California Food Handler Card Practice Test 2026: Practice test 4

Practice test 4 of 6 for the California Food Handler Card Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Food safety
California
132 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
How long should you scrub your hands with soap during handwashing?
- 10 to 15 seconds
- 1 to 2 seconds
- No scrubbing is needed
- 45 to 60 seconds
Show answer
Answer: A. 10 to 15 seconds
Scrub for 10 to 15 seconds, including between fingers, under fingernails and wrists, as part of the 20-second wash.
Question 2 of 25
Can single-use gloves be washed and used again?
- No, throw them away after one use
- Yes, if they are washed with soap
- Yes, if they are rinsed in sanitizer
- Yes, but only on the same day
Show answer
Answer: A. No, throw them away after one use
Single-use gloves are used once and then thrown away.
Question 3 of 25
In a three-compartment sink, what is in the third compartment?
- Soapy wash water
- Clear rinse water
- Sanitizer
- Ice
Show answer
Answer: C. Sanitizer
The three compartments are used to wash, rinse and sanitize, in that order.
Question 4 of 25
Which is a safe way to cool a large pot of soup?
- Leave it on the counter overnight
- Divide it into shallow pans and stir it in an ice bath
- Put the whole pot in the cooler with a tight lid
- Wrap the pot in towels to keep heat in
Show answer
Answer: B. Divide it into shallow pans and stir it in an ice bath
Large, deep containers cool too slowly. Shallow pans, ice baths, ice paddles and blast chillers speed up cooling.
Question 5 of 25
What is cross-contamination?
- Cooking two foods in the same oven
- The spread of germs from one food or surface to another
- Storing food in a freezer
- Mixing two sauces together
Show answer
Answer: B. The spread of germs from one food or surface to another
Cross-contamination happens when germs move from raw food, dirty hands or dirty surfaces onto food that is ready to eat.
Question 6 of 25
A food worker has a small cut on a finger. What should they do?
- Leave it open so it heals faster
- Keep working without telling anyone
- Cover it with a bandage and wear a single-use glove over it
- Cover it with tape only
Show answer
Answer: C. Cover it with a bandage and wear a single-use glove over it
A bandage plus a glove keeps germs from the wound out of food. Tell the person in charge about an infected wound.
Question 7 of 25
Under the Food Code, cold food can be held without temperature control for up to 6 hours if what is true?
- It starts at 41°F or colder and never goes above 70°F
- It is served only to adults
- It is covered with plastic wrap
- It starts at room temperature and is stirred often
Show answer
Answer: A. It starts at 41°F or colder and never goes above 70°F
The 6-hour option for cold food only works if the food starts at 41°F or colder and stays at 70°F or below.
Question 8 of 25
How many days can date-marked ready-to-eat TCS food be kept at 41°F or colder?
- 7 days
- 3 days
- 10 days
- 14 days
Show answer
Answer: A. 7 days
The food must be used or thrown out within 7 days. The day it was made or opened counts as day 1.
Question 9 of 25
Ready-to-eat food from a sealed commercial package, such as canned chili, must be heated to what temperature for hot holding?
- 165°F
- 155°F
- 100°F
- 135°F
Show answer
Answer: D. 135°F
Commercially processed ready-to-eat food from an intact package only needs to reach 135°F for hot holding.
Question 10 of 25
Which conditions help bacteria grow fastest?
- Bright light and wind
- Warm temperatures, moisture and time
- Freezing temperatures and dryness
- Very hot temperatures above 165°F
Show answer
Answer: B. Warm temperatures, moisture and time
Bacteria grow fastest in moist TCS food that stays in the danger zone for too long.
Question 11 of 25
What does FIFO mean when storing food?
- Fill it full, then order
- Freeze it fast, then open it
- Fish in front, other foods behind
- First in, first out: use older food before newer food
Show answer
Answer: D. First in, first out: use older food before newer food
Put new deliveries behind older stock so the older food is used first.
Question 12 of 25
How do you check that a thermometer is accurate using the ice-point method?
- Hold it in the air; it should read 70°F
- Put it in boiling water; it should read 100°F
- Put it in a cup of crushed ice and water; it should read 32°F
- Put it in the freezer; it should read 0°F
Show answer
Answer: C. Put it in a cup of crushed ice and water; it should read 32°F
In a glass of ice and water, an accurate thermometer reads 32°F. If not, adjust or replace it.
