Food Manager Certification - FAQs

A food safety certification is mandatory in many states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Maryland. However, different states and counties sometimes have different certification guidelines and requirements. For more information, please review our certification requirements by state or contact your local health authority.
This varies from State to State. Some have requirements for minimum training hours, while others do not. Please select your state from the list or contact your local health department for more information.
Student’s must receive 75% or higher to become a certified food manager.
There are anywhere from 80-90 questions of the Food Manager Exam, depending on which accredited exam provider you choose.
The standard for food managers is to obtain their certification every 5 years, but this may vary depending on the state and/or local jurisdiction. For more information please visit our state requirements pages or contact your local health authority.
We currently offer classroom training in California, Arizona, Illinois, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. However, we offer other accredited training and certification programs that are accessible nationwide. Please give us a call and we will help you find an option to best fit your needs.
If you have already passed a Food Safety Manager exam from ServSafe, Prometric or any other ANSI-accredited provider and it has not expired, your certification is valid nationwide. However, some states and counties have their own specific regulations and may require you to complete additional steps, such as training or issuance of a local certificate. Please make sure to always check with your local health authority for any additional requirements.

ServSafe Certification Exam

The ServSafe Food Manager Certification is a nationally accredited program accepted by health departments nationwide.

Premier Food Safety has partnered with ServSafe to offer you the Food Manager Certification Exam, as well as multiple training packages to meet your training needs.

You can rest assured that you’re receiving training from one of the best companies, and obtaining a certification from the leading nationally accredited provider.

Classroom training is highly recommended and usually the most effective way to prepare for the exam. Our most popular training and certification package is $139 and includes:

  • Classroom training with a food safety expert - Available in English, Spanish, Korean and Chinese, depending on class location.
  • ServSafe certification Exam - Available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese and French Canadian
  • E-Study Guide – Emailed to you for download

Classes typically run from 10am – 4pm, although this may vary depending on the language and location. We ask students to arrive 30 minutes in advance for check-in.

Please see below for a typical class schedule:

  • 10am to 1:00pm | Class Instruction
  • 1pm to 1:30pm | 30-Minute Break
  • 1:30pm to 2pm | Review Session
  • 2pm to 4pm | Exam

This 65+ page resource covers all the core FDA food safety standards and guidelines, 2 Practice Tests and the Top 5 Tips to Passing the Food Safety Exam.

The Study Guide is emailed to you upon registration so you can review it prior to the class.
Yes, depending upon the number of students, we can have our instructor come on-site to your company. Many of our clients prefer this option because of the convenience of having a class catered to fit their work schedule.
Yes, if your company certifies several employees a year, please contact our office and we will determine if you qualify for a corporate discount. Please email us at info@PremierFoodSafety.com if you have any further questions.
For your convenience, we also offer the Prometric Certification Exam, which is proctored at a variety of testing centers nationwide.

ServSafe and Prometric are both nationally accredited Food Manager Certification Exams, equally recognized and approved by Health Departments. In terms of compliance, there is no difference. However, some companies and/or jurisdictions may require their employees to specifically get one of the brands and not the other, so please check with your supervisor if you are unsure of your company’s requirements.

The ServSafe Certification exam is only available for our classroom training option.

Prometric Certification Exam

The Prometric Certification is a simple and easy to use option. Choose your training package, enter your zip code to locate the nearest testing center and register with us. Once you are ready to take the Prometric certification exam, just call us to schedule the date that works best for you.

No. The certification exam can only be administered by an authorized proctor at a testing center.

However, if you can’t attend a class, you can prepare for the test by completing our online Food Manager training.

Study at your own pace. Then, attend one of our testing centers on the day and time you prefer to take the Prometric certification exam. There are over 1,100 locations to choose from.

Once you register, you will receive a username and password to log in and complete the training from home. The self-paced online course incorporates media-rich learning experiences, graphics, audio, and interactive learning exercises.

The course is between 4 and 8 hours long, depending on the State you are getting your certification for. It is widely accepted by a broad range of clients, including regulatory agencies and educational institutions, as fulfilling training requirements for most counties and states nationwide.
After having completed registration and studying, we ask students to call our office and submit a desired test date and time. The 2-hour exam time slots are available Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. One of our representatives will contact the testing center in your area to see if your desired appointment time is available. Once confirmed, we will then contact you to. The normal waiting period to be contacted is two business days. Exam appointment times are based upon availability.
With the Prometric Certification Exam option, you receive your test score immediately following the exam. On-Demand eliminates the wait for traditional exams conducted at our classroom locations. However, you will still have to wait 2-3 weeks to receive your official certificate in the mail.
All students that are registered to take the Prometric Food Manager Certification Exam are required to bring a current government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or government-issued passport.
Our different training and certification packages offer maximum flexibility to meet your training needs. Packages include training only, training and exam, and exam only. To learn more about available packages in your area, please visit our state requirements page. If you do not see an option that fits, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.