Texas Food Manager Certification Exam
230 Practice MCQs — Based on TFER (25 TAC §228), FDA Food Code & Texas
DSHS Guidelines
Exam Format: 75 questions | Multiple choice | 70% passing score | Valid 5 years Governing
Bodies: Texas DSHS | Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER 25 TAC Ch. 228) | 2017 FDA
Food Code
🔹 SECTION 1: TEXAS-SPECIFIC LAWS & REGULATIONS (Questions 1–
25)
1. Under the Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER), what is required of every permitted
food establishment during hours of operation?
A) A licensed nurse on staff
B) At least one Certified Food Manager (CFM) on duty (correct answer)
C) Two certified food managers per shift
D) A state health inspector on premises
Rationale: TFER 25 TAC §228.33 requires every Texas food establishment to have at least one
Certified Food Manager on duty during all hours of operation to oversee food safety practices.
2. Under Texas law, the original Certified Food Manager certificate must be:
A) Kept in the manager's personal files
B) Posted visibly for customers to see (correct answer)
C) Submitted to the Texas DSHS annually
D) Laminated and stored in the safe
Rationale: Texas requires the original CFM certificate to be posted in a visible location
accessible to customers — not a copy — as proof of compliance.
3. How long is a Texas Food Manager Certification valid?
A) 1 year
B) 3 years
, C) 5 years (correct answer)
D) 10 years
Rationale: Texas Food Manager Certification is valid for 5 years from the date of passing the
approved exam. Renewal requires retaking an approved exam.
4. Texas food handler employees must obtain food handler certification within how many
days of hire?
A) 30 days
B) 60 days (correct answer)
C) 90 days
D) 180 days
Rationale: Under TFER (effective September 1, 2016), all food employees hired after that date
must obtain food handler certification from an accredited course within 60 days of employment.
5. Which Texas state agency oversees and enforces the Texas Food Establishment Rules
(TFER)?
A) Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
B) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
C) Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) (correct answer)
D) Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Rationale: The Texas DSHS enforces the TFER in areas without local city or county ordinances,
and sets minimum food safety standards statewide.
6. Which code does Texas primarily reference for its food safety standards?
A) 2009 FDA Food Code
B) 2013 FDA Food Code
C) 2017 FDA Food Code (correct answer)
D) 2022 FDA Food Code
Rationale: Texas adopted the 2017 FDA Food Code as the basis for TFER (25 TAC §228),
which sets minimum food safety standards for all retail food establishments in the state.
,7. The Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER) apply to which of the following
establishments?
A) Only sit-down restaurants
B) Restaurants, grocery stores, mobile food vendors, and temporary food establishments
(correct answer)
C) Only establishments with more than 10 employees
D) Only establishments serving alcohol
Rationale: TFER applies to all retail food establishments in Texas including restaurants,
grocery stores, mobile food vendors (food trucks), temporary food establishments, and roadside
food vendors.
8. Under TFER, ready-to-eat TCS food held at 41°F may be stored for a maximum of:
A) 3 days
B) 5 days
C) 7 days, with day of preparation counted as Day 1 (correct answer)
D) 14 days
Rationale: TFER §228 specifies that ready-to-eat TCS food held at 41°F or below may be kept
for a maximum of 7 days, counting the day of preparation as Day 1.
9. Under Texas regulations, which of the following is exempt from the requirement to have
a Certified Food Manager on duty?
A) A full-service restaurant
B) A hospital cafeteria
C) A temporary food establishment (correct answer)
D) A school cafeteria
Rationale: Temporary food establishments are specifically exempt from the requirement to have
a Certified Food Manager on duty under Texas TFER regulations.
10. Which of the following is an approved water source for a Texas food establishment
under TFER?
A) A private well tested annually by the owner
B) A municipal water system or TCEQ-approved well (correct answer)
C) Collected rainwater filtered through a UV system
, D) Bottled water only in areas without city water
Rationale: TFER requires water from approved sources: community (municipal) water systems
or non-public wells approved and regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ).
11. Texas DSHS has regulatory jurisdiction over food establishments in:
A) All Texas counties regardless of local ordinances
B) Areas without a local city ordinance or county order addressing food establishment
regulation (correct answer)
C) Only the unincorporated areas of Texas
D) Only establishments with state permits
Rationale: DSHS enforces the TFER in areas of Texas that do not have their own city ordinance
or county order — local jurisdictions may adopt the TFER or stricter requirements.
12. The Texas Food Manager Certification exam must be accredited by which organization
to be accepted statewide?
A) Texas DSHS only
B) ANAB CFP (ANSI National Accreditation Board — Conference for Food Protection)
or DSHS-approved (correct answer)
C) The National Restaurant Association only
D) ServSafe specifically
Rationale: Texas recognizes two pathways: ANAB CFP-accredited exams OR DSHS-approved
food manager programs. Both pathways are accepted statewide in all Texas jurisdictions.
13. According to TFER, what must be posted in a visible location in a Texas food
establishment?
A) Caloric content of menu items
B) The original Certified Food Manager certificate (correct answer)
C) A copy of the TFER handbook
D) The most recent health inspection report
Rationale: Texas law requires the original (not a copy) CFM certificate to be posted visibly for
customers. Some jurisdictions also require posting of inspection results.