Question 13 of 25
Which of these is one of the major food allergens?
- Chicken
- Sesame
- Corn
- Rice
Show answer
Answer: B. Sesame
Sesame became the ninth major food allergen in the United States in 2023.
Question 14 of 25
When dishes are sanitized with hot water in a three-compartment sink, the water must be at least what temperature?
- 100°F
- 110°F
- 171°F
- 135°F
Show answer
Answer: C. 171°F
For hot water sanitizing in a manual sink, the Food Code requires water of at least 171°F, with items immersed for at least 30 seconds.
Question 15 of 25
Which tool should be used to scoop ice for drinks?
- A clean ice scoop with a handle
- Bare hands
- A coffee mug
- A drinking glass
Show answer
Answer: A. A clean ice scoop with a handle
Glasses can break in the ice and hands carry germs. Use a scoop and store it so the handle does not touch the ice.
Question 16 of 25
Where should you place the tip of a probe thermometer to check a piece of meat?
- Touching the bottom of the pan
- Touching the bone
- Just under the surface
- In the center of the thickest part
Show answer
Answer: D. In the center of the thickest part
The thickest part heats last. Bones and pans can give a false reading.
Question 17 of 25
Which symptom must a food worker report to the person in charge?
- A mild headache
- Sore muscles from exercise
- Tired eyes
- Vomiting
Show answer
Answer: D. Vomiting
Workers must report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, and infected wounds on the hands or arms.
Question 18 of 25
Which of these is a TCS food that must be kept cold once prepared?
- A whole uncut apple
- A bag of sugar
- Cut melon
- A loaf of bread
Show answer
Answer: C. Cut melon
Once melons are cut, germs can grow on the moist flesh, so cut melon must be kept at 41°F or colder.
Question 19 of 25
Where should cleaning chemicals be stored?
- Below and away from food and food-contact surfaces
- In empty food containers
- Next to the spices
- On a shelf above the prep table
Show answer
Answer: A. Below and away from food and food-contact surfaces
Chemicals should be stored where they cannot drip or spill onto food, such as on a lower shelf in a separate area.
Question 20 of 25
When should you change single-use gloves?
- When they are torn, dirty or you change tasks
- Once every 8 hours
- Only when a customer asks
- Only at the end of the shift
Show answer
Answer: A. When they are torn, dirty or you change tasks
Change gloves when they rip or get dirty, and after handling raw meat before touching ready-to-eat food.
Question 21 of 25
What must you do after thawing raw meat in a microwave?
- Store it in the cooler for 2 days first
- Cook it right away
- Put it back in the freezer
- Leave it on the counter until dinner service
Show answer
Answer: B. Cook it right away
Food thawed in a microwave may get warm in spots, so it must be cooked immediately.
Question 22 of 25
Which item is approved as a sanitizer in many food establishments?
- Chlorine bleach mixed to the right strength
- Hot tap water at 100°F
- Dish soap
- Vinegar from the kitchen
Show answer
Answer: A. Chlorine bleach mixed to the right strength
Common approved sanitizers include chlorine bleach, quaternary ammonium (quat) and iodine, used at the right concentration.
Question 23 of 25
A delivery of cold TCS food arrives. What temperature should it be?
- 41°F or colder
- 50°F or colder
- 60°F or colder
- Any temperature, if it is put away quickly
Show answer
Answer: A. 41°F or colder
Check deliveries on arrival. Cold TCS food should be at 41°F or colder, and frozen food should still be frozen.
Question 24 of 25
Which of these foods is a TCS food?
- Cooked rice
- Dry beans in a sealed bag
- Saltine crackers
- Uncooked dry pasta
Show answer
Answer: A. Cooked rice
Cooked rice, cooked beans and cooked potatoes are TCS foods. Dry foods are not, until they are cooked.
Question 25 of 25
How should dishes dry after sanitizing?
- Dry with a cloth towel
- Air-dry
- Dry with your apron
- Rinse again and wipe
Show answer
Answer: B. Air-dry
Towels can put germs back on sanitized dishes. Let them air-dry before stacking or storing.

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