AAFCS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield AAFCS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When two children have a dispute and agree to settle it according to their mother's opinion, they are engaging in? → arbitration
2. A consumer wants to file a complaint about a deceptive advertisement. Which US federal agency should they contact? → Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
3. What term describes the age-related progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function? → Sarcopenia
4. What is the primary focus of the Older Americans Act (OAA), originally passed in 1965? → Establishing a nationwide network of community-based social services for older adults
5. What is the 'Hayflick limit' in the biology of aging? → The approximately 50 times normal human cells can divide before undergoing senescence
6. Which play type, described by Mildred Parten, involves children assigning roles and working together toward a shared imaginative goal? → Cooperative play
7. Which of the following is considered to be the most important determinant of human comfort in housing? → air temperature
8. According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, what is the primary developmental task of late adulthood (age 65 and older)? → Ego Integrity vs. Despair
9. A menu that offers a multi-course meal with a few choices for each course at a single, fixed price is known as which type of menu? → Table d'hôte
10. What is 'polypharmacy' as it relates to older adult health care? → The simultaneous use of multiple medications by a single patient
11. The process through which a person comes to think of himself or herself as a distinct person despite being a member of a family is known as? → individuation
12. Which of the following is the best example of a non-commercial foodservice operation? → A hospital cafeteria
13. According to the AAFCS national standards, which domain is included in the 'Child Development and Early Education' content area? → Physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development
14. Which cognitive assessment instrument is most widely used in clinical settings to screen for dementia and cognitive impairment in older adults? → Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
15. Triticale Choose matching term → Hybrid grain is produced by crossing wheat and rye
16. A child who cannot yet understand that a flattened ball of clay still has the same volume as a round ball lacks which cognitive ability? → Conservation
17. Which type of care allows older adults to receive skilled health assistance and personal care while continuing to live in their own homes? → Home health care
18. The child who assumes the role of the family artist, rebel, peace maker, troublemaker, clown or negotiator is most often which in birth order? → the second child
19. Which aging theory, proposed by Cumming and Henry in 1961, suggests that older adults naturally and mutually withdraw from social roles and relationships? → Disengagement theory
20. Freud's latency stage corresponds most closely in terms of child development with? → Duvall's families with school-age children stage of family development
21. What is the quickest way to chill food? → large amount of small ice
22. The change in the profession's name from "Home Economics" to "Family and Consumer Sciences" in 1994 was adopted primarily to: → More accurately represent the broad, integrative, and research-based nature of the field.
23. A family is choosing between a generic and a brand-name medication. According to AAFCS consumer health principles, what is the most important factor to compare? → The active ingredient and dosage strength
24. What is the first step a person should take after divorce? → Accept the fact that the marriage is over
25. Which stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory is characterized by symbolic thinking and egocentrism, typically in children aged 2–7? → Preoperational
26. Which of the following food preservation methods works primarily by reducing water activity to a level that inhibits the growth of microorganisms? → Dehydration
27. Which US law requires that nutrition facts labels appear on most packaged food products sold in the United States? → Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA)
28. The concept of 'aging in place' most accurately refers to which of the following? → Older adults remaining in their own homes and communities as they age
29. In consumer advocacy, what is the primary purpose of a product recall? → To remove a defective or hazardous product from the market to protect consumer safety
30. What does the term 'temperament' refer to in child development? → Innate behavioral and emotional tendencies that shape how a child responds to the world