen

13310 Prepare and cook basic pastry dishes in a commercial kitchen

27928 Interact with other staff and managers, and customers to provide service delivery outcomes

 

HOSP3404 Introduction to Cookery Skills 4

13288 Prepare and cook basic meat dishes in a commercial kitchen

13304 Prepare and cook basic fish dishes in a commercial kitchen

This course aims to provide competent employees with basic professional skills for the hospitality sector, who are able to work as chefs in junior positions, producing basic dishes in a commercial kitchen.

Entry into the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3) will be granted to applicants who:

  • Can attend an interview that may be part of the application process
  • Can provide a verified valid work permit/visa
  • Meet the NCEA Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy requirement, or provide evidence of achievement at a higher level

OR

  • If over 20 and not able to satisfy the academic requirement above, be able to demonstrate interest in the industry and the potential to succeed
  • Have competence in English and can demonstrate adequate literacy and/ or numeracy skills to enable you to meet all academic and health and safety requirements of the programme/ course in which you enrol
  • Can demonstrate a keen interest in hospitality and indicate a reasonable likelihood of successful completion of the programme
  • Are prepared to meet the work ethic required for a career in the hospitality industry
  • Have a high level of personal presentation

All enrolments in the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3) are approved at the discretion of the Programme Manager in consultation with the Head of Faculty and teaching staff, as required.

Special Admission
Notwithstanding the above admissions categories, in exceptional circumstances, a mature aged applicant who can show evidence of ability to succeed in the programme  (examples would include someone with experience within the hospitality industry or currently working in the industry) may be considered for admission provided the applicant has successfully completed an approved course or programme, which is deemed to prepare graduates for the required academic standard for entry.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment


IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5 
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE) 
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14) 
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154. No less than 154 in each skill. 
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests 
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 3 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 3 (General) 
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36 
Language Cert - B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

Direct Materials costs includes:

  • Food
  • Knife kit and scales
  • Textbooks and printing
  • Uniform

To satisfactorily complete the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3), and be awarded this qualification the student must successfully achieve a minimum of 60 credits in accordance with the programme schedule for the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3).  The student will normally be expected to complete the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 3) full-time within 17 weeks.

Please note: Students failing to attend for 80% of the timetabled programme hours may forfeit Zero Fees entitlement.

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