Food Manager Prep / Free ServSafe Manager practice test (2026)

Free ServSafe Manager practice test (2026)

Updated October 2026 · Based on the FDA Food Code 2022 (the edition the exams follow) and the new 2026 edition

These exam-style questions cover what a food protection manager exam tests most: temperatures, cooling, employee health, allergens, cleaning and sanitizing, and HACCP. Pick an answer to see whether you were right, and which FDA Food Code rule decides it.

How to use it Answer without notes: the real exam is closed book. Count a guess as wrong. ServSafe currently gives the pass mark as 70% (an older handbook says 75%), so aim for 80% or more here. Missed a temperature? Check the temperature chart, then try again tomorrow.

Which of these items is a time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food under the Food Code? Unopened commercially canned soup An air-cooled hard-boiled egg with the shell intact Sliced cantaloupe Shell eggs pasteurized to destroy Salmonellae

Answer C. Cut melons are named as TCS food. The other three are listed as exclusions from the TCS definition.

A cook thaws raw steaks in a microwave oven. What must happen next? The steaks go into the refrigerator and are cooked within 24 hours The steaks rest at room temperature for 2 minutes before cooking The steaks go straight into conventional cooking with no interruption The steaks are rinsed under running water at 70°F (21°C) first

Answer C. Food thawed in a microwave oven must be immediately transferred to conventional cooking equipment, with no interruption in the process.

A chlorine solution at 50 to 99 mg/L has a pH of 8 or less. What is the minimum water temperature for it? 120°F 100°F 55°F 75°F

Answer D. At 50 to 99 mg/L chlorine, a pH of 8 or less allows a minimum temperature of 75°F. At pH 10 or less the minimum is 100°F.

A sandwich shop that does not serve a highly susceptible population has an employee with a sore throat and a fever. What should the manager do? Exclude the employee Restrict the employee Allow normal duties Allow normal duties if gloved

Answer B. Sore throat with fever leads to exclusion in an HSP setting and restriction in other establishments.

A chef stuffs thick pork chops with a bread stuffing. To what minimum internal temperature must the stuffed chops be cooked? 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds 155°F (68°C) for 17 seconds 165°F (74°C) for less than 1 second 145°F (63°C) for 4 minutes

Answer C. Stuffed fish, stuffed meat, stuffed pasta and stuffed poultry must reach 165°F (74°C), even though unstuffed pork chops would only need 145°F.

A case of shrimp labeled 'keep frozen' arrives soft and partly thawed. What should the receiver do? Accept it and refreeze it at once Accept it if it is below 41F Reject it; food shipped frozen must arrive frozen Accept it and use it the same day

Answer C. Food labeled frozen and shipped frozen must be received frozen, and food must show no evidence of previous temperature abuse.

Which statement best matches the Food Code definition of active managerial control? Management purposely building specific actions into daily operations to control foodborne illness risk factors A health inspector scoring the operation during an unannounced visit to the kitchen Reacting quickly after a guest complaint by throwing out the food that was served Holding a single food safety training session for each new employee when hired

Answer A. Active managerial control is the purposeful incorporation of specific actions or procedures by management to attain control over foodborne illness risk factors. It is preventive and includes monitoring and verification.

Fresh green beans are cooked to be held hot on a steam table. To what minimum temperature must they be cooked? 145°F (63°C) 155°F (68°C) 135°F (57°C) 165°F (74°C)

Answer C. Fruits and vegetables cooked for hot holding must be cooked to 135°F (57°C), or as the manufacturer's instructions direct for commercially processed products.

A server attended a family event where several people were later confirmed to have Shigella. For how long after that event must she report the exposure? 48 hours 14 days 30 days 3 days

Answer D. Exposure to Shigella or STEC is reportable for 3 days after the last exposure.

Which water condition could keep a quat sanitizer from meeting Food Code requirements, unless the label says otherwise? Water at 80°F in the sanitizing compartment A contact time of 30 seconds Water hardness above 500 mg/L Mixing it in drinking water

Answer C. Quats must be used in water at least 75°F with hardness of 500 mg/L or less, unless the label states otherwise, and need 30 seconds of contact.

A server orders one roast beef au jus sandwich, made from beef that was cooked and refrigerated earlier. The sandwich will be served right away. What temperature rule applies to reheating it? It must reach 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds It must reach 135°F (57°C) first It must reach 145°F (63°C) for 4 minutes It may be served at any temperature

Answer D. Cooked and refrigerated food prepared for immediate service in response to an individual consumer order may be served at any temperature. The 165°F rule applies to reheating for hot holding.

A sandwich maker at a deli needs to place sliced cheese on a sandwich that will be served cold. Which method follows the Food Code? Use deli tissue, tongs, or single-use gloves Use clean bare hands after washing Use bare hands after hand antiseptic Use bare hands if the sandwich will be wrapped to go

Answer A. Food employees may not touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands and must use suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves or dispensing equipment.

