Food Handler Practice Test (US) 2026: Practice test 4

Practice test 4 of 5 for the Food Handler Practice Test (US): 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Food safety
United States
120 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
Where should food workers wash their hands?
- In the food prep sink
- In the three-compartment dish sink
- Only at a sink set aside for handwashing
- In the mop sink
Show answer
Answer: C. Only at a sink set aside for handwashing
Handwashing sinks are only for washing hands. Never use food prep, dish or mop sinks.
Question 2 of 25
Under the Food Code, a handwashing sink must provide water at what temperature?
- At least 100°F
- At least 165°F
- At least 70°F
- At least 135°F
Show answer
Answer: A. At least 100°F
Handwashing sinks must supply warm water at 100°F or more.
Question 3 of 25
Can hand sanitizer be used instead of washing your hands?
- Yes, but only after handling raw meat
- No, it can only be used after washing hands
- Yes, it works just as well
- Yes, if your hands look clean
Show answer
Answer: B. No, it can only be used after washing hands
Hand antiseptics are not a substitute for handwashing. Use them only after washing, if at all.
Question 4 of 25
When must a food worker wash their hands?
- After touching their hair or face
- Only when hands look dirty
- Only at the start of the shift
- Only after eating lunch
Show answer
Answer: A. After touching their hair or face
Wash after touching hair or face, using the restroom, handling raw meat, taking out garbage, eating, drinking, smoking, and more.
Question 5 of 25
Which is the right way to dry your hands after washing?
- A shared cloth towel
- Your apron
- A single-use paper towel or an air dryer
- The side of your pants
Show answer
Answer: C. A single-use paper towel or an air dryer
Use paper towels or a hand dryer. Aprons and shared towels can put germs back on clean hands.
Question 6 of 25
Can food workers touch ready-to-eat food, such as sandwich bread, with bare hands?
- No, they must use utensils, deli tissue or single-use gloves
- Yes, if they wear a hat
- Yes, if their hands look clean
- Yes, if the food will be served cold
Show answer
Answer: A. No, they must use utensils, deli tissue or single-use gloves
Bare hands can spread germs. Ready-to-eat food will not be cooked again, so it must be handled with gloves or utensils.
Question 7 of 25
What should you do before putting on single-use gloves?
- Blow into the gloves
- Put on hand lotion
- Wash your hands
- Nothing, gloves keep germs off
Show answer
Answer: C. Wash your hands
Gloves can pick up germs from dirty hands. Always wash hands before putting gloves on.
Question 8 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 9 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 10 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 11 of 25
Which jewelry may a food worker wear on the hands and arms while preparing food?
- A plain ring, such as a wedding band
- A bracelet
- A watch
- A ring with stones
Show answer
Answer: A. A plain ring, such as a wedding band
The Food Code allows only a plain ring, and medically necessary devices, on the hands and arms.
Question 12 of 25
A food worker has nail polish and is preparing exposed food. What does the Food Code require?
- They must wear intact single-use gloves
- They must work only at the register
- They must wash their hands for 2 minutes
- Nothing, nail polish is always allowed
Show answer
Answer: A. They must wear intact single-use gloves
Nail polish and fake nails can chip into food or hide dirt. They are allowed only if the worker wears intact gloves.
Question 13 of 25
What must food workers wear to keep hair out of food?
- Hair spray
- A hat, hair covering, hairnet or beard restraint
- A headband only
- Nothing, if their hair is short
Show answer
Answer: B. A hat, hair covering, hairnet or beard restraint
The Food Code requires effective hair restraints for food employees who work with exposed food.
Question 14 of 25
Where may food workers eat, drink or smoke?
- At the prep table
- Only in a designated area away from food and equipment
- In the walk-in cooler
- Next to the dish machine
Show answer
Answer: B. Only in a designated area away from food and equipment
Eating, drinking and tobacco use belong in a set area where they cannot contaminate food. Wash hands afterward.
Question 15 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 16 of 25
A cook has had diarrhea since last night. What should happen?
- They can work at the grill but not the salad station
- They can work if they wash their hands more
- They can work if they wear gloves
- They must not work with food until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours
Show answer
Answer: D. They must not work with food until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours
Workers with vomiting or diarrhea are excluded from work and can return once symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours.
Question 17 of 25
What is jaundice?
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- A rash on the hands
- A runny nose
- A painful sore throat
Show answer
Answer: A. Yellowing of the skin or eyes
Jaundice can be a sign of hepatitis A. A worker with jaundice must not work with food and the health department must be told.
Question 18 of 25
Which illness is one that a food worker must report if a doctor diagnoses it?
- Seasonal pollen allergy
- Hepatitis A
- A tension headache
- Athlete's foot
Show answer
Answer: B. Hepatitis A
Diagnoses that must be reported include norovirus, hepatitis A, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, typhoid fever and nontyphoidal Salmonella.
Question 19 of 25
Who should a food worker tell when they are sick?
- The delivery driver
- A regular customer
- No one, if they feel well enough
- The person in charge
Show answer
Answer: D. The person in charge
Food workers must report certain symptoms and diagnoses to the person in charge so the right action can be taken.
Question 20 of 25
A worker at a nursing home kitchen has a sore throat with a fever. What should happen?
- They can work if they wear a mask
- They should be excluded from working with food
- They can work if they drink hot tea
- They can work with raw food only
Show answer
Answer: B. They should be excluded from working with food
Sore throat with fever leads to exclusion when the worker serves a highly susceptible population, such as a nursing home.
Question 21 of 25
A worker is sneezing and has a runny nose. What should they do?
- Use hand sanitizer and keep working with food
- Keep working but sneeze into the sink
- Not work with exposed food, utensils or food-contact surfaces
- Keep working at the salad station
Show answer
Answer: C. Not work with exposed food, utensils or food-contact surfaces
Workers with sneezing, coughing or a runny nose should not handle food or food-contact items.
Question 22 of 25
A food worker lives with someone who has just been diagnosed with a foodborne illness. What should the worker do?
- Wash their hands one extra time
- Say nothing unless they feel sick
- Take the next week off without telling anyone
- Tell the person in charge
Show answer
Answer: D. Tell the person in charge
The person in charge needs to know about exposure so they can decide whether the worker must be restricted.
Question 23 of 25
What does the 2026 FDA Food Code require food businesses to do about employee illness?
- Let sick workers decide for themselves
- Test every employee for illness every day
- Keep a written employee illness policy
- Report every cold to the FDA
Show answer
Answer: C. Keep a written employee illness policy
The 2026 Food Code added a requirement for a documented employee illness policy.
Question 24 of 25
A worker vomits in the dining room. What should be used to clean it up?
- A disinfectant that works against norovirus, following written cleanup steps
- A dry mop only
- Plain water and a towel
- The same sanitizer used on cutting boards
Show answer
Answer: A. A disinfectant that works against norovirus, following written cleanup steps
Kitchen sanitizers do not kill norovirus well. Follow the written procedure and use a disinfectant that works against norovirus.
Question 25 of 25
What is the difference between cleaning and sanitizing?
- They mean the same thing
- Cleaning kills germs; sanitizing removes dirt
- Cleaning removes food and dirt; sanitizing reduces germs to safe levels
- Sanitizing is only for floors
Show answer
Answer: C. Cleaning removes food and dirt; sanitizing reduces germs to safe levels
Clean first with soap and water, then sanitize with heat or an approved chemical.

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