ServSafe Manager practice test/Free questions
ServSafe Manager · 40 free questions
ServSafe Manager Practice Questions and Answers
Every free question as an order ticket, with its answer, the reason and the FDA Food Code section it comes from. Tap an answer to check yourself.
Station 0110 tickets
Food temperature questions: cooking, holding, cooling and thawing
Minimum internal temperatures, the danger zone, two-stage cooling, reheating, thawing and hot and cold holding.
- What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for ground beef?
- 155°F for 17 seconds. The same goes for other ground meat and ground fish (Food Code 3-401.11(A)(2)).
No. 01Flow of food preparation
A manager spot-checks roast chicken thighs before service. What minimum reading is required?
Answer: B. 165°F (74°C) for <1 second
Poultry must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), held for less than 1 second (instantaneous). This temperature kills Salmonella and other pathogens commonly found in poultry. Whole cuts of meat like beef and pork require 145°F for 15 seconds, ground meats require 155°F for 17 seconds, and hot holding maintains food at 135°F or above. Managers must verify cooking temperatures with calibrated thermometers.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 02Flow of food preparation
A manager trains staff on why TCS food must stay hot or cold. Which range must food avoid or pass through quickly?
Answer: D. 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C)
ServSafe defines the temperature danger zone as 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C), and pathogens grow fastest between 70°F and 125°F inside it. The range 32°F to 212°F runs from freezing to boiling, which is far too wide. From 135°F to 212°F is the hot-holding and cooking range, where growth is controlled. Temperatures from 0°F to 41°F cover freezer and cold-holding storage, which sit below the danger zone.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 03Flow of food service
Chili goes into a steam table for lunch service. What is the lowest temperature the manager may allow?
Answer: A. 135°F (57°C)
Hot TCS food must be held at 135°F (57°C) or higher, the top edge of the temperature danger zone. 125°F is inside the danger zone, so pathogens can grow. 145°F and 155°F are cooking temperatures for whole cuts and ground meat; a unit may hold food hotter, but neither is the minimum. If food in a hot-holding unit is found below 135°F and its time out of temperature is unknown or over four hours, it must be thrown out.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 6: Flow of Food: Service
No. 04Flow of food preparation
Burgers made from fresh ground chuck are on the grill. What final temperature must the manager verify?
Answer: A. 155°F (68°C)
Ground beef must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 155°F (68°C) for at least 17 seconds. Ground meats require a higher temperature than whole cuts because grinding distributes bacteria throughout the meat. Whole cuts of beef and pork require 145°F for 15 seconds, while poultry requires 165°F for less than 1 second (instantaneous). Managers must calibrate thermometers and verify temperatures during cooking.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 05Flow of food preparation
Which of these is a safe method for thawing frozen chicken?
Answer: D. Under running water at 70°F or lower
Submerging chicken under running drinkable water at 70°F (21°C) or lower is one of the approved thawing methods, along with the refrigerator, the microwave when cooking follows immediately, and cooking from frozen. On the counter, the outside of the chicken warms into the danger zone while the center is still frozen. Warm standing water heats the surface and keeps raw juices around the meat. A hot-holding cabinet is not an approved thawing method and would leave the slowly warming chicken in the danger zone for hours.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 06Flow of food preparation
What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for fish that will be served immediately?
Answer: C. 145°F (63°C)
Fish that will be served immediately must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for at least 15 seconds. This applies to finfish like salmon, cod, and tuna. The same temperature applies to whole cuts of meat like beef and pork. Ground meats require 155°F, and poultry requires 165°F. Fish is particularly susceptible to parasites, making proper cooking essential.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 07Flow of food service
A deli holds hot soup on a counter without heat, using time as the control. When must it be served or thrown out?
Answer: D. 4 hours
Under Food Code 3-501.19, hot TCS food held with time as a public health control, and no temperature control, must be served or thrown out within 4 hours. 2 hours is the limit for a different step, the first stage of cooling. 6 hours applies to cold food that starts at 41°F or below and stays under 70°F. 8 hours is not allowed for either.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 6: Flow of Food: Service
No. 08Flow of food preparation
A cook cools chili from 135°F to 70°F within two hours. How much additional time is allowed to cool it from 70°F to 41°F?
Answer: D. Cool from 70°F to 41°F within four more hours
The second cooling stage allows four more hours to bring the chili from 70°F down to 41°F, for six hours in total. 32°F is freezing, and the target for this stage is 41°F, not 32°F. Six more hours would make the total eight, which goes past the limit. Two more hours is stricter than the rule requires; it is fine if achieved, but it is not the allowed time.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 5: Flow of Food: Preparation
No. 09Flow of food preparation
What is the minimum temperature for fried eggs cooked to order?
