United States
Hong KongFood manager certification, start to finish
The certificate most US jurisdictions require one manager per food establishment to hold, and how to get it.
Overview
- Questions
- 80 multiple choice (National Registry; other providers differ)
- Time
- 120 minutes - 90 seconds a question
- Passing
- A scaled score of 75 - not 75% and not a fixed number correct
- Format
- Multiple choice, proctored, closed book
- Languages
- English and Spanish across all providers
- Fee
- USD 36-65 exam only; 95-180 bundled with training
- Prerequisites
- None to sit; some states require a course first
- Sittings
- On demand, through any accredited provider
- Valid for
- Up to five years
- Based on
- FDA Food Code, 2022 edition with the November 2024 Supplement
What the pass rate says
No accredited provider publishes a pass rate for this exam. The credential is accredited to the Conference for Food Protection standard and delivered by several independent providers, none of which releases how many candidates pass. Any national figure you see quoted has been invented. We would rather leave this section empty than fill it with a number we made up.
The content areas
| Area | Subtopics | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Preventing Contamination and Cross-Contamination | 5 | 15 |
| 2. Ensuring Personal Hygiene and Employee Health | 5 | 14 |
| 3. Actively Managing Controls in a Food Establishment | 6 | 13 |
| 4. Ensuring Product Time and Temperature | 2 | 11 |
| 5. Monitoring the Flow of Foods | 5 | 10 |
| 6. Conducting Cleaning and Sanitizing | 3 | 9 |
| 7. Managing the Physical Facility Design and Maintenance | 5 | 5 |
| 8. Preventing and Controlling Pests | 1 | 3 |
Every section of the guide
Certification basics
What the credential is, who needs it, what it costs and how long it lasts.
15 articlesDifficulty and preparation time
How hard this actually is, and why experience alone catches people out.
10 articlesThe Food Code, area by area
All eight content areas, and the temperatures the whole exam turns on.
75 articlesStudy plans and method
How to prepare in the eight to fifteen hours most candidates need.
13 articlesPractice and exam technique
How these questions are built, and why the wrong options are real Code provisions.
15 articlesState requirements
Who has to hold the certificate, and which states require a course first.
25 articlesPay, jobs and the work itself
What the certificate is worth in a kitchen, and who asks to see it.
14 articlesComparisons
ServSafe against the other accredited providers, and manager against handler.
12 articlesQuick answers
Short answers to the specific things candidates ask.
20 articlesIf you only read a few
- Food manager practice test: ten questions, with the reasoning
- Always Food Safe: video-led, and worth knowing about
- The cheapest legitimate route, step by step
- Bundle or exam only: which is right for you
- The fastest legitimate route, and its failure rate
- ServSafe, Prometric, National Registry and the rest: which food manager exam to sit
- A classroom day or your own kitchen table
- ServSafe or 360training: taught course against online-first
- ServSafe or the National Registry: which to sit
- ServSafe or Prometric: the exam company against the trade body
- ServSafe or StateFoodSafety: platform against ecosystem