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CP-FS Exam Practice Questions Complete (Verified
Update!!!!2026–2027)
Exam Blueprint
The CP-FS exam consists of 120 scored multiple-choice
questions distributed across seven content areas:
Area Content Area
A Developing food safety policies, procedures, and training
B Assessing food safety
C Reviewing establishment plans
D Investigating foodborne illness
E Performing recall activities
F Managing food defense practices
G Responding to emergencies
SECTION 1: FOOD MICROBIOLOGY & FOODBORNE ILLNESS
(Questions)
Bacterial Pathogens
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1. Which pathogen is most commonly associated with
undercooked ground beef and can cause hemolytic uremic
syndrome (HUS)?
A) Salmonella Typhi
B) Listeria monocytogenes
C) Escherichia coli O157:H7
D) Campylobacter jejuni
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: E. coli O157:H7 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
(STEC) strongly associated with undercooked ground beef. It can
cause severe bloody diarrhea and potentially lead to HUS,
particularly in young children and elderly individuals.
Salmonella causes gastroenteritis but not typically HUS; Listeria
causes listeriosis with neurological complications;
Campylobacter causes diarrheal illness but is more commonly
linked to poultry.
2. The "Danger Zone" for food temperature, where bacteria
multiply most rapidly, is:
A) 0°F to 32°F (-18°C to 0°C)
B) 32°F to 40°F (0°C to 4°C)
C) 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C)
D) 140°F to 165°F (60°C to 74°C)
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Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The FDA Food Code defines the Temperature Danger
Zone as 41°F – 135°F (5°C – 57°C), where pathogenic bacteria
can double in number every 20 minutes. Foods should not
remain in this range for more than 4 hours cumulative time.
Option A is freezer temperatures; B is refrigeration range (safe);
D is hot holding/serving temperatures.
3. Which of the following is a spore-forming bacterium that can
survive cooking and germinate when food is improperly cooled?
A) Staphylococcus aureus
B) Clostridium perfringens
C) Norovirus
D) Shigella spp.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: C. perfringens forms heat-resistant spores that
survive cooking. When cooked food (especially meats, gravies)
is cooled slowly or held at improper temperatures, spores
germinate and multiply rapidly, causing illness. Staphylococcus
produces heat-stable toxins but doesn't form spores; Norovirus
is a virus; Shigella doesn't form spores and is destroyed by
proper cooking.
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4. A food handler with a sore throat and fever should be
excluded from working with food primarily because they may
transmit:
A) Hepatitis A virus
B) Streptococcus pyogenes or other respiratory pathogens
C) Clostridium botulinum
D) Vibrio vulnificus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Symptoms like sore throat with fever may indicate
strep throat or other infections transmissible through
respiratory droplets or hand contact. FDA Food Code requires
restriction or exclusion of food employees with these symptoms
to prevent contamination of food.
5. A hospital cafeteria receives a shipment of raw chicken
breasts. The receiving manager notes the internal temperature
is 45°F. According to FDA Food Code requirements and
Salmonella risk assessment, which corrective action must be
taken immediately?
A) Accept the shipment and place chicken directly into freezer
storage
B) Reject the shipment because temperature exceeds 41°F cold
holding requirement
CP-FS Exam Practice Questions Complete (Verified
Update!!!!2026–2027)
Exam Blueprint
The CP-FS exam consists of 120 scored multiple-choice
questions distributed across seven content areas:
Area Content Area
A Developing food safety policies, procedures, and training
B Assessing food safety
C Reviewing establishment plans
D Investigating foodborne illness
E Performing recall activities
F Managing food defense practices
G Responding to emergencies
SECTION 1: FOOD MICROBIOLOGY & FOODBORNE ILLNESS
(Questions)
Bacterial Pathogens
, Page |2
1. Which pathogen is most commonly associated with
undercooked ground beef and can cause hemolytic uremic
syndrome (HUS)?
A) Salmonella Typhi
B) Listeria monocytogenes
C) Escherichia coli O157:H7
D) Campylobacter jejuni
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: E. coli O157:H7 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
(STEC) strongly associated with undercooked ground beef. It can
cause severe bloody diarrhea and potentially lead to HUS,
particularly in young children and elderly individuals.
Salmonella causes gastroenteritis but not typically HUS; Listeria
causes listeriosis with neurological complications;
Campylobacter causes diarrheal illness but is more commonly
linked to poultry.
2. The "Danger Zone" for food temperature, where bacteria
multiply most rapidly, is:
A) 0°F to 32°F (-18°C to 0°C)
B) 32°F to 40°F (0°C to 4°C)
C) 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C)
D) 140°F to 165°F (60°C to 74°C)
, Page |3
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The FDA Food Code defines the Temperature Danger
Zone as 41°F – 135°F (5°C – 57°C), where pathogenic bacteria
can double in number every 20 minutes. Foods should not
remain in this range for more than 4 hours cumulative time.
Option A is freezer temperatures; B is refrigeration range (safe);
D is hot holding/serving temperatures.
3. Which of the following is a spore-forming bacterium that can
survive cooking and germinate when food is improperly cooled?
A) Staphylococcus aureus
B) Clostridium perfringens
C) Norovirus
D) Shigella spp.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: C. perfringens forms heat-resