Food Protection Manager Practice Test 2026

1. Question 1 of 25

   In the FDA Food Code 2022, who does section 2-102.12 say must be a certified food protection manager?

   • AThe health inspector who visits the establishment
   • BThe person in charge
   • CEvery food employee who handles open, ready-to-eat food
   • DOnly the owner of the building the restaurant rents
   Show answer

   Answer: B. The person in charge

   In the FDA model code, section 2-102.12 says the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager. Some states use older wording that requires at least one supervisory employee to be certified.

2. Question 2 of 25

   How does a manager become certified under the Food Code?

   • ABy watching a free food safety video at home and signing a form
   • BBy getting a signed letter of experience from the restaurant owner
   • CBy passing a test that is part of an accredited program
   • DBy working in a licensed kitchen for at least one full year
   Show answer

   Answer: C. By passing a test that is part of an accredited program

   The Food Code says the certified food protection manager has shown proficiency by passing a test that is part of an accredited program.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which establishments may be exempted from the certified food protection manager rule?

   • AAny restaurant that has been open for more than ten years with no customer complaints
   • BAny establishment whose owner has more than twenty years of food service experience
   • CRestaurants that serve only dinner and stay closed during the lunch hours every day
   • DEstablishments the regulatory authority decides pose a minimal risk of foodborne illness
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Establishments the regulatory authority decides pose a minimal risk of foodborne illness

   The rule lets the regulatory authority exempt establishments that pose minimal risk, based on the type of operation and how much food preparation happens there.

4. Question 4 of 25

   Who decides whether managers in a particular place must hold a food protection manager certificate?

   • AThe FDA, which sets one binding rule for every food business in the country
   • BThe certification company that writes and sells the manager exam
   • CThe insurance company that covers the restaurant's liability risks
   • DThe state, county or city agency that adopts and enforces its food code
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The state, county or city agency that adopts and enforces its food code

   The FDA Food Code is a model. State, local, tribal and territorial agencies adopt it, sometimes with changes, and set their own rules on who needs the certificate.

5. Question 5 of 25

   Which organization accredits food protection manager certification programs under the Conference for Food Protection standard?

   • AThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
   • BThe ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)
   • CThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
   • DThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
   Show answer

   Answer: B. The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)

   ANAB runs the ANAB-CFP accreditation program, which checks that certification organizations meet the Conference for Food Protection standard.

6. Question 6 of 25

   Under the Conference for Food Protection standard, how long can a food protection manager certificate be valid at most?

   • A1 year
   • B5 years
   • C10 years
   • D3 years
   Show answer

   Answer: B. 5 years

   The CFP standard says certificates must be valid for no more than five years, so managers must recertify by passing an exam again.

7. Question 7 of 25

   Under the Conference for Food Protection standard, which kind of food protection manager exam is acceptable?

   • AA short verbal quiz given by a coworker
   • BA proctored exam, on paper or on a computer
   • CAny exam, as long as the manager pays for it
   • DAn open-book exam taken at home with no one watching
   Show answer

   Answer: B. A proctored exam, on paper or on a computer

   The CFP standard requires exams to be proctored and says unproctored exams are not acceptable in any format.

8. Question 8 of 25

   Who sets the number of questions, time limit and pass mark of a food protection manager exam?

   • AThe restaurant owner, who grades the exam
   • BEach accredited certification organization
   • CThe local health inspector, on the day of the exam
   • DThe FDA, which prints one national exam every year
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Each accredited certification organization

   The CFP standard does not fix one exam format. Each certification organization must state its exam time and set its pass score using methods accepted in the testing field.

9. Question 9 of 25

   During an inspection, which is one way a person in charge can show the knowledge required by Food Code 2-102.11?

   • AShowing the inspector a menu that lists calories for every dish
   • BHaving no priority violations during the current inspection
   • CShowing the inspector last year's sales records and staff schedules
   • DTelling the inspector how many years they have worked in restaurants
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Having no priority violations during the current inspection

   The person in charge can show knowledge by having no priority violations, by being a certified food protection manager, or by correctly answering the inspector's questions.

10. Question 10 of 25

    Which is one of the knowledge areas a person in charge must be able to explain under Food Code 2-102.11?

    • AHow to file the restaurant's payroll taxes on time each quarter
    • BHow to set menu prices so that each dish makes a profit
    • CThe local rules for outdoor advertising signs and banners
    • DThe major food allergens and the symptoms they can cause
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The major food allergens and the symptoms they can cause

    The list of knowledge areas includes identifying major food allergens and the symptoms an allergic reaction can cause in a sensitive person.

11. Question 11 of 25

    Which knowledge area did the 2026 FDA Food Code add to the person in charge's knowledge list in section 2-102.11?

    • AKitchen design
    • BFood defense
    • CWine pairing
    • DRestaurant marketing
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Food defense

    The 2026 Food Code added a new knowledge area on food defense to section 2-102.11(C). Certified manager exams are built around these knowledge areas.

12. Question 12 of 25

    Under the Food Code, what must be true during all hours of operation?

    • AAt least two certified managers must be on site
    • BThe health department must be told who is working
    • CA person in charge must be present
    • DThe owner must be on site
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A person in charge must be present

    Section 2-101.11 says the permit holder must be the person in charge, or name one, and make sure a person in charge is present during all hours of operation.

13. Question 13 of 25

    How should the person in charge make sure TCS food is being cooked to the right temperatures?

