TheoryFree ServSafe Practice Test
Take a free ServSafe practice test for 2026 with questions, answers, explanations, PDF download and timed mock exam links.
ServSafe Questions
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Q1Food handlers should keep their fingernails
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✓ Correct answer: Short and unpolished
Food handlers should keep their fingernails short and unpolished.
Q2To help employees understand the local ordinances of food safety, the following actions are recommended:
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✓ Correct answer: Post signs that detail the basic food safety techniques
Posting signs that detail the basic food safety techniques will help employees understand the local ordinances of food safety.<br/><br/>Much of the time, companies that supply your cleaning agents will have these signs and will give them to you.<br/><br/>While they are not extensive, they serve as the best method to remind people of their food handling responsibilities.<br/><br/>While this answer is the best choice, having daily discussions regarding food safety will also help tremendously.
Q3A food handler sneezes on a salad
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✓ Correct answer: Poor personal hygiene
A food handler sneezes on a salad is an example of poor personal hygiene.
Q4In a restaurant, hand sanitizer can be used after:
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✓ Correct answer: Washing hands
Hand sanitizer can be used only after washing your hands.<br/><br/>Since there is no substitute for washing your hands, the only logical time you could use hand sanitizer is during a time when it will not affect the ability to kill germs; in particular, after washing your hands.
Q5Food service workers should change single use gloves:
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✓ Correct answer: All of the Above
Single use gloves are meant to be used for a single task and should be changed for each new task a food service worker performs, or when the gloves are torn and dirty. Each time single use gloves are changed, food service workers need to wash their hands with soap and water before putting on a new pair of gloves.
Q6A running faucet below the rim of a sink is an example of:
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✓ Correct answer: Cross-connection
A cross-connection is any physical connection between safe water and dirty water.<br/><br/>In this example, the water level in the sink could rise above the faucet and cause back-flow of unsafe water into the clean water supply.
Q7Cockroaches do all of the following except:
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✓ Correct answer: they do not hide in cracks and crevices under and behind equipment and facilities
Cockroaches carry bacteria on their hairy legs and body as well as their intestinal tract.<br/><br/>They commonly hide in cracks and crevices under and behind equipment and facilities.
Q8Which of the following does not affect a sanitizer’s concentration and its ability to work effectively?
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✓ Correct answer: material of the item
The material an item is made of does not affect a sanitizer’s ability to work effectively, but the time the item is submerged in sanitizer, the water temperature, hardness, and pH do affect sanitizer solution.
Q9The most frequent cause of fires in a restaurant can be traced to:
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✓ Correct answer: Greasy hood and vent systems
Greasy hood and vent systems are the most frequent cause of fires in restaurants. To reduce this risk, make sure to clean all cooking hoods and ventilation systems after the completion of each business day.
Q10The following method is the best method for teaching employees the proper methods of food safety:
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✓ Correct answer: All of these
All of these practices are good ways to teach an employee about proper food safety practices. In fact, using a number of methods engages the employee to critically think about food safety, making oversight less of an issue.
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