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Exam Information
Official specifications published by AHLEI
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Skills this practice test covers
- Teach one task with the four steps: prepare to train, conduct the training, coach trial performance and follow up.
- Adapt one lesson for visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.
- Spot barriers to learning, such as information overload, a language barrier or fear of failure.
- Give constructive feedback, listen actively and read a trainee's body language.
- Plan a new employee orientation with property policies, safety procedures and required legal content.
- Pick group training, one-on-one training or e-learning for a skill, and judge whether the training worked.
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CHDT exam content
8 domains · 22 topics · 135 questions
The Four-Step Training Method28 questions
This is the core of CHDT: AHLEI's routine for teaching one task on the job. Each step has its own training issues, from preparing materials and the job breakdown to following up once the trainee works alone.
Skills tested
- Prepare to train: review the job breakdown, set objectives and gather materials and equipment.
- Conduct the training by demonstrating each step and explaining the why behind it.
- Coach trial performance: let the trainee practice, and correct errors right away and in a positive way.
- Follow up by monitoring performance and documenting training completion and results.
- Write a complete training plan that uses all four steps.
Questions by topic
- Step 1: Prepare to Train10
- Step 2: Conduct the Training6
- Step 3: Coach Trial Performance6
- Step 4: Follow Up6
Different Ways of Learning21 questions
Adults learn differently from children: they bring prior experience and want to apply a skill soon. This domain covers learning styles and the barriers that keep a trainee from learning.
Skills tested
- Compare andragogy with pedagogy, and explain the role of prior experience in adult learning.
- Adapt training methods to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.
- Recognize physical barriers, language barriers, information overload and fear of failure.
- Adjust the pace to each trainee's learning speed and retention.
Questions by topic
- How Adults Learn6
- Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners6
- Barriers to Learning9
Communication21 questions
Training works only when the trainee understands the trainer. This domain covers clear spoken instruction, non-verbal cues and feedback that corrects without discouraging.
Skills tested
- Give clear and concise instructions, and avoid jargon with new employees.
- Use eye contact, gestures, tone and pacing to support the spoken message.
- Deliver corrective feedback at the right time and balance praise with correction.
- Use active listening and effective questions to check understanding.
Questions by topic
- Verbal Communication Skills9
- Non-Verbal Communication6
- Providing Feedback6
Orientation16 questions
Orientation is a new employee's first experience of the property and the department. This domain covers planning it, the legal and safety content it must include, and checking that it works.
Skills tested
- Design a first day that welcomes new employees and introduces property policies and procedures.
- Include required content such as anti-harassment policies and safety and emergency procedures.
- Meet the documentation requirements for orientation.
- Measure orientation effectiveness and update the program regularly.
Questions by topic
- Planning and Conducting Orientation5
- Making Orientation Effective6
- Legal and Compliance Aspects5
Audiovisual Aids14 questions
Training aids help trainees see, hear and handle what the trainer explains. This domain covers choosing, making and testing aids, and keeping them as support for the lesson rather than a substitute.
Skills tested
- Match an aid to the task, from posters, charts and handouts to video, slides and props.
- Apply the principles of effective visual design.
- Test equipment before the training session begins.
- Make training aids accessible and keep their cost reasonable.
Questions by topic
- Types of Training Aids6
- Creating and Using Effective Training Aids8
Group Training15 questions
Some skills are taught to several employees at once. This domain covers when a group session fits, how to plan and lead it, and how to judge what the group learned.
Skills tested
- Decide when group training is appropriate and set group training objectives.
- Plan the room setup, the group size and the schedule.
- Keep every member taking part with facilitation techniques, role-playing and group exercises.
- Manage disruptive participants and mixed skill levels within the group.
- Gather participant feedback and adjust future sessions based on the results.
Questions by topic
- Facilitating Group Learning6
- Planning Group Training5
- Evaluating Group Training4
One-on-One Training12 questions
One-on-one training pairs one trainer with one employee, usually on the job. This domain covers assessing that person's needs, planning the sessions and building a working relationship.
Skills tested
- Assess an employee's training needs and set individual learning goals.
- Create a personalized training plan and schedule the sessions.
- Use job shadowing, buddy systems and mentoring during individual training.
- Build rapport, and judge when the trainee is ready for independent work.
Questions by topic
- Delivering Individual Training7
- Planning Individual Training5
E-Learning8 questions
E-learning delivers training through online courses, often at the employee's own pace. This domain covers when it fits, where it falls short for hands-on skills, and how a trainer supports employees through it.
Skills tested
- Decide when e-learning fits better than instructor-led training.
- Combine online courses with practical training in a blended approach.
