Exam facts checked October 2026
Free ServSafe Manager Practice Test
This free ServSafe Manager practice test has 750 original questions by topic and a full 90-question timed mock with a pass verdict at 70%, the mark ServSafe publishes. Every answer has an explanation and a source. No sign-up.
Start with 10 ServSafe Manager questions
- 10 questions · 15 minutes · pass mark 70%
- Answers and explanations are shown at the end, with every question to review.
The ServSafe Manager exam at a glance
This is the real exam. Each fact links to the ServSafe page it comes from.
- Questions
- 90, multiple choice
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass mark
- 70%, or 56 of 80
- Proctor
- Always proctored
- Valid for
- 5 years
What a failed attempt costs
A failed attempt costs you a new exam, and it can cost you time. These are the retest rules in ServSafe's Manager FAQs:
First two tries
You can take the exam twice within 30 days.
After a second fail
You must wait 60 days from your latest attempt before you try again.
Yearly limit
You can make no more than four attempts in 12 months.
Every retest
You buy a new exam each time, and the retest must be proctored.
ServSafe's exam handbook gives this example: first attempt June 1, second June 2, third August 2, fourth October 2.
You can retest only if you did not pass or your certification is expiring. If you test online, you buy another proctored exam and book a new ProctorU session. ServSafe says its online products are not refundable.
Sit a full paper here first. It shows how you score on our own questions against a 70% mark.
The free 90-question mock
Our free 90-question ServSafe practice test is a full timed paper. Here is what happens when you sit it:
- You get 90 questions and a 2-hour clock. You do not need an account.
- You can flag questions and come back to them. The clock keeps running if you leave the page.
- When you submit, you see your score and a PASS or NOT YET verdict at 70%.
- You see your score by topic, and a link to the free quiz for your weakest topic.
- You can review every question, with the right answer, an explanation and a source.
We score all 90 questions, so you need 63 correct to pass here. The real exam scores 80 and needs 56. Passing here does not guarantee passing the real exam.
All 8 mocks and the plan
Mock 1 is free. Mocks 2 to 8 are on the Manager Plan: 7 more timed papers of 90 questions, for $6.99 a month. No question is repeated between mocks. We remind you 3 days before each renewal.
- Manager mock exam 1Free
- Manager mock exam 290 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 390 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 490 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 590 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 690 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 790 questions, on the plan
- Manager mock exam 890 questions, on the plan
Manager Plan
7 more timed 90-question mock exams, on top of the free one. $6.99 a month. Cancel in one click. Includes a printable PDF pack.
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compare the three monthly plansQuestions by topic
Use these free quizzes to work on one area at a time. No sign-up. Each page shows sample questions with answers and a quiz.
Handwashing, gloves, hair restraints, jewelry and when sick staff must stay away from food.
48 questions in the pool, free
The germs behind foodborne illness, their symptoms, the foods they travel in and who is most at risk.
82 questions in the pool, free
Minimum internal temperatures and hold times for meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.
41 questions in the pool, free
Keeping food out of the temperature danger zone on hot and cold holding lines, and using time as a control.
41 questions in the pool, free
The two-stage cooling limits, safe cooling methods and how to reheat food for hot holding.
42 questions in the pool, free
Approved suppliers, checking deliveries, and when to reject a shipment.
42 questions in the pool, free
Shelf order, labels, date marking, first in first out and refrigerator and freezer temperatures.
41 questions in the pool, free
Thawing, washing produce, handling raw food and the steps that need a variance.
44 questions in the pool, free
Biological, chemical and physical hazards, and how to keep raw foods and allergens apart from ready-to-eat food.
50 questions in the pool, free
The nine major US allergens, label reading, cross-contact and talking with guests about their allergies.
29 questions in the pool, free
Active managerial control, the seven HACCP principles, critical limits and corrective actions.
67 questions in the pool, free
Cleaning versus sanitizing, sanitizer strength, dishwashing and three-compartment sinks.
90 questions in the pool, free
Handwashing sinks, plumbing, backflow, ventilation, lighting and approved equipment.
68 questions in the pool, free
Keeping pests out, signs of an infestation, and working with a licensed operator.
27 questions in the pool, free
The Food Code, health inspections, priority items, imminent health hazards and reporting duties.
38 questions in the pool, free
How ServSafe split the exam in its 2021 blueprint
ServSafe's Exam Development FAQs, dated April 2022, give this split of the 80 scored questions. ServSafe updated its blueprint in 2025 and we could not read the new numbers, so use these as a rough guide only.
| Content area | Share | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Management of food safety practices | 10% | 8 |
| Hygiene and health | 15% | 12 |
| Safe receipt, storage, transportation and disposal of food | 16.25% | 13 |
| Safe preparation and cooking of food | 18.75% | 15 |
| Safe service and display of food | 10% | 8 |
| Cleanliness and sanitation | 15% | 12 |
| Facilities and equipment | 15% | 12 |
These are our own practice questions, not real exam questions.
10 sample ServSafe Manager questions and answers
10 of our 750 questions, with the answer and why.