The kitchen of a nursing home is preparing hollandaise sauce. What type of eggs must it use? Raw shell eggs held at 41°F (5°C) Raw shell eggs from an approved source Raw shell eggs received at 45°F ambient air Pasteurized eggs or egg products

Answer D. In a facility serving an HSP, pasteurized eggs or egg products must be used for recipes such as Caesar salad, hollandaise or Bearnaise sauce, mayonnaise, meringue, eggnog and ice cream.

What is the purpose of an air gap in plumbing? To reduce water pressure at the faucet so sinks do not splash onto food To keep water hot between uses To stop contaminated water flowing back into the drinking water supply To let a sink drain faster during busy periods of the day

Answer C. A cross-connection can let used or contaminated water flow back into the drinking water supply. The air gap is the physical protection against that backflow.

A grocery delivery of canned tomatoes is stacked in the dry storeroom. How high off the floor must food be stored? At least 2 inches (5 cm) At least 6 inches (15 cm) At least 4 inches (10 cm) At least 12 inches (30 cm)

Answer B. Food is stored in a clean, dry location at least 6 inches above the floor, with limited exceptions such as case-lot dollies.

What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for a raw fish fillet that will be served right away? 155°F (68°C) for 17 seconds 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds 165°F (74°C) for less than 1 second 135°F (57°C) for 15 seconds

Answer B. Fish and intact (whole-muscle) meat must reach at least 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds.

The Food Code defines a hazard as a property that may cause an unacceptable consumer health risk. Which three categories does that definition name? Allergenic, microbial, and seasonal Natural, artificial, and accidental Biological, chemical, and physical Bacterial, viral, and parasitic

Answer C. A hazard is a biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause an unacceptable consumer health risk. Bacteria, viruses and parasites all fall under the biological category.

A bakery sells an almond croissant. Which major food allergen does it contain? Tree nuts Peanuts Sesame None, almonds are not listed

Answer A. Almonds are tree nuts, one of the nine major food allergens. The croissant also contains wheat.

A slicer is used continuously in a refrigerated prep room held at 41°F or less. What is the maximum cleaning interval the Food Code allows for it? 4 hours 10 hours 24 hours 16 hours

Answer C. In a room or area at 41°F or less, the cleaning frequency can extend to 24 hours. Warmer rooms get shorter intervals, such as 16 hours above 45°F to 50°F.

Integrated pest management in the Food Code rests on four routine actions. Which of these is one of them? Leaving bait stations on food prep tables Spraying pesticide on food shelves every week Inspecting incoming shipments of food and supplies Keeping a cat in the dry storeroom overnight to catch mice

Answer C. To keep the premises free of pests, the Food Code calls for inspecting incoming shipments, routinely inspecting the premises, using trapping or other approved controls, and eliminating harborage.

How the real exam is built

The ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam has 90 multiple-choice questions and a 2-hour time limit. Only 80 are scored: the other 10 are pilot questions being tested for future exams, and nothing tells you which ones they are. The average candidate finishes in about an hour and a half.

Questions	90 (80 scored, 10 unscored pilots)
Time	2 hours, more only with an approved accommodation
Passing score	70%, at least 56 of 80 (the 2020 handbook says 75%: see why)
Scoring	Blank answers count as wrong, no penalty for guessing, you can skip and come back
Based on	FDA Food Code 2022 and its 2024 Supplement

Never leave a question blank. A blank is scored wrong and a guess costs nothing.

The topics that come up

The exam samples the whole Food Code. These areas carry most of the numbers you must know cold:

Cooking temperatures: 165F for poultry, 155F for 17 seconds for ground meat, 145F for 15 seconds for fish and steaks. See the chart.
Holding and cooling: 41F cold, 135F hot, and two-stage cooling (135F to 70F in 2 hours, to 41F within 6 hours total). See the danger zone.
Employee health: the five symptoms, the Big 6 pathogens, exclude vs restrict.
Allergens: the Big 9, including sesame.
Bacteria growth: FAT TOM and TCS food.
Cleaning and sanitizing: the three compartment sink and sanitizer concentrations.
Thermometers: accuracy and calibration.
Management systems: the 7 HACCP principles and active managerial control.

Taking the NRFSP exam instead? The food safety content is the same Food Code, so these questions work for it too. The format differences are on the exam page. For two full 90-question mock exams with explained answers, see the study guide PDF.

This practice test is an independent resource. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Restaurant Association or ServSafe.

Frequently asked questions

Are these the real ServSafe Manager exam questions?

No. The exam is secure and copyrighted and its questions are not published. These are original questions written from the public FDA Food Code, in the same multiple-choice format. This site is not affiliated with the National Restaurant Association.

What score do I need on the ServSafe Manager exam?

ServSafe's current FAQ says 70% or higher, which is at least 56 of the 80 scored questions. An older 2020 handbook still says 75%, so aim for 80% or more on practice questions to keep a safe margin.

How many questions are on the ServSafe Manager exam?

90 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. 80 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot questions that you cannot identify, so answer every question seriously.

Is there a 90-question ServSafe Manager practice test with answers?

Yes. The Food Protection Manager Exam Study Guide 2026 PDF contains two full-length 90-question mock exams (180 questions) with every answer explained and the Food Code section cited.