Answer: A. 145°F for 15 seconds for an immediate order
A shell egg cracked and cooked for one guest's immediate order needs 145°F for 15 seconds. 155°F for 17 seconds applies to eggs that will be hot-held, such as a buffet tray of scrambled eggs, so it is above the minimum for a single fried egg. 135°F is the hot-holding temperature, not a cooking minimum. 165°F is the poultry and reheating standard, which eggs cooked to order do not need.
No. 10Flow of food preparation
Leftover chili cooled yesterday must be reheated for today's lunch. What is required?
Answer: B. Reheating it rapidly to 165°F within two hours
Cooked and cooled TCS food reheated for hot holding must reach 165°F for 15 seconds, and it must get there within two hours. Adding hot water dilutes the chili and does not bring it to 165°F. Serving at whatever temperature results skips the reheating standard entirely. A steam table is built to hold hot food, not to heat cold food, so the chili would spend too long in the danger zone.
Station 028 tickets
Personal hygiene and employee health questions
Handwashing, gloves and bandages, and when a sick food handler must be excluded or restricted.
- Which activity is an example of poor personal hygiene?
- Touching your hair, face or body and then handling food without washing your hands. Eating or drinking at a prep station is another (Food Code 2-301.14, 2-401.11).
- What should a food handler do after scratching their head?
- Wash their hands before going back to food or clean equipment (Food Code 2-301.14).
- Where should a food handler's medicine be stored?
- Labeled, and kept where it cannot contaminate food, equipment, utensils, linens or single-use items, such as a designated staff area (Food Code 7-207.11).
No. 11Safe food handler
During a hygiene audit, a manager times the scrubbing step at the hand sink. What minimum time should it last?
Answer: A. 10 to 15 seconds
The scrubbing step lasts at least 10 to 15 seconds: rub hands and arms together vigorously, working between the fingers and under the nails. 20 seconds is the minimum for the whole handwashing process, from wetting to rinsing, which is why it is the common wrong answer here. Five seconds is too short to remove soil and pathogens, and 30 seconds is longer than required.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
No. 12Safe food handler
Which of these is an example of poor personal hygiene that could contaminate food?
Answer: C. Scratching the scalp, then handling food unwashed
Scratching the scalp moves pathogens from hair and skin onto the hands, and handling food afterward without washing passes them to the food. Washing hands after using the restroom is a required hygiene step, not a lapse. A clean apron keeps soil from the uniform away from food. A hair net is a required hair restraint that keeps hair out of food, so it is good practice too.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
No. 13Safe food handler
A food handler has been diagnosed with Norovirus. What action must the manager take?
Answer: C. Exclude the handler and report the diagnosis to the health department
A food handler diagnosed with Norovirus must be excluded from the operation, and the diagnosis must be reported to the regulatory authority; the handler returns only with its approval. Norovirus is shed in huge numbers and survives on hands and surfaces. More handwashing does not remove the risk from an infected worker. Extra gloves still leave the worker contaminating surfaces and equipment. The dish room is part of the operation, so moving the worker there is not an exclusion.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
No. 14Safe food handler
A prep cook has worn the same pair of single-use gloves for five hours. When must single-use gloves be changed?
Answer: D. When torn, after 4 hours, or on a task change
ServSafe requires new gloves as soon as they are dirty or torn, before beginning a different task, and after four hours of continuous use on the same task, so a five-hour pair is overdue. Gloves can carry pathogens long before they look dirty. Waiting until the shift ends can mean hours of contamination and several task changes. A weekly change ignores that gloves are single-use items meant to be thrown out often.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
No. 15Safe food handler
Which jewelry may a food handler wear while chopping vegetables?
Answer: A. Only a plain wedding band with no stones
While preparing food, a handler may wear only a plain band ring, such as a wedding band, because stones and settings trap food and pathogens and can break off. A jeweled ring and a watch both fail that rule. Dangling bracelets can fall into food and catch on equipment. A fitness tracker is wrist jewelry that must come off, and wearing it over gloves also puts an uncleaned surface right next to the food.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
No. 16Safe food handler
What are the correct steps for handwashing in a food operation?
