ServSafe Practice Exam

There's a food-safety exam on your calendar, and the first thing to sort out is which one. ServSafe has four separate exams, and they're quite different tests. This independent practice site lays them out side by side.

The Manager exam, for shift leads, kitchen managers, chefs and owners, is 90 questions in two hours with a 70% pass mark. Food Handler, for cooks, servers and prep staff, is 40 questions with a 75% pass mark and no time limit. Alcohol and Allergens are each 40 questions online, and where the official details aren't published the site says "Not stated" rather than guessing, which is a nice touch.

All four draw on one bank of 1,366 questions. According to the About page, they're written in the team's own words from primary sources, mainly the FDA Food Code and public material from the FDA, CDC, NIAAA and NHTSA, and each explanation cites its source.

The fastest way in is a 10-question quiz on the home page. It takes 15 minutes, gives you answers and explanations at the end and needs no sign-up. Every topic quiz is free too, and so is one full 90-question Manager mock, which is the part most worth trying if you're sitting the manager certification.

There are three monthly plans on the pricing page. The Manager Plan is $6.99 a month for seven more timed Manager mocks, and the Food Handler Plan and the Allergens and Alcohol Plan are $2.99 a month each. All of them come with a printable PDF pack of cheat sheets, printable mocks and flashcards. The pricing page currently says these plans aren't on sale yet, so for now the free material is what you get.

The About page describes the operator as a small independent publisher called The ServSafe Practice Team, with no company name or address. It notes that ServSafe is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and that the site isn't affiliated with or endorsed by it. It also says advertising is planned.

If your exam is coming up, the 10-question quiz is a quick way to see where you stand, and the free Manager mock is there when you want the full two hours.