TEST INTERPRETATION
FOOD AND NUTRITION SSS3 FIRST TERM
WEEK 1 & 2
TEST INTERPRETATION
CONTENT
Test interpretation (also called planning) is the act of preparing or arranging for cookery practical. It is also called planning.
For example: before building a house, one has to first of all set a plan. In order words, planning in cookery practical is setting the guideline for the actual practice.
Cookery practical is the cooking itself while interpretation is the planning. The test may be on an individual's nutritional needs the use of equipment, cooking methods etc...
Students are allowed the use of recipe books and notebooks both during the preliminary planning and during the practical examination itself. This planning lasts for one hour while the actual test (cooking) last for three hours.
The preliminary planning is expected to be on the same day throughout the federation while the practical examination is done on a convenient day agreed on by the examiner and students for familiarity purposes the sample of the test paper is thus:
Sample of Test Paper
Section A
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Dishes chosen |
Reason for choice |
Chief Ingredients: quantity |
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Section B
The total quantity of all ingredients
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Quantity |
Dry stores |
Quantity |
Fresh foods |
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Section C
Time plan
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Time |
Work |
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Section A
Dishes chosen: students should choose familiar but interesting dishes which will give them scope for showing their skill; The dishes should be written appropriately under the column provided with headings such as dish I, dish II, dish III or appetizer, main dish accompaniment, dessert, snack, drink, etc. depending on the test question.
In writing dishes, the protein in the dishes comes first followed by the carbohydrate. E.g. fish vegetable soup, chicken jollof rice, mixed meat egusi soup, dried yam fish pottage.
Students should be able to choose the right dishes in relation to the test question.
If the test question requires one to prepare a meal for an individual, the characteristics of such individuals should be borne in mind this will help one interpret the individual’s nutritional needs and give the right choice of dishes.
For example, in choosing dishes for infants and toddlers, they have the characteristics of rapid growth. Therefore, they need food for growth, the adolescent girl needs an increased intake of iron to make up for that which she loses monthly. While the manual worker needs an increase in carbohydrates to accommodate his strength loss through activities.
If the dish is to test for the use of equipment, the operational characteristics of such equipment should be borne in mind and the dishes chosen in such cases should make use of the said equipment in their preparation.
For example, if the use of slice and colander is being tested for, the choice of dishes will be such that will make use of slice and colander despite how nourishing or otherwise the dishes may be Basically, a balanced meal should be aimed at as much as possible especially when an individual's nutritional need is being tested for. Any dish, which fails to fulfil the requirement of the test, is marked out of only half the maximum marks allowed.
Note: Excess dishes do not attract extra or excess marks, it will rather make one too busy for nothing and one may end up not meeting up with time. So plan your dishes carefully and wisely.
Reasons for choice
Simply put” reason why you choose this dishes? The reason for choice should reflect the test question. In as much as one should aim at achieving maximum nutrient value in a dish during preparation, one does not gain any mark for choosing a dish basically because of its nutritional value. All foods are nutritious to an adolescent or the aged or vice versa.
In a situation where one is to choose dishes with respect to equipment, if the right choice is made, the reason for choice should read, “it makes use of -------------- (i.e. the equipment in question).
In a case where tests require one to prepare a dish using a particular cooking method, even though the choice of the dish may be nutritious but it is not enough reason for the choice. The reason should be that it uses a particular cooking method.
Chief Ingredients:
One does not need to be detailed in this column. Chief ingredients mean the main ingredients for the dishes. Their quantities should be written in familiar measures e.g. milk cup, tomato cup, big derica cup, half derica cup, etc...
Section B
Total Quantities of All Ingredients:
In this section, all required ingredients and their quantities are written down. This in principle is the shopping list the student uses for purchasing food requirements for the practical. The supervisor uses this same list to cross-check the ingredient brought in by the student during the cookery practical. Even though no mark is allocated to this section, students are penalized if they bring in foodstuff that is not listed in the section. Any addition or omission to this list on the cookery day should be explained to the supervisor and his/her approval obtained. All dry ingredients are listed under dry store & fresh foods are listed under fresh ingredients.
Dry Stores
This refers to foods that have reduced moisture content and therefore do not spoil easily. e.g. Yam, sugar, dried maize, dried fish, stock fish, and all canned foods etc…
Fresh Foods: These are those that have high moisture content and so are prone to decay, they include vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, etc...
Section C
Time plan
This shows the order of work and time allocated to each activity. Care should be taken in allocating time to the activity. Time will be commensurate with the activity. In ordering work, foods that should be served cold are to come first so as to refrigerate them on time.
Dishes to be served hot should come last so that they will not need reheating before serving. Dough that requires time for leaven should be made earlier, so also are foods to be baked in the oven. There is a need for activities to be combined.
For example: while rice is boiling, one may be frying plantain or mixing a pastry, make sure that both activities do not require attention simultaneously or else they cannot be combined. Activities that do not require close attention include boiling food, baking cakes/pies, proving dough etc…
The combined activities are stated in this manner’’ while the rice is boiling, the pastry is being mixed”. Clearing away involves cleaning utensils and the working surface is part and parcel of this section and should be done intermittently before the final general clearing and washing up that precedes table setting.
READING ASSIGNMENT: 1. Rechauffe (leftover cookery) 2. Foods and Nutrition for SS1-3 Pages 114 & 115
WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT (Weeks I & II)
1. Test Interpretation:
Test I: Using Boiling and frying as methods of cooking prepare, cook and serve two attractive dishes suitable for lunch for daddy and his friend.
Test II: It is your birthday. Bake, ice and decorate a birthday cake for yourself.