Answer: B. Wet, soap, scrub 10-15 seconds, rinse, dry
The Food Code sequence is to wet hands with warm running water, apply soap, scrub for 10 to 15 seconds, rinse, and dry with a single-use towel or hand dryer, about 20 seconds in all. Waiting until hands look dirty misses the required times, such as after touching raw meat or using the restroom. A sanitizer dip cannot lift soil and is not a substitute for washing. A quick rinse skips soap and scrubbing, and wiping on an apron puts germs right back on the hands.
No. 17Safe food handler
An employee needs to keep prescription pills at work. Where should they be stored?
Answer: C. In a labeled spot away from food areas
Employee medicines are kept in a designated, labeled area away from food, equipment and single-service items, so pills cannot fall into food or be confused with ingredients. A shelf above the prep table lets them drop onto work surfaces. Medicine that needs chilling goes in a covered, labeled container apart from food, not loose beside the produce. An apron pocket carries pills right over open food.
No. 18Safe food handler
A deli worker scratches their nose while making sandwiches. What must they do?
Answer: A. Washing hands before resuming work
Hands must be washed after touching the face, hair, body, or clothing because these actions transfer Staphylococcus and other pathogens to hands. Returning to ready-to-eat tasks without washing spreads contamination directly to food guests will not cook again. Continuing to work, rinsing without soap, or wiping on a towel fails to remove the organisms and violates the Food Code handwash requirements.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler
Station 036 tickets
Contamination and food allergen questions
Biological, chemical and physical hazards, cross-contamination, and the nine major food allergens.
No. 19Forms of contamination
Which of the Big Nine food allergens is found in most bakery products and soy sauce?
Answer: B. Soybeans
Soy is the allergen in soy sauce, and soy flour and soy lecithin turn up in many breads and baked goods. Milk is a dairy allergen and is not an ingredient of soy sauce. Eggs are common in baked goods but are not part of soy sauce either. Peanuts show up in candies, sauces, and some baked items, yet they are not what soy sauce is made from.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
No. 20Forms of contamination
A food handler finds a piece of broken glass in a salad bowl after it was served. This is an example of which type of hazard?
Answer: A. Physical hazard
Broken glass in food is a physical hazard. Physical hazards are objects that can cause injury when ingested, such as glass, metal shards, bone fragments, or jewelry. Biological hazards include bacteria and viruses, chemical hazards include cleaning chemicals and pesticides, and allergenic hazards involve food proteins that trigger immune responses. Physical hazards can cause cuts to the mouth, throat, or digestive tract.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
No. 21Forms of contamination
Cross-contamination can be prevented by which practice?
Answer: C. Using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods
Using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods prevents cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs when pathogens are transferred from one food or surface to another. Using the same cutting board or storing raw poultry above ready-to-eat foods can transfer harmful bacteria. Holding food at room temperature promotes bacterial growth in the temperature danger zone (41°F to 135°F).
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
No. 22Forms of contamination
What does the acronym FAT TOM describe in food safety?
Answer: C. Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, Moisture
FAT TOM stands for Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, and Moisture — the six conditions pathogens need to grow. Managers who understand FAT TOM can control bacterial growth by limiting one or more of these factors, such as keeping food out of the danger zone or reducing moisture. The other phrases are invented distractors with no meaning in food safety training or the ServSafe curriculum.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
No. 23Forms of contamination
Which of these items is a TCS food that needs temperature control?
Answer: C. Cut melon served from a salad bar
Once a melon is cut, pathogens from the rind reach the moist, low-acid flesh, so the FDA Food Code treats cut melon as TCS food that must stay at 41°F or lower. Commercially canned peaches are shelf-stable until opened. Crackers are dry, and pathogens cannot grow in them. A whole uncut cantaloupe is not TCS food, though its rind should still be washed before cutting.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
No. 24Forms of contamination
Which situation is an example of chemical contamination?
Answer: D. Sanitizer dripping into food stored below
Sanitizer is a chemical, so drips from a bottle or bucket stored above ready-to-eat food are chemical contamination, and cooking will not remove it. Bacteria growing in rice is a biological hazard. A bandage falling into soup is a physical hazard. Hives from fish proteins are an allergic reaction to a food allergen, not chemical contamination. Chemicals belong below and away from food and food-contact surfaces.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination
Station 045 tickets
Receiving and food storage questions
What to accept or reject at the back door, cooler temperatures, and which shelf each food goes on.
No. 25Flow of food purchasing
A manager sets the walk-in thermostat. What is the warmest that stored TCS food may be?