- Support employees through e-learning courses and track completion and results.
Questions by topic
- Understanding E-Learning4
- Implementing E-Learning Programs4
Requirements
- Required: a hospitality job that includes training others in functional skills within the department.
- Required: an approved application with a resume, a job description, a diploma or transcripts, and any earlier AHLEI certificates.
- Required: at least three months in a qualifying position, waived for holders of some AHLEI certifications or an accredited degree.
- Recommended: experience in the department's daily operations and its training duties.
About the CHDT exam
CHDT certifies hospitality employees who teach job skills to coworkers in their own department. The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) awards it after an online exam. The core of the exam is AHLEI's four-step training method: prepare to train, conduct the training, coach trial performance and follow up. It also covers how adults learn, communication, orientation, training aids, and group, one-on-one and online training.
The PlanetCert practice test gives the four-step method the most questions. Within it, Step 1: Prepare to Train has more questions than any other step. Every question comes with an explanation, which shows why one training choice beats another, for example when to correct an error or how soon to give feedback. Flashcard mode suits paired terms such as andragogy and pedagogy. Brainy AI Assistant can explain where a coaching scenario fits in the four steps, or how to adapt a lesson for a trainee with a language barrier.
How to earn the certification
- Earns
- Certified Hospitality Department Trainer (CHDT)Department/Line-Level Trainer
CHDT is valid for five years and renews through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities, not by retaking the exam.
- After
- CHS Certified Hospitality Supervisor
One of AHLEI's next steps after CHDT, for staff who move from training coworkers into a supervisor role.
- CHS Certified Hospitality Supervisor
How to prepare for CHDT
- 1
Write one job breakdown
Pick a routine task from the department and list its steps in order. Step 1 of the four-step method starts from this kind of breakdown, and the practice test gives that step the most questions.
- 2
Train a coworker with the steps
Run the four steps with a real trainee: prepare, demonstrate, let the trainee try, then follow up a few days later. Note where coaching and correction were needed.
- 3
Name the learner and the barrier
For each learning scenario, first decide what kind of learner the trainee is and what blocks the learning. Different Ways of Learning and Communication are the next largest areas of the practice test.
- 4
Compare the three training formats
Make a table of group training, one-on-one training and e-learning: when each fits, how to plan it and how to evaluate it. The exam treats each format as its own domain.
- 5
Finish with the CHDT practice test
Take the CHDT practice test in timed mode and read every explanation, starting with the four-step method. Ask Brainy AI Assistant to explain any scenario where the right step was unclear.
Start a timed CHDTrun
AHLEI sells CHDT as a package that combines a self-study online course with the certification exam.
Who CHDT is for
- Hospitality employees whose job includes training new hires in their department.
- Department trainers who want AHLEI recognition for the on-the-job training they already give.
- Line staff who have taken on training duties for their team.
- Trainers planning a later move to Certified Hospitality Supervisor.
Typical job titles: Department trainer · On-the-job trainer · Training coordinator · Hospitality team lead
CHDT glossary
16 terms from the exam objectives and the vendor's official material, each defined in a sentence.
- Active listening
- Listening with full attention and checking understanding, for example by repeating back what the trainee said.
- Andragogy
- The study of how adults learn, as opposed to pedagogy, which is about how children are taught.
- Barriers to Learning
- Anything that stops a trainee from learning, such as information overload, a language barrier or fear of failure.
- Blended learning
- Training that combines online courses with face-to-face or on-the-job practice.
- Buddy systems
- Pairing a new employee with an experienced coworker who answers questions and shows how the job is done.
- Coach Trial Performance
- The third step of the method, in which the trainee tries the task while the trainer watches, coaches and corrects.
- Constructive feedback
- Specific comments on what a trainee did well and what to change, given so that the trainee can improve.
- Department-level orientation
- The part of orientation that introduces a new employee to the department, its people and its daily tasks.
- Four-Step Training Method
- AHLEI's routine for teaching a task: prepare to train, conduct the training, coach trial performance, then follow up.
- Information overload
- Giving a trainee more information at one time than the trainee can take in and remember.
- Job breakdowns
- Written lists of the steps in a task, which the trainer reviews before training and uses during instruction.
- Job shadowing
- A training method in which the trainee follows an experienced employee and watches the work being done.
- Kinesthetic learners
- People who learn best by doing a task with their hands, rather than by watching or listening.
- Non-Verbal Communication
- Messages sent without words, through body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and personal space.
- Positive reinforcement
- Praise or recognition given soon after correct work, so that the trainee repeats it.
- Role-playing
- An exercise in which trainees act out a work situation to practice how to respond.