    • ALet experienced cooks decide by sight when the food looks done
    • BAsk cooks once a month whether they remember the temperatures
    • CCheck cooking temperatures only when a customer complains about the food
    • DOversee daily temperature checks made with calibrated thermometers
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Oversee daily temperature checks made with calibrated thermometers

    One duty of the person in charge is daily oversight of temperature checks made with properly calibrated thermometers, especially for eggs and ground meats.

14. Question 14 of 25

    How must the person in charge tell food employees about their duty to report illness?

    • ABy posting a short notice on the restaurant's social media page
    • BOnly if the employee asks about it during their first week
    • CBy mentioning it once in the staff group chat on the first day
    • DIn a verifiable way, such as a signed employee agreement
    Show answer

    Answer: D. In a verifiable way, such as a signed employee agreement

    Food and conditional employees must be informed in a verifiable manner. FDA provides a form for a signed reporting agreement for this purpose.

15. Question 15 of 25

    What training must the person in charge make sure employees receive under the Food Code?

    • ATraining only for workers who have been employed there for more than a year
    • BFood safety training, including allergy awareness, for their duties
    • CTraining in cash handling and customer service only
    • DTraining only in how to run the dishwasher and mop the floors
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Food safety training, including allergy awareness, for their duties

    The person in charge must ensure employees are properly trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties.

16. Question 16 of 25

    A customer goes back to the salad bar for a second plate. What should the person in charge make sure happens?

    • AThe customer washes the plate in the restroom
    • BStaff refill the plate by hand at the table
    • CThe customer is told to use a clean plate
    • DThe customer reuses the same plate to save dishes
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The customer is told to use a clean plate

    One person-in-charge duty is making sure consumers are told to use clean tableware when they return to self-service areas such as salad bars and buffets.

17. Question 17 of 25

    A pest control technician needs to work in the food preparation area. What is the person in charge's duty?

    • AAsk them to spray directly on open food to kill any insects
    • BLet them work anywhere they like, because they are not employees
    • CClose the restaurant for a full week after every treatment
    • DMake sure they follow the food code rules for that area
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Make sure they follow the food code rules for that area

    The person in charge must make sure delivery, maintenance and pest control workers who enter food areas follow the food code to protect food and clean equipment.

18. Question 18 of 25

    A supplier delivers food at night while the restaurant is closed. What must still be true?

    • AThe food can be left at the back door until staff arrive in the morning
    • BIt must come from an approved source and be stored so it stays safe
    • CThe food can come from any source, as long as the price is low
    • DThe food must be thrown out the next day, even if it was kept cold
    Show answer

    Answer: B. It must come from an approved source and be stored so it stays safe

    Food delivered after hours must still come from approved sources and be placed in storage that keeps it at the right temperature and protected from contamination.

19. Question 19 of 25

    Which new duty for the person in charge did the 2026 FDA Food Code add in section 2-103.11?

    • AWriting the daily menu
    • BHiring an outside accountant
    • CChecking customers' identification
    • DTraining employees on food defense
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Training employees on food defense

    The 2026 Food Code added 2-103.11(R), which requires employee training on food defense, meaning protecting food from intentional contamination.

20. Question 20 of 25

    What is food defense?

    • ADefending the restaurant in a lawsuit after a customer gets sick
    • BKeeping hot food above 135°F while it is out for delivery
    • CProtecting food from intentional contamination or tampering
    • DChoosing healthy food for the menu
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Protecting food from intentional contamination or tampering

    Food defense is about preventing someone from deliberately contaminating food. The 2026 Food Code added a definition and new training duties for it.

21. Question 21 of 25

    Which is one of the five foodborne illness risk factors identified by CDC?

    • ASlow table service
    • BImproper holding temperatures
    • CDim lighting in the dining room
    • DUsing paper menus
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Improper holding temperatures

    The five risk factors are unsafe food sources, inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment and poor personal hygiene.

22. Question 22 of 25

    A cook buys chicken from a neighbor's backyard flock to use in the restaurant. Which risk factor is this?

    • AFood from unsafe sources
    • BContaminated equipment
    • CPoor personal hygiene
    • DInadequate cooking temperatures
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Food from unsafe sources

    Food must come from approved sources. Using food from an uninspected source is the risk factor called food from unsafe sources.

23. Question 23 of 25

    What is active managerial control?

    • AChecking food temperatures once a year
    • BManagement building preventive food safety actions into daily work
    • CWaiting until the health inspector finds a problem, then fixing it
    • DLetting each employee decide their own food safety rules for each shift
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Management building preventive food safety actions into daily work

    Active managerial control means management purposely builds specific actions into daily work to control risk factors. It is preventive, not reactive.

24. Question 24 of 25

    Which of these is an example of a prerequisite program?

    • AA plan to redecorate the dining room and replace the chairs
    • BSupplier certification, staff training and FIFO stock rotation
    • CA loyalty card program that rewards regular weekday customers
    • DA new advertising campaign on local radio and social media
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Supplier certification, staff training and FIFO stock rotation

    FDA lists vendor certification, training, allergen management, buyer specifications, recipe instructions and FIFO as examples of prerequisite programs that support HACCP.

25. Question 25 of 25

    Which basic program helps control contamination in a food establishment?

    • ALetting staff eat at the prep table
    • BStoring chemicals above food
    • CControlling pests and keeping them out
    • DTurning off the walk-in cooler at night
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Controlling pests and keeping them out

    FDA lists pest control, safe storage of toxic chemicals, handwashing and excluding sick workers as basic programs that control contamination.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: No single national exam. Each accredited certification body sets its own exam length, time limit and pass mark. Exams must be proctored.