Free ServSafe Manager Practice Test
Food manager practice questions written to the FDA Food Code and ServSafe’s exam blueprint, with an explanation for every answer.
A sewage backup floods the dish area during dinner service. What must the operation do?
353 original questions · 9 free drills: one per content area, temperatures, and a mixed drill · 81 questions on times and temperatures
ServSafe Manager practice questions by content area
ServSafe’s 2021 blueprint sets how many of the 80 scored questions each area gets. Each area has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill.
1. Management of Food Safety Practices
8 of 80 scored questions (10%)
Active managerial control, the person in charge and the certified food protection manager, HACCP, foodborne illness and its causes, allergens, food defense, inspections and crisis response.
2. Hygiene and Health
12 of 80 scored questions (15%)
Handwashing, hand care, gloves and bare-hand contact, work attire, eating and drinking at work, and reporting, restricting and excluding sick employees (the Big 6).
3. Safe Receipt, Storage, Transportation and Disposal of Food
13 of 80 scored questions (16.25%)
Approved sources, receiving temperatures and rejection, shellstock tags, labeling and date marking, storage order and FIFO, transport, recalls and disposal.
4. Safe Preparation and Cooking of Food
15 of 80 scored questions (18.75%)
Thawing, preventing cross-contamination, minimum internal cooking temperatures, cooling, reheating, thermometers, allergen-safe prep and processes that need a variance.
5. Safe Service and Display of Food
8 of 80 scored questions (10%)
Hot and cold holding, time as a public health control, self-service and buffets, serving utensils, re-serving food, off-site service and vending.
6. Cleanliness and Sanitation
12 of 80 scored questions (15%)
Cleaning versus sanitizing, sanitizer concentration, temperature and contact time, dishwashing machines and three-compartment sinks, wiping cloths, chemicals and cleaning programs.
7. Facilities and Equipment
12 of 80 scored questions (15%)
Surfaces and equipment standards, installation, handwashing stations, water and plumbing (cross-connections, backflow, air gaps), lighting, garbage, pest management and emergencies.
Temperatures: cook, hold, cool, reheat
81 questions from every content area
Ten questions on the numbers you have to know: cooking, holding, cooling, reheating, receiving and thawing temperatures and times, plus sanitizing and handwashing water.
Mixed: all seven areas
Ten questions, at least one per area
Ten questions drawn from all seven content areas, for a quick check across the whole exam.
Sit the full exam under the real clock
90 questions in 2 hours, 80 of them scored in the official blueprint's proportions, with a pass line at 70%, a score for every content area and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe ServSafe Manager exam at a glance
Answer food manager practice questions written to the FDA Food Code, read the explanation for every answer, then sit a timed 90-question practice exam in the real format, scored for all seven content areas.
The ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Examination is the National Restaurant Association’s food manager exam. The FDA Food Code requires the person in charge of a food establishment to be a certified food protection manager, and ServSafe is one of several accredited exams that certify one. Your state or local health department decides which certifications it accepts. Other accredited food protection manager exams.
- Owner
- ServSafe, the National Restaurant Association’s program. The ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Examination is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) Standard
- Format
- 90 multiple-choice questions: 80 scored and 10 unscored pilot questions mixed in at random. ServSafe’s help center lists “80 to 90” questions
- Time
- 2 hours for the online proctored exam. Launching the exam does not count toward the 2 hours
- Content
- Seven content areas from the 2021 Job Task Analysis: management of food safety practices 10%, hygiene and health 15%, receipt, storage, transport and disposal 16.25%, preparation and cooking 18.75%, service and display 10%, cleanliness and sanitation 15%, facilities and equipment 15%
- Passing score
- 70%. ServSafe notes that passing scores, time limits and question counts can vary by jurisdiction
- Where you test
- Online with a live remote proctor (ProctorU, PC or Mac with webcam and microphone; no tablets, phones or Chromebooks), with a Registered ServSafe Proctor in a class, or at a Pearson VUE test center
- Fee
- $99.00 for the ServSafe Manager Exam with online proctoring (exam only, no course)
- Retakes
- Two attempts within 30 days with no wait; a third or later attempt needs a 60-day wait after the last one; no more than four attempts in 12 months. Each retest needs a new exam purchase
- Valid for
- 5 years, though your state or local rules can set a different period
How the exam works on test day
The exam has 90 multiple-choice questions. Only 80 count toward your score; the other 10 are pilot questions ServSafe is trying out, placed at random, so treat every question as if it counts.
