ServSafe Manager Exam Questions (1–50)
1. A food handler arrives to work with a sore throat and fever. The restaurant primarily serves
elderly customers. What should the manager do?
A. Restrict the food handler from working with food
B. Assign the food handler to washing dishes only
✔️ C. Exclude the food handler from the operation entirely
D. Allow the food handler to work with proper handwashing
2. A shipment of milk arrives at 50°F (10°C). What should the manager do?
A. Store it immediately in the cooler
B. Place it in an ice bath until it reaches 41°F
✔️ C. Reject the shipment
D. Pasteurize it before use
3. A line cook uses the same spatula for raw burgers and then for cooked burgers without
cleaning or sanitizing. What is the violation?
A. Time-temperature abuse
✔️ B. Cross-contamination
C. Poor personal hygiene
D. Improper receiving
4. When storing food in a cooler, which item should be placed on the top shelf?
A. Raw poultry
B. Raw ground beef
✔️ C. Ready-to-eat salad greens
D. Raw fish
5. Which practice reduces the risk of Norovirus transmission?
A. Cooking seafood to the correct temperature
✔️ B. Washing hands after using the restroom
C. Purchasing shellfish from approved suppliers
D. Storing shellfish at 41°F or below
,6. Which food is most commonly linked to Salmonella Typhi?
A. Raw sprouts
✔️ B. Beverages
C. Ground beef
D. Ready-to-eat salads
7. When cooling a large batch of soup, it must be cooled from 135°F to 70°F within how many
hours?
A. 1 hour
✔️ B. 2 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 6 hours
8. What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for ground beef?
A. 145°F for 15 seconds
✔️ B. 155°F for 15 seconds
C. 165°F for <1 second
D. 135°F for 4 minutes
9. A food handler reports vomiting and diarrhea. What must the manager do?
A. Restrict the food handler from food preparation
✔️ B. Exclude the food handler from the operation
C. Allow the food handler to work with gloves
D. Assign cleaning tasks only
10. Which action is unsafe when thawing frozen chicken?
A. In the cooler at 41°F
✔️ B. At room temperature overnight
C. Under running potable water at 70°F or lower
D. In a microwave if cooked immediately
11. Which type of contaminant is broken glass in food?
A. Biological
✔️ B. Physical
C. Chemical
D. Natural
,12. What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for poultry?
A. 145°F for 15 seconds
B. 155°F for 15 seconds
✔️ C. 165°F for <1 second (instantaneous)
D. 135°F for 4 minutes
13. A food handler touches raw chicken, then preps lettuce without washing their hands. Which
practice caused the contamination?
A. Time-temperature abuse
✔️ B. Poor personal hygiene
C. Improper cleaning
D. Unsafe receiving
14. When washing hands, food handlers must scrub for at least:
A. 5 seconds
✔️ B. 10–15 seconds
C. 20–30 seconds
D. 1 minute
15. A food handler stores sanitizer spray bottles above food prep counters. What is the risk?
A. Physical contamination
✔️ B. Chemical contamination
C. Biological contamination
D. Cross-contact
16. Which group is at the highest risk for foodborne illness?
A. Teenagers
B. Healthy adults
✔️ C. Preschool-age children
D. Athletes
17. Which condition requires a food handler to be excluded from the operation?
A. Coughing and sneezing
✔️ B. Jaundice
, C. Fever
D. Sore throat
18. What is the maximum number of hours hot food can be held without temperature control
before it must be sold, served, or discarded?
A. 2 hours
✔️ B. 4 hours
C. 6 hours
D. 8 hours
19. The presence of allergens in food is considered what type of hazard?
A. Biological
B. Physical
✔️ C. Chemical
D. Natural
20. Which is an example of cross-contact?
A. Cutting raw chicken and raw beef with the same knife
✔️ B. Using the same fryer oil for shrimp and French fries
C. Using one spatula for raw and cooked burgers
D. Sneezing on food
21. Which is the proper method to sanitize food-contact surfaces?
A. Wash with detergent only
✔️ B. Wash, rinse, sanitize, and air dry
C. Rinse with hot water only
D. Spray with sanitizer before use
22. Which of the following is a TCS food?
A. Apples
✔️ B. Cooked rice
C. Bread
D. Potato chips
1. A food handler arrives to work with a sore throat and fever. The restaurant primarily serves
elderly customers. What should the manager do?