Answer: C. 41°F (5°C)
Cold food must be stored at 41°F (5°C) or below to prevent bacterial growth. The temperature danger zone is between 41°F and 135°F, where bacteria multiply rapidly. While 35°F is also safe, it is not the maximum allowable temperature. 45°F and 50°F are within the danger zone and would violate food safety standards. Managers must ensure refrigerators are maintained at 41°F or below and checked regularly.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 4: Flow of Food: Purchasing and Receiving
No. 26Flow of food purchasing
A case of milk arrives at 50°F. The milk is within its use-by date. What is the correct action?
Answer: B. Reject the delivery as too warm to accept
Under Food Code 3-202.11, milk may be received at 45°F if it is cooled to 41°F within 4 hours, but 50°F is above that limit, so the delivery is rejected. The use-by date does not make warm milk safe. Freezing it does not undo the time it spent warm and changes the product. Keeping it and checking hourly accepts milk that failed the receiving temperature.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 4: Flow of Food: Purchasing and Receiving
No. 27Flow of food purchasing
A restaurant serves oysters on the half shell. How must the manager handle shellfish tags?
Answer: B. Keeping shellfish tags on file for 90 days
Shellfish identification tags must be kept for 90 days from the date the last shellfish from the container was sold or served, so health officials can trace the harvest area and dealer if illness occurs. Asking servers to remember the harvest location leaves no written record. Filing tags only after a complaint is too late, because the tags are gone by then. Throwing them out at delivery destroys the traceability the rule exists to protect.
No. 28Flow of food purchasing
How should foods be ordered on refrigerator shelves?
Answer: C. Ready-to-eat on top, raw poultry at bottom
Storage order must keep ready-to-eat foods on top, with raw products below arranged by minimum cooking temperature — seafood and whole cuts above ground meats, and poultry at the bottom. This hierarchy ensures drips fall from safer to less-safe foods, never the reverse. Storing raw chicken above salads or mixing raw and cooked items on one shelf invites drip contamination.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 4: Flow of Food: Purchasing and Receiving
No. 29Flow of food purchasing
New milk arrives while older cartons remain. How should staff shelve it?
Answer: C. Placing new cartons behind the older ones
First-in, first-out rotation puts the new milk behind the cartons already on hand, so the older cartons are used before their date. Grabbing the closest carton ignores dates and lets old stock expire. Stacking new milk in front buries the older cartons. Mixing dates means staff must read every carton and will often pick a newer one first.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 4: Flow of Food: Purchasing and Receiving
Station 055 tickets
Foodborne illness, high-risk groups and HACCP questions
Who gets sick most easily, what to do when a guest reports illness, and HACCP's seven principles.
- Which food supports the growth of pathogens?
- TCS food: raw or cooked animal food such as milk, meat, poultry, fish and shell eggs; cooked plant food such as rice, beans and potatoes; and sprouts, cut melons, cut tomatoes and cut leafy greens. Pathogens grow in it between 41°F and 135°F (Food Code 1-201.10, 3-501.16).
No. 30Food safety management
How many principles make up the HACCP food safety management system?
Answer: A. 7
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) consists of 7 principles: conduct a hazard analysis, determine critical control points, establish critical limits, establish monitoring procedures, establish corrective actions, establish verification procedures, and establish record-keeping and documentation procedures. These principles provide a systematic approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards throughout the flow of food.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 7: Food Safety Management Systems
No. 31Providing safe food
What does the term TCS food mean?
Answer: A. Time/Temperature Control for Safety
TCS stands for Time/Temperature Control for Safety. TCS foods — such as meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, cut produce, and cooked grains — need strict time and temperature control because pathogens grow readily in them. Foods like unopened canned goods, dry cereals, and whole uncut produce are generally not TCS. Knowing which menu items are TCS helps managers set monitoring priorities and train staff correctly.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 1: Providing Safe Food
No. 32Food safety management
Chicken at a critical control point reads 150°F instead of 165°F. What is the proper corrective action?
Answer: B. Continuing to cook under-temperature chicken until it reaches 165°F
A corrective action is the planned response when a critical limit is missed, so chicken that reads 150°F goes back on the heat until it reaches 165°F, and the event is recorded. Dropping chicken from the menu does nothing about the undercooked batch already on the line. Praising the cook for fast tickets rewards the very shortcut that caused the problem. A new supplier is unrelated, because the failure happened during cooking.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 7: Food Safety Management Systems
No. 33Providing safe food
Which action best demonstrates active managerial control of food safety?
