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Free FSMC Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Food Safety Manager Certification (FSMC) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free FSMC practice test to study every exam domain.

The FSMC exam has 85 questions and runs 2 hours 0 minutes.

These 10 free FSMC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Food Safety Manager Certification blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Implementing Active Managerial Control 12.50% of exam

Question 1

In a HACCP plan for a restaurant, cooking chicken to 165°F is identified as the point where a biological hazard is controlled. The requirement to reach 165°F is best described as the:

  1. Critical control point
  2. Critical limit
  3. Corrective action
  4. Monitoring procedure
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Critical limit

Domain 2: Managing Personnel 11.25% of exam

Question 2

A food handler tells the manager they were diagnosed with jaundice this morning. What must the manager do?

  1. Restrict the employee to non-food tasks such as dishwashing
  2. Allow the employee to work if they wear gloves at all times
  3. Send the employee for a rapid test before deciding
  4. Exclude the employee and notify the regulatory authority
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Exclude the employee and notify the regulatory authority

Question 3

A new employee finishes using the restroom and returns to the kitchen to plate salads. Before handling food, they must:

  1. Apply hand sanitizer and put on single-use gloves
  2. Rinse their hands under warm water and then dry them
  3. Change their apron and put on a fresh pair of gloves
  4. Wash their hands at a designated handwashing sink
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Wash their hands at a designated handwashing sink

Domain 3: Addressing Allergen Issues 10.00% of exam

Question 4

A guest with a peanut allergy orders a dish. A cook prepares it with a clean utensil but fries it in oil previously used for breaded, peanut-containing items. Why is this dish unsafe for the guest?

  1. Allergen cross-contact occurred, and cooking does not destroy allergens
  2. The frying temperature was too low to destroy the peanut protein
  3. Peanut oil is a required allergen only when it is cold-pressed
  4. The utensil should have been sanitized rather than only cleaned
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Allergen cross-contact occurred, and cooking does not destroy allergens

Domain 4: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storing Practices 6.25% of exam

Question 5

In a walk-in cooler, a manager must arrange raw ground beef, raw chicken, raw salmon, and a pan of ready-to-eat potato salad on four shelves. Which item belongs on the LOWEST shelf?

  1. Raw salmon
  2. Ready-to-eat potato salad
  3. Raw chicken
  4. Raw ground beef
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Raw chicken

Domain 5: Preparing Foods 20.00% of exam

Question 6

A cook pulls a tray of whole chicken breasts from the oven for immediate service. What is the minimum internal temperature the chicken must reach, and for how long?

  1. 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds
  2. 155°F (68°C) for 17 seconds
  3. 165°F (74°C) for 1 second
  4. 160°F (71°C) for 15 seconds
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 165°F (74°C) for 1 second

Question 7

A large batch of beef chili finishes cooking at 135°F and must be cooled for storage. Using the two-stage cooling method, by when must the chili reach 70°F?

  1. Within 4 hours of the start of cooling
  2. Within 6 hours total, in any combination
  3. Within 90 minutes of the start of cooling
  4. Within 2 hours of the start of cooling
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Within 2 hours of the start of cooling

Question 8

Leftover soup was properly cooled and refrigerated overnight. It is being reheated for hot holding on the steam line. To what temperature must it be reheated, and within what time?

  1. 165°F within 2 hours
  2. 135°F within 2 hours
  3. 145°F within 4 hours
  4. 165°F within 4 hours
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - 165°F within 2 hours

Question 9

A ready-to-eat tuna salad is prepared and refrigerated at 41°F on Monday. It is held below 41°F continuously. What is the last day it may be served?

  1. Wednesday of the same week
  2. Sunday of the same week
  3. Friday of the same week
  4. The following Monday
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Sunday of the same week

Domain 7: Cleaning and Sanitizing 8.75% of exam

Question 10

A manager sets up a chlorine sanitizing solution for the third compartment of the sink. Which concentration falls within the acceptable range for sanitizing food-contact surfaces?

  1. 75 ppm
  2. 10 ppm
  3. 300 ppm
  4. 500 ppm
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - 75 ppm

The rest of the FSMC blueprint

The FSMC exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:

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