A. Restrict the food handler from working with food
B. Assign the food handler to washing dishes only
✔️ C. Exclude the food handler from the operation entirely
D. Allow the food handler to work with proper handwashing
2. A shipment of milk arrives at 50°F (10°C). What should the manager do?
A. Store it immediately in the cooler
B. Place it in an ice bath until it reaches 41°F
✔️ C. Reject the shipment
D. Pasteurize it before use
3. A line cook uses the same spatula for raw burgers and then for cooked burgers without
cleaning or sanitizing. What is the violation?
A. Time-temperature abuse
✔️ B. Cross-contamination
C. Poor personal hygiene
D. Improper receiving
4. When storing food in a cooler, which item should be placed on the top shelf?
A. Raw poultry
B. Raw ground beef
✔️ C. Ready-to-eat salad greens
D. Raw fish
5. Which practice reduces the risk of Norovirus transmission?
A. Cooking seafood to the correct temperature
✔️ B. Washing hands after using the restroom
C. Purchasing shellfish from approved suppliers
D. Storing shellfish at 41°F or below
,6. Which food is most commonly linked to Salmonella Typhi?
A. Raw sprouts
✔️ B. Beverages
C. Ground beef
D. Ready-to-eat salads
7. When cooling a large batch of soup, it must be cooled from 135°F to 70°F within how many
hours?
A. 1 hour
✔️ B. 2 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 6 hours
8. What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for ground beef?
A. 145°F for 15 seconds
✔️ B. 155°F for 15 seconds
C. 165°F for <1 second
D. 135°F for 4 minutes
9. A food handler reports vomiting and diarrhea. What must the manager do?
A. Restrict the food handler from food preparation
✔️ B. Exclude the food handler from the operation
C. Allow the food handler to work with gloves
D. Assign cleaning tasks only
10. Which action is unsafe when thawing frozen chicken?
A. In the cooler at 41°F
✔️ B. At room temperature overnight
C. Under running potable water at 70°F or lower
D. In a microwave if cooked immediately
11. Which type of contaminant is broken glass in food?
A. Biological
✔️ B. Physical
C. Chemical
D. Natural
,12. What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for poultry?
A. 145°F for 15 seconds
B. 155°F for 15 seconds
✔️ C. 165°F for <1 second (instantaneous)
D. 135°F for 4 minutes
13. A food handler touches raw chicken, then preps lettuce without washing their hands. Which
practice caused the contamination?
A. Time-temperature abuse
✔️ B. Poor personal hygiene
C. Improper cleaning
D. Unsafe receiving
14. When washing hands, food handlers must scrub for at least:
A. 5 seconds
✔️ B. 10–15 seconds
C. 20–30 seconds
D. 1 minute
15. A food handler stores sanitizer spray bottles above food prep counters. What is the risk?
A. Physical contamination
✔️ B. Chemical contamination
C. Biological contamination
D. Cross-contact
16. Which group is at the highest risk for foodborne illness?
A. Teenagers
B. Healthy adults
✔️ C. Preschool-age children
D. Athletes
17. Which condition requires a food handler to be excluded from the operation?
A. Coughing and sneezing
✔️ B. Jaundice
, C. Fever
D. Sore throat
18. What is the maximum number of hours hot food can be held without temperature control
before it must be sold, served, or discarded?
A. 2 hours
✔️ B. 4 hours
C. 6 hours
D. 8 hours
19. The presence of allergens in food is considered what type of hazard?
A. Biological
B. Physical
✔️ C. Chemical
D. Natural
20. Which is an example of cross-contact?
A. Cutting raw chicken and raw beef with the same knife
✔️ B. Using the same fryer oil for shrimp and French fries
C. Using one spatula for raw and cooked burgers
D. Sneezing on food
21. Which is the proper method to sanitize food-contact surfaces?
A. Wash with detergent only
✔️ B. Wash, rinse, sanitize, and air dry
C. Rinse with hot water only
D. Spray with sanitizer before use
22. Which of the following is a TCS food?
A. Apples
✔️ B. Cooked rice
C. Bread
D. Potato chips
