Food Handler Certification Test

The Food Handler Certification Test is a free beginner-level, 15-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests the food safety knowledge every food handler needs — personal hygiene and illness, time and temperature control, and preventing cross-contamination with cleaning and sanitising — written to the US FDA Food Code 2022, the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene and ANSI-accredited food handler programs for 2026. Temperatures are given in °F and °C; local rules may be stricter. Score 70% or more on its 15 questions to earn a verifiable Food Handler Safety Certificate certificate (SOA-FHX). Every question is based on published standards and research — including FDA Food Code (US Food and Drug Administration), General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969, revised 2022) (Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO)) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Food Handler Certification Test, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures personal hygiene and illness, time and temperature control and cross-contamination, allergens, cleaning and sanitising and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the three skill areas on this page, then take the 15-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Food Handler Safety Certificate certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: FDA Food Code (US Food and Drug Administration); General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969, revised 2022) (Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO)). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Three skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Personal Hygiene and Illness (Handwashing, Glove use and Reporting illness); Time and Temperature Control (Danger zone, Cooking and Holding, cooling and reheating); Cross-Contamination, Allergens, Cleaning and Sanitising (Storage order, Allergens and Cleaning and sanitising). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Restaurant and café staff, Kitchen and prep cooks, Servers and bartenders, Catering and food truck workers and School, hospital and care-home food staff. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Food Handler knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Personal hygiene and when to stay home sick, the temperature danger zone and safe cooking, holding, cooling and reheating temperatures, cross-contamination and allergens, and cleaning and sanitising. Most accredited tests have about 40 questions with a pass mark around 70–75%.

No. A food handler certificate covers basic safe practices for staff. A Certified Food Protection Manager (such as ServSafe Manager) is a higher-level, proctored exam for supervisors that many jurisdictions require at least one person per shift to hold.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

15 questions — 5 from each of 3 skill areas — with a 15-minute limit. You need 70% (11 of 15) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Beginner: no experience needed: fundamentals and clear reasoning. It has 15 scenario questions — 5 from each of 3 skill areas — and a 15-minute limit. You need 70% (11 of 15) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.