Prepare your RPL portfolio/RPL evidence guides
Hospitality & Commercial Cookery
Chef de Partie / Sous Chef (SIT40521) — RPL Evidence Portfolio Guide
Certificate IV in Kitchen Management
Evidence portfolio guide for chefs de partie and sous chefs seeking RPL for SIT40521.
Last updated 8 September 2026
Who this guide is for
- Chefs de partie and sous chefs supervising a section or a shift
- Overseas-trained chefs seeking Australian recognition at supervisor level
- Cooks responsible for menus, costing, ordering and kitchen compliance
1. Visual evidence guidelines (photos & videos)
To satisfy independent RTO assessment criteria, submit 20 clear workplace photos and 15 video clips (about 45 seconds each).
Film normal service across several shifts and menu types. Supervisory evidence is mostly documents — rosters, costings, orders and food safety records with names removed.
Category A — Advanced cookery and service
Mandatory- Preparing stocks, sauces, proteins, seafood and vegetables to standard
- Running a section during busy service
- Plating and presenting consistently against specification
- Catering for dietary and allergen substitutions
Category B — Kitchen leadership and operations
Mandatory- Writing rosters and briefing or supervising staff
- Costing dishes, portions and yields
- Ordering stock, receiving goods and managing suppliers
- Planning menus, specials and function menus
Category C — Food safety and compliance
Mandatory- Completing temperature, cleaning and cooling records
- Implementing the food safety program and HACCP
- Managing waste, storage rotation and stock control
- Conducting WHS checks and inductions
These task counts are our standard preparation guidance. Your assessing RTO may set different requirements — we confirm them before you start collecting.
2. Acceptable vs unacceptable visual evidence
Acceptable evidence (do this)
Unacceptable evidence (avoid this)
3. Supporting documents checklist
- Photo identification (passport or Australian driver licence)
- Résumé listing every kitchen role, venue and dates
- Employment reference from a head or executive chef or venue manager
- Payslips, tax records or PAYG summaries
- Overseas cookery qualifications and transcripts, with translations if needed
- Food safety supervisor certificate, if held
- Sample menus, costings, rosters and food safety records you produced
4. How to organise and submit your portfolio
1. Show both cooking and leading
Cover section work during service plus rosters, costings and briefings.
2. Spread across menus
Include à la carte, functions and different cuisines you have worked.
3. Remove personal details
Redact staff and customer details from rosters and records.
4. Name files by category
Use a pattern like CategoryB_Roster_Week12.pdf for each file.
5. Submit and stay available
A practical demonstration or interview may follow submission.
5. Why portfolios get sent back
- No supervisory evidence — cookery tasks only
- Food safety records missing or recreated after the fact
- Dish photos with no proof you cooked them
- Reference lacking any leadership detail
- Hygiene breaches visible in footage
- Evidence from a single short period only
6. Questions we get asked
Do I need Certificate III first?
Most RTOs expect Certificate III in Commercial Cookery or equivalent experience. We can seek recognition for both in the same application where appropriate.
Can I film during service?
Yes, with venue permission. Keep customers out of frame and film short clips between orders rather than disrupting service.
What if I do not write rosters?
Show whatever supervisory tasks you do — briefings, ordering, section allocation, training juniors — and ask your head chef to confirm them in writing.
Who assesses the portfolio?
An independent registered training organisation. Skills Connect prepares and reviews your evidence; we do not issue the qualification.
Not sure your evidence is strong enough?
Take the free skills check, or book a call and we'll review what you already have before you spend weeks collecting the wrong things.
See the full Chef de Partie / Sous Chef pathway page for qualification, licence and visa outcomes.
Skills Connect (EDUTEK PTY LTD) prepares and reviews RPL evidence. Assessment and certification are carried out by an independent registered training organisation or assessing authority.
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