1. Under the model-code exception, what makes an employee beverage container acceptable at work?
Answer: A closed container handled to prevent contamination
- A) A closed container handled to prevent contamination (correct answer)
- B) Any uncovered cup kept beside clean plates
- C) A sealed cup that leaks onto utensils
- D) Any cup labelled with the worker's name
Why: Both closure and contamination-preventing handling are required. An open cup does not meet the closed-container exception.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 2-401.11
2. A symptom-free worker has a qualifying outbreak exposure and prepares food for a highly susceptible population. Which general work control applies pending the relevant clearance?
Answer: Restrict the employee
- A) Restrict the employee (correct answer)
- B) Assume no action is needed without symptoms
- C) Wait until a laboratory test confirms an infection before imposing any restriction
- D) Let the worker self-certify immediately
Why: The highly susceptible population exposure rule specifies restriction. Qualifying exposure is separately addressed even without symptoms.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 2-201.12
3. Partially cooked meat and cooked ready-to-eat meat look similar in a cooler. What must the approved noncontinuous procedure explain?
Answer: How to identify the partially cooked food as needing final cooking
- A) How to erase all package markings
- B) How to serve either tray without checking
- C) How to identify the partially cooked food as needing final cooking (correct answer)
- D) How to rely only on a new employee's memory
Why: The procedure must prevent partially cooked food from being mistaken for ready-to-eat food. Removing identification creates the confusion the rule addresses.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 3-401.14
4. Cut produce qualifies for the special 70°F (21°C) four-hour starting allowance. What additional temperature condition remains necessary?
Answer: Keep it at or below 70°F (21°C) for the allowed four hours
- A) Keep it at or below 70°F (21°C) for the allowed four hours (correct answer)
- B) Let it reach any temperature after cutting
- C) Use 90°F (32°C) as the new ceiling
- D) Ignore temperature if the surface looks moist
Why: The special starting allowance also limits the food throughout that period. The allowance retains a 70°F ceiling.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 3-501.19
5. A cook following ordinary two-stage cooling records 135°F (57°C) at 3 p.m. and 75°F (24°C) at 5 p.m. Which checkpoint has failed?
Answer: The first two-hour cooling endpoint
- A) The first two-hour cooling endpoint (correct answer)
- B) Only the six-hour final checkpoint
- C) The four-hour ambient-ingredient rule
- D) No checkpoint because the food became cooler
Why: The food had to reach 70°F or less by 5 p.m. The first-stage failure already occurs at the two-hour mark.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 3-501.14
6. An inspected processing plant makes and packages cultured yogurt. Which statement correctly applies the listed opened-commercial-product date-marking exception?
Answer: Qualifying cultured yogurt is within that specific exception
- A) Every restaurant-made yogurt-based mixed dish automatically has the same exception
- B) The exception proves refrigeration is unnecessary
- C) The exception allows concealment of a safety-based manufacturer date
- D) Qualifying cultured yogurt is within that specific exception (correct answer)
Why: The provision lists cultured dairy products such as yogurt among qualifying commercial-product exceptions. The stated exception does not automatically cover every dish made with yogurt.
Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.17
7. A contractor routes a liquid-waste drain line through a restaurant's ice storage bin. What change is needed?
Answer: Reroute the liquid-waste line outside the ice machine and bin
- A) Leave it if the waste pipe looks clean on the outside
- B) Permit it if ice is made on site rather than delivered
- C) Reroute the liquid-waste line outside the ice machine and bin (correct answer)
- D) Keep the route after insulating the pipe and passing a leak test
Why: Liquid-waste drain lines may not pass through either ice equipment location. Exterior appearance does not remove the routing prohibition.
Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 4-204.17
8. Which two hazards are expressly addressed by the reduced-oxygen-packaging controls?
Answer: Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation, and Listeria monocytogenes growth
- A) Only Salmonella contamination, with no consideration of anaerobic growth
- B) Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation, and Listeria monocytogenes growth (correct answer)
- C) Only visible mold, with no concern for pathogens in an apparently normal package
- D) Only freezing damage to the packaged product
Why: These are the organisms and effects named in the ROP provision. The ROP provision specifically identifies botulinal growth and toxin formation and Listeria growth.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 3-502.12
9. Newly sanitized utensils are still wet. What handling approach meets the drying provision before food contact?
Answer: Air-dry them or allow adequate draining as specified
- A) Rub them dry with the employee's apron
- B) Nest the utensils tightly so the remaining liquid cannot drain
- C) Cloth-dry wet utensils using a fresh towel instead of air drying
- D) Air-dry them or allow adequate draining as specified (correct answer)
Why: The provision permits air drying or use after adequate draining. An apron is not the specified post-sanitizing drying method.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 4-901.11
10. A kitchen keeps an outside window open for ventilation where flying insects are present. If screening is the chosen protective method, which specification matches the listed model-code option?
Answer: 16-mesh screening per inch
- A) 16-mesh screening per inch (correct answer)
- B) 8-mesh screening per inch
- C) 12-mesh screening per inch
- D) 4-mesh screening per inch
Why: The listed screening method is 16 mesh per inch. Eight mesh per inch does not match the specified insect-exclusion screen option.