You have 2 hours, about 80 seconds per question. On the online proctored exam a live proctor watches through your webcam and microphone, and you need a government-issued or school ID.
You pass with 70%, which is 56 of the 80 scored questions, and get a pass or fail notice. ServSafe notes that passing scores, time limits and question counts can vary by jurisdiction. If you do not pass, you can retake the exam right away once more within 30 days; after that you wait 60 days between attempts.
The rules the exam tests come from the FDA Food Code. FDA has released a 2026 edition; it kept the cooking, holding, cooling and reheating temperatures of the 2022 edition. See every temperature in one chart.
How to use this ServSafe Manager exam prep
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all seven content areas.
- Drill the biggest areas first: preparation and cooking (15 questions), receiving and storage (13), then hygiene and health, cleaning and sanitizing, and facilities and equipment (12 each). Together they are 64 of the 80 scored questions.
- Take the temperatures drill until every cooking, holding, cooling and reheating number comes without thinking.
- Read every explanation, including on the questions you got right, and the reason each wrong answer is wrong.
- Sit the full 90-question practice exam under the 2-hour clock, then drill your two lowest areas. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the ServSafe Manager exam?
ServSafe’s exam development documents describe 90 multiple-choice questions: 80 scored questions and 10 unscored pilot questions placed at random, so you cannot tell which ones count. ServSafe’s help center lists the exam as “80 to 90” questions. Our practice exam uses the full 90, with 80 scored in the official blueprint’s proportions.
What score do you need to pass the ServSafe Manager exam?
ServSafe lists the passing score for the Food Protection Manager exam as 70%, which is 56 of the 80 scored questions. Some prep sites say 75%; ServSafe’s own help center says 70%, and adds that requirements can vary by jurisdiction, so check your health department’s rules.
How long is the ServSafe Manager exam?
You have 2 hours for the online proctored exam, and launching the exam does not count toward that time. ServSafe suggests setting aside about 2.5 hours in total for an online proctored session.
What is on the ServSafe Manager exam?
The blueprint from ServSafe’s 2021 Job Task Analysis sets the scored questions per area: management of food safety practices 8, hygiene and health 12, safe receipt, storage, transportation and disposal 13, safe preparation and cooking 15, safe service and display 8, cleanliness and sanitation 12, and facilities and equipment 12.
How many times can you retake the ServSafe Manager exam?
You can take it twice within 30 days with no waiting period. A third or later attempt requires waiting at least 60 days after your last attempt, and no more than four attempts are allowed in 12 months. Each retest needs a new exam purchase and a registered proctor.
How much does the ServSafe Manager exam cost?
ServSafe sells the ServSafe Manager Exam with online proctoring for $99.00. That price is the exam only; the online course is sold separately or in a course-and-exam bundle.
How long is a ServSafe Manager certification valid?
ServSafe’s help center says the Food Protection Manager certification is valid for 5 years, and that state or local rules can set a different period.
Does this practice test work for other food manager exams?
Yes. Every question is written to the FDA Food Code, which the other ANAB-accredited food protection manager exams, such as those from NRFSP, StateFoodSafety and 360training, also test. Their question counts, time limits and passing scores differ, so check your provider’s candidate information before test day.
Are these the real ServSafe questions?
No. Every question is original practice written for this site from the FDA Food Code and ServSafe’s published blueprint. Real exam questions are confidential. Each question was checked by a separate reviewer who answered it without seeing the key.
Ready for exam day?
90 questions in 2 hours, 80 of them scored in the official blueprint's proportions, with a pass line at 70%, a score for every content area and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- ServSafe: ServSafe Manager (ANAB-CFP accreditation, test options)
- ServSafe: Exam Development FAQs (80 operational + 10 pilot items, blueprint from the 2021 Job Task Analysis)
- ServSafe Knowledge Center: passing scores (Food Protection Manager 70%)
- ServSafe Knowledge Center: number of questions on ServSafe exams
- ServSafe: Online Proctor Exam Instructions (2-hour time limit, retest policy, equipment)
- ServSafe Knowledge Center: Food Protection Manager retest policy
- ServSafe Knowledge Center: how long ServSafe certificates are valid
- ServSafe: ServSafe Manager Exam (Online Proctor), $99.00
- FDA Food Code (2026 edition and summary of changes; 2022 edition)
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the FDA Food Code and ServSafe’s published exam blueprint; they are not the official exam questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Restaurant Association or ServSafe. ServSafe is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association. Follow your state and local food code in practice.