Answer: C. Monitoring procedures and correcting problems during every shift
Active managerial control means managers use training, monitoring, and enforcement to control the five risk factors throughout every shift, rather than reacting after complaints. Posting a certificate, delegating everything, or reviewing logs monthly without follow-up does not change behavior. Effective control includes setting procedures, verifying critical limits are met, and correcting employees immediately when deviations occur.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 1: Providing Safe Food
No. 34Providing safe food
Sliced turkey is stored for several days after opening. What date-marking rule applies?
Answer: A. Date marking it for use within seven days total
Ready-to-eat TCS food held at 41°F or below for more than 24 hours must be date marked and used within seven days, with the day it was opened counted as day one. Freezing can pause the seven-day count, but the food still needs labels so the remaining days are tracked. Two weeks exceeds the limit, and Listeria grows at refrigerator temperatures. Smell is not a safety test, because Listeria does not change odor.
Station 066 tickets
Cleaning, sanitizing, facilities and pest control questions
Sanitizer strength and contact time, the three-compartment sink, hand sinks and keeping pests out.
No. 35Cleaning and sanitizing
A manager mixes chlorine sanitizer for wiping prep tables. What test-strip reading is the target?
Answer: C. 50-100 ppm
ServSafe lists chlorine at about 50 to 99 ppm for food-contact surfaces, so 50-100 ppm is the correct choice; the exact value depends on water temperature and pH on the label. 200-400 ppm is the typical quat range, which is far too strong for chlorine. 500-1000 ppm would leave unsafe residue on surfaces. A range of 10-25 ppm overlaps with iodine and is too weak for chlorine to sanitize reliably.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 9: Cleaning and Sanitizing
No. 36Cleaning and sanitizing
A new dish room employee is trained on the three-compartment sink. Which order should the manager teach?
Answer: C. Wash, rinse, then sanitize
The three-compartment sink must be used in order: wash with detergent, rinse with clean water, then sanitize with the correct chemical or hot water, followed by air drying. Washing removes soil, rinsing clears detergent, and sanitizing kills remaining pathogens. Any other sequence leaves residues or skips the kill step. Air drying prevents recontamination that towel drying can cause.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 9: Cleaning and Sanitizing
No. 37Safe facilities and pest management
Which evidence points most clearly to a cockroach problem in dry storage?
Answer: A. Strong oily odors with droppings like pepper grains
A strong oily smell, droppings that look like grains of black pepper, and capsule-shaped egg cases are the signs ServSafe lists for cockroaches. Discarded wings on windowsills are typical of swarming termites or ants, not cockroaches. Sawdust piles near wood suggest wood-boring insects such as carpenter ants. Gnawed packaging points to rodents, which chew through boxes and bags to reach food.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 8: Safe Facilities and Pest Management
No. 38Cleaning and sanitizing
A manager tests the quat sanitizer bucket with a test kit. What concentration should it show?
Answer: D. About 200 parts per million
Quaternary ammonium sanitizer is mixed to the concentration on the manufacturer's label, commonly about 200 ppm, and checked with a quat test kit. 75 ppm falls in the chlorine range and is too weak for a quat solution. 25 ppm is the upper end of the iodine range and would not sanitize as a quat. 800 ppm is several times the label strength and can leave residue on food-contact surfaces.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 9: Cleaning and Sanitizing
No. 39Safe facilities and pest management
What must every handwashing station provide?
Answer: D. Providing 100°F water, soap, towels, and signage at accessible sinks
A handwashing sink needs water at 100°F or hotter, soap, a way to dry hands such as single-use towels, a waste container, and a sign telling staff to wash, and it must stay reachable at all times. Supplies that appear only for inspections leave staff unable to wash the rest of the time. A hand sink may be used only for handwashing, not for food prep. Boxes in front of the sink block access, which is itself a violation.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 8: Safe Facilities and Pest Management
No. 40Cleaning and sanitizing
Where and how must cleaning chemicals be stored?
Answer: C. Storing labeled chemicals low and away from food and utensils
Chemicals stay in labeled containers and are stored in a separate area, away from and never above food, utensils, or food-contact surfaces. A sanitizer above flour could leak or spill straight into it. Drink bottles invite someone to swallow the contents, and food containers may not be used for chemicals. Spray bottles on cutting boards put chemicals onto a food-contact surface.
Source: ServSafe Coursebook 9th Edition — Chapter 9: Cleaning and Sanitizing
Keep practicing
Time yourself on the same questions, then learn the temperatures and rules the exam asks about.
- Take a timed mock examA clock, then a score by area
- ServSafe cheat sheetTemperatures and rules on one page
- Manager or food handler?Which one you need
- The full study planExam areas, storage, hygiene