230 Practice MCQs — Based on TFER (25 TAC §228), FDA Food Code & Texas
DSHS Guidelines
Exam Format: 75 questions | Multiple choice | 70% passing score | Valid 5 years Governing
Bodies: Texas DSHS | Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER 25 TAC Ch. 228) | 2017 FDA
Food Code
🔹 SECTION 1: TEXAS-SPECIFIC LAWS & REGULATIONS (Questions 1–
25)
1. Under the Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER), what is required of every permitted
food establishment during hours of operation?
A) A licensed nurse on staff
B) At least one Certified Food Manager (CFM) on duty (correct answer)
C) Two certified food managers per shift
D) A state health inspector on premises
Rationale: TFER 25 TAC §228.33 requires every Texas food establishment to have at least one
Certified Food Manager on duty during all hours of operation to oversee food safety practices.
2. Under Texas law, the original Certified Food Manager certificate must be:
A) Kept in the manager's personal files
B) Posted visibly for customers to see (correct answer)
C) Submitted to the Texas DSHS annually
D) Laminated and stored in the safe
Rationale: Texas requires the original CFM certificate to be posted in a visible location
accessible to customers — not a copy — as proof of compliance.
3. How long is a Texas Food Manager Certification valid?
A) 1 year
B) 3 years
, C) 5 years (correct answer)
D) 10 years
Rationale: Texas Food Manager Certification is valid for 5 years from the date of passing the
approved exam. Renewal requires retaking an approved exam.
4. Texas food handler employees must obtain food handler certification within how many
days of hire?
A) 30 days
B) 60 days (correct answer)
C) 90 days
D) 180 days
Rationale: Under TFER (effective September 1, 2016), all food employees hired after that date
must obtain food handler certification from an accredited course within 60 days of employment.
5. Which Texas state agency oversees and enforces the Texas Food Establishment Rules
(TFER)?
A) Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
B) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
C) Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) (correct answer)
D) Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Rationale: The Texas DSHS enforces the TFER in areas without local city or county ordinances,
and sets minimum food safety standards statewide.
6. Which code does Texas primarily reference for its food safety standards?
A) 2009 FDA Food Code
B) 2013 FDA Food Code
C) 2017 FDA Food Code (correct answer)
D) 2022 FDA Food Code
Rationale: Texas adopted the 2017 FDA Food Code as the basis for TFER (25 TAC §228),
which sets minimum food safety standards for all retail food establishments in the state.
,7. The Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER) apply to which of the following
establishments?
A) Only sit-down restaurants
B) Restaurants, grocery stores, mobile food vendors, and temporary food establishments
(correct answer)
C) Only establishments with more than 10 employees
D) Only establishments serving alcohol
Rationale: TFER applies to all retail food establishments in Texas including restaurants,
grocery stores, mobile food vendors (food trucks), temporary food establishments, and roadside
food vendors.
8. Under TFER, ready-to-eat TCS food held at 41°F may be stored for a maximum of:
A) 3 days
B) 5 days
C) 7 days, with day of preparation counted as Day 1 (correct answer)
D) 14 days
Rationale: TFER §228 specifies that ready-to-eat TCS food held at 41°F or below may be kept
for a maximum of 7 days, counting the day of preparation as Day 1.
9. Under Texas regulations, which of the following is exempt from the requirement to have
a Certified Food Manager on duty?
A) A full-service restaurant
B) A hospital cafeteria
C) A temporary food establishment (correct answer)
D) A school cafeteria
Rationale: Temporary food establishments are specifically exempt from the requirement to have
a Certified Food Manager on duty under Texas TFER regulations.
10. Which of the following is an approved water source for a Texas food establishment
under TFER?
A) A private well tested annually by the owner
B) A municipal water system or TCEQ-approved well (correct answer)
C) Collected rainwater filtered through a UV system
, D) Bottled water only in areas without city water
Rationale: TFER requires water from approved sources: community (municipal) water systems
or non-public wells approved and regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ).
11. Texas DSHS has regulatory jurisdiction over food establishments in:
A) All Texas counties regardless of local ordinances
B) Areas without a local city ordinance or county order addressing food establishment
regulation (correct answer)
C) Only the unincorporated areas of Texas
D) Only establishments with state permits
Rationale: DSHS enforces the TFER in areas of Texas that do not have their own city ordinance
or county order — local jurisdictions may adopt the TFER or stricter requirements.
12. The Texas Food Manager Certification exam must be accredited by which organization
to be accepted statewide?
A) Texas DSHS only
B) ANAB CFP (ANSI National Accreditation Board — Conference for Food Protection)
or DSHS-approved (correct answer)
C) The National Restaurant Association only
D) ServSafe specifically
Rationale: Texas recognizes two pathways: ANAB CFP-accredited exams OR DSHS-approved
food manager programs. Both pathways are accepted statewide in all Texas jurisdictions.
13. According to TFER, what must be posted in a visible location in a Texas food
establishment?
A) Caloric content of menu items
B) The original Certified Food Manager certificate (correct answer)
C) A copy of the TFER handbook
D) The most recent health inspection report
Rationale: Texas law requires the original (not a copy) CFM certificate to be posted visibly for
customers. Some jurisdictions also require posting of inspection results.
