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Free FM Practice Questions

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

The FM exam has 90 questions and runs 2 hours.

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

Domain 1: Food 25% of exam

Question 1

A cook prepares a large batch of chicken alfredo that combines cooked pasta, cream sauce, and diced grilled chicken that was cooked earlier in the day. To what minimum internal temperature must this dish be reheated for hot holding?

  1. 145°F (63°C)
  2. 155°F (68°C)
  3. 165°F (74°C)
  4. 135°F (57°C)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 165°F (74°C)

Question 2

A large pot of beef chili is removed from the stove at 135°F to be cooled. Under the two-stage cooling method, the chili must reach 70°F within the first:

  1. 1 hour
  2. 2 hours
  3. 4 hours
  4. 6 hours
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 hours

Question 3

A delivery of fresh (not frozen) ground beef arrives at the loading dock. The manager checks it and finds the internal temperature is 47°F. What is the correct action?

  1. Reject the delivery; cold TCS food must be received at 41°F or below
  2. Accept it, since ground beef stays safe at any temperature below 50°F
  3. Accept it, then move it straight to the freezer to make up the difference
  4. Accept it only if the kitchen cooks it to 155°F within the next four hours
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Reject the delivery; cold TCS food must be received at 41°F or below

Question 4

In a walk-in cooler, a manager is arranging raw salmon, raw ground turkey, raw pork chops, and a pan of ready-to-eat potato salad. Which item belongs on the LOWEST shelf?

  1. Ready-to-eat potato salad
  2. Raw pork chops
  3. Raw salmon
  4. Raw ground turkey
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Raw ground turkey

Question 5

A deli opens a commercial package of sliced roast beef on Monday and holds it at 40°F. Counting Monday as day 1, what is the last day the roast beef may be served or sold before it must be discarded?

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

Correct answer: C - Sunday of the same week

Question 6

A food handler thaws a frozen pork loin by submerging it under running water. For this method to be safe, the running water must be no warmer than:

  1. 41°F (5°C)
  2. 70°F (21°C)
  3. 135°F (57°C)
  4. 50°F (10°C)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 70°F (21°C)

Domain 2: Cleaning & Sanitization 20% of exam

Question 7

A new employee sprays sanitizer onto a cutting board that still has visible raw chicken residue, wipes it, and starts cutting vegetables. What is the main problem?

  1. The sanitizer was the wrong color to use on raw-meat surfaces
  2. A surface must be cleaned first, or the sanitizer cannot work
  3. Sanitizer belongs only on countertops, never on cutting boards
  4. The board should have been rinsed in hot water after sanitizing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - A surface must be cleaned first, or the sanitizer cannot work

Question 8

A manager sets up a three-compartment sink for manual dishwashing. What is the correct order of the three compartments?

  1. Rinse, wash, sanitize
  2. Sanitize, wash, rinse
  3. Wash, sanitize, rinse
  4. Wash, rinse, sanitize
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Wash, rinse, sanitize

Question 9

An operation uses a chlorine (bleach) solution to sanitize food-contact surfaces. Which concentration falls within the correct range for a chlorine sanitizer?

  1. 10 ppm
  2. 50 ppm
  3. 500 ppm
  4. 1,000 ppm
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 50 ppm

Question 10

Glasses come out of the sanitizing compartment of a three-compartment sink. Before they are stacked and stored, they must be:

  1. Dried with a clean cloth towel
  2. Rinsed a second time in hot water
  3. Left to air dry
  4. Dipped in detergent to remove water spots
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Left to air dry

The rest of the FM blueprint

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

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