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Free CP-FS Practice Questions

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

The CP-FS exam has 140 questions and runs 2 hours 30 minutes.

These 10 free CP-FS questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Professional - Food Safety blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Foodborne Illness and Epidemiological Principles

Question 1

A food establishment receives three consecutive violations for inadequate cold holding temperatures. Which root cause investigation finding would BEST explain this pattern?

  1. Multiple employees are inconsistently following temperature monitoring protocols during busy periods
  2. The walk-in cooler is functioning but overstocked, preventing proper air circulation
  3. The thermometer calibration has drifted slightly but remains within acceptable manufacturer tolerances
  4. The delivery schedule conflicts with peak service hours causing temporary temperature fluctuations
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - The walk-in cooler is functioning but overstocked, preventing proper air circulation

Domain 2: HACCP Plans and Other Risk-Based Food Safety Programs

Question 2

During an inspection, an inspector observes a cook handling raw chicken breasts and then immediately picking up a plate of cooked chicken without washing hands. This is:

  1. A Core violation for general cleanliness
  2. Acceptable because both items are chicken
  3. A Priority violation for cross-contamination
  4. Acceptable if the cook was wearing gloves
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - A Priority violation for cross-contamination

Question 3

A large pot of chili was cooked to the proper temperature and placed in a walk-in cooler for cooling at 2:00 PM. At 4:00 PM, the internal temperature is 75°F. Is this acceptable?

  1. No - chili must be at 41°F within 2 hours
  2. No - chili should be at 70°F or below within 2 hours
  3. Yes - the chili reached 70°F within 2 hours
  4. Yes - as long as it reaches 41°F by 8:00 PM
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - No - chili should be at 70°F or below within 2 hours

Question 4

A restaurant operates a sous vide cooking program. The FIRST document an inspector should request is:

  1. A customer complaint log
  2. A copy of the variance and HACCP plan
  3. The chef's culinary credentials
  4. The equipment manufacturer's warranty
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - A copy of the variance and HACCP plan

Question 5

An inspector finds the following during an inspection: a missing ceiling tile, cockroach droppings in a storage closet, and cold-held food at 47°F. How should these be classified?

  1. Missing ceiling tile = Core; cockroach droppings = Priority Foundation; cold-held food at 47°F = Priority
  2. All as Core items because the facility is otherwise well-maintained
  3. Missing ceiling tile = Priority Foundation; cockroach droppings = Core; cold-held food = Priority
  4. All as Priority items because they were found during the same inspection
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Missing ceiling tile = Core; cockroach droppings = Priority Foundation; cold-held food at 47°F = Priority

Domain 4: Regulatory Compliance and Standards

Question 6

A caller reports that they and three friends all became ill with vomiting approximately 2-4 hours after eating at a restaurant. Based on the short incubation period and vomiting, which pathogen is MOST likely?

  1. Listeria monocytogenes (typical incubation 1-70 days)
  2. Staphylococcus aureus (typical incubation 1-6 hours)
  3. Salmonella (typical incubation 6-72 hours)
  4. Hepatitis A (typical incubation 15-50 days)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Staphylococcus aureus (typical incubation 1-6 hours)

Question 7

At an event, 40 people ate the shrimp and 20 became ill (50% attack rate). Of the 60 people who did not eat shrimp, 2 became ill (3.3% attack rate). This data suggests:

  1. More comprehensive laboratory testing and additional epidemiological investigation are required before establishing any definitive causal relationships
  2. Shrimp cannot be considered the implicated food item since approximately half of those who consumed it remained asymptomatic throughout the event
  3. The fact that two individuals who avoided shrimp consumption still developed illness definitively rules out shrimp as the contamination source
  4. Shrimp is strongly implicated because the attack rate is significantly higher among those who ate it compared to those who did not
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Shrimp is strongly implicated because the attack rate is significantly higher among those who ate it compared to those who did not

Domain 5: Food Safety Program Management

Question 8

A food product contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes would MOST likely be classified as:

  1. Class II because most people recover from Listeria infections
  2. Not subject to recall because Listeria occurs naturally in the environment
  3. Class I because Listeria can cause serious illness and death
  4. Class III because Listeria contamination is relatively uncommon
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Class I because Listeria can cause serious illness and death

Domain 6: Employee Food Safety Education and Training

Question 9

An employee notices that the tamper-evident seal on an ingredient delivery is broken. The MOST appropriate FIRST action is to:

  1. Accept the delivery and note the broken seal in the log
  2. Open the container to check if the contents appear normal
  3. Contact the FBI immediately
  4. Refuse the delivery and notify the supervisor immediately
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Refuse the delivery and notify the supervisor immediately

Domain 7: Food Allergen Management and Special Processes

Question 10

A food establishment loses power for 6 hours. The walk-in cooler temperature reads 50°F. The MOST appropriate action regarding TCS food stored inside is:

  1. Move the food outside if the outdoor temperature is below 41°F
  2. The food is safe because it was cold when the power went out
  3. Discard TCS food above 41°F for more than 4 hours
  4. All food must be immediately discarded regardless of temperature
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Discard TCS food above 41°F for more than 4 hours

The rest of the CP-FS blueprint

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

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