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 6-202.15
How it is scored
You pass with 70% or higher, which means at least 56 of the 80 scored questions. The other 10 are pilot questions for research. ServSafe's Manager FAQs and its Online Proctoring FAQs both state 70%.
Our mocks use 70%. See the pass marks for all four ServSafe exams.
ServSafe says online results are available almost as soon as the proctor submits the exam for grading.
Is it hard
People who post about this exam on Reddit name two problems. The first is answer options that look very similar. The second is numbers they had to memorize, such as temperatures and times.
When you get a question wrong, read the explanation before you move on.
Exam day
You cannot sit this exam alone. ServSafe lists three ways to take it:
- Online, through ProctorU, the only web-based provider ServSafe has approved.
- In person, with a registered proctor in the room. The proctor runs a print or online exam.
- At a Pearson VUE testing center.
For the online exam, ServSafe's proctoring FAQ says you need:
- A government photo ID or a valid student school ID
- A laptop or desktop computer. Phones, tablets and Chromebooks are not supported
- A working webcam and microphone, and a strong internet connection
- A private room
Log in to ProctorU at least 20 minutes early. After 15 minutes, a missed appointment is canceled. You may not use notes, books or a calculator, and you may not eat or drink. Your face must stay in the camera view, and no one else may be in the room.
If you take the exam in English and another language is your first language, you can ask ServSafe in advance to approve a printed bilingual dictionary. An English-only dictionary is not allowed.
Test your computer with ProctorU before exam day. ServSafe does not refund you if your system is not compatible. If you do not show up, or you reschedule less than 24 hours before your slot, you pay a fee before you can rebook. If a technical problem stops your session, ServSafe can issue a replacement access code.
Who needs it
The FDA Food Code, section 2-102.12, says the person in charge shall be a certified food protection manager who has passed a test in an accredited program. FDA lets the local regulator exempt some low-risk food businesses.
The Food Code is a model. States and counties adopt it in their own way, and ServSafe says some states add requirements. Check with your local health department.
ServSafe Manager is for managers and people in charge. ServSafe Food Handler covers basic food safety for employee-level jobs.
Covered foods on cooler shelves, with ready-to-eat foods above beef and poultry on the bottom shelf
Clean white plates in a rack beside an open commercial hood dishmachine, with light steam rising
Closed bait station and sheltered monitoring board along a sealed wall beneath commercial kitchen equipment
What changed
The ServSafe Manager Book is now in its 9th Edition. ServSafe says its update reflects the November 2024 supplement to the 2022 FDA Food Code and changes to its content blueprint in 2025.
FDA has since published the 2026 Food Code. We have not confirmed that the exam covers rules that are new in 2026. Many of our explanations cite the 2026 code, so a practice question may rest on a rule the exam has not picked up yet.
FAQ
- Are these the real ServSafe Manager exam questions?
- No. We write our own practice questions from the FDA Food Code and other primary sources.
- How long is the ServSafe Manager exam?
- You get two hours for 90 multiple choice questions, unless you have an approved accommodation. ServSafe scores 80 of the 90.
- What happens if I fail?
- You can take the exam twice within 30 days. After a second fail you wait 60 days. The limit is four attempts in 12 months, and you buy a new exam each time.
- How do I renew my certification?
- ServSafe recognizes the certification for five years. To recertify, you pass the exam again with 70% or higher. State or employer rules can differ. Read how long a ServSafe certification is good for.
- Can I take the exam in Spanish?
- Yes. ServSafe offers the online exam in English and Spanish. Its FAQ also lists Chinese online and more languages in print.
- Do I have to take a course before the exam?
- It depends on where you work. ServSafe lets you pick the course and exam format that suits you, but your state may set training hours. Check its rules or ask your local health department.
- How do I get my certificate after I pass?
- You can download or print an eCertificate from your ServSafe.com account. After an online proctored exam, it can take up to 24 hours to appear.
- Will my certification count if I move to another state?
- ServSafe says it is recognized in most places that require a food protection manager certification. Some states add their own rules, so check with your local health department.
- Is the ServSafe Manager certification accredited?
- Yes. ServSafe says it is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under the Conference for Food Protection standards.
- Is this practice test free?
- Yes. All 15 topic quizzes and the first 90-question mock are free, with no sign-up. Mocks 2 to 8 are on a monthly plan. See the Manager Plan.
References
- ServSafe Manager FAQs
- ServSafe Manager Online Proctoring FAQs
- ServSafe Examination Administration Handbook, revised January 2025
- ServSafe Exam Development FAQs, updated April 2022
- ServSafe Food Code and content blueprint update page
- FDA Food Code 2026
- FDA Food Code 2022 and its 2024 supplement
See how we source each answer. Our editorial policy explains how questions are written and reviewed. This site is independent of the National Restaurant Association. Our questions are not official exam questions.
Prefer paper? Get the free ServSafe practice test PDF or the ServSafe cheat sheet.
Other ServSafe practice tests
Not sure which exam you need? Start at our ServSafe practice exam page.