Food manager certification: become a Certified Food Protection Manager
Updated October 2026 · Based on the FDA Food Code 2022 (the edition the exams follow) and the new 2026 edition
A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) is the person a health inspector expects to find in charge of a restaurant, a deli or a school kitchen. Getting certified means passing one accredited exam, built on the FDA Food Code. This site gives you the numbers and rules that exam tests, and a way to drill them.
Start here
| Free practice test | Exam-style questions with the answer and the Food Code rule behind each one. |
|---|---|
| The ServSafe Manager exam | Questions, passing score, prices, online proctoring, retakes, and NRFSP compared. |
| Temperature chart | Every cooking, holding, cooling and reheating number with its Food Code section. |
| Temperature danger zone | 41F to 135F, the time limits, and the myths that cost exam points. |
| FAT TOM | The six conditions that let bacteria grow, with kitchen examples. |
| Big 9 allergens | The nine major food allergens, sesame, and cross-contact. |
| Big 6 foodborne illnesses | The six pathogens, reporting, exclusion vs restriction, return to work. |
| HACCP 7 principles | Each principle with a worked restaurant example. |
| Three compartment sink | The steps, water temperatures, sanitizer concentrations and contact times. |
| Calibrate a thermometer | Ice point and boiling point methods, and the plus or minus 2F accuracy rule. |
| Study guide PDF | All of it in one guide, with two full 90-question mock exams. |
Why the person in charge must be certified
The FDA Food Code is a model code that states and local health departments adopt, sometimes with changes. Three sections set the rule:
- 2-101.11: the permit holder is the person in charge (PIC) or designates one, and a PIC must be present during all hours of operation (minimal-risk establishments can be exempted).
- 2-102.12: "The PERSON IN CHARGE shall be a certified FOOD protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an ACCREDITED PROGRAM."
- 2-102.20: a certificate from a program evaluated and listed by a CFP-recognized accrediting agency (in practice ANAB) counts as compliance.
The wording trap: the model code says the PIC shall be a CFPM, but many state codes only require one CFPM per establishment, not one on every shift. On the exam, answer by the model code. At work, follow the code your state or county adopted.
Your exam options
ANAB listed 13 accredited CFPM certification bodies on October 13, 2026. The two you will hear about most:
| ServSafe Food Protection Manager | National Restaurant Association Solutions. 90 questions (80 scored, 10 unscored pilots), 2 hours, pass mark 70% per the current FAQ (75% in an older handbook). Paper, online with a proctor, online proctored via ProctorU, or a Pearson VUE test center. |
|---|---|
| NRFSP Food Safety Manager | National Registry of Food Safety Professionals. 80 scored questions (the ICFSM handbook says 85 in total), 2 hours, pass with a scaled score of 75. Test center, online, or paper. |
| Others | StateFoodSafety, Always Food Safe, Learn2Serve, Trust20, Userve and more. Example: StateFoodSafety via PSI uses 75 questions plus up to 10 unscored pilots in 2 hours. |
| Prometric | No longer available: Prometric stopped offering the CFPM exam on April 1, 2022. |
For the full comparison, prices and retake rules, see the ServSafe Manager exam page.
Cost and validity
| ServSafe exam only | $38.99 access code or printed voucher, $42.99 paper answer sheet (proctor fee extra) |
|---|---|
| ServSafe online proctored | $99.00 (ProctorU) |
| ServSafe test center | $108.99 (Pearson VUE) |
| NRFSP | No official price found; an NRFSP shop listing shows $81.99 for the Pearson VUE voucher (unverified) |
| Validity | Up to 5 years (CFP cap). Some jurisdictions set a shorter cycle; Utah required 3 years until a 2026 bill moved it to 5. |
Prices are ServSafe catalog prices read on October 13, 2026. They change, and state restaurant associations may resell at other prices.
What the exam tests
Every accredited exam is built on the FDA Food Code. Expect questions on:
- Contamination and illness: the Big 6, FAT TOM, allergens.
- Personal hygiene: 20-second handwashing, gloves, jewelry, exclusion and restriction.
- Time and temperature: the danger zone, cooking, cooling, reheating, holding (full chart).
- Receiving and storage: 41F, 45F for shell eggs, 6 inches off the floor, 90-day shellfish tags.
- Cleaning and sanitizing: the three compartment sink, sanitizer levels, thermometers.
- Management: HACCP, active managerial control, inspections, imminent health hazards.
Food Code 2022 or 2026?
FDA released the 2026 Food Code on September 17, 2026. In October 2026, ServSafe says its exam is updated with the 2022 Food Code and its Supplement, and accredited programs have up to five years to adopt a new edition. The good news: the 2026 edition changed no cooking, cooling, holding or date-marking temperature. Learn the 2022 numbers, and know the few 2026 changes (food defense, double gloving, a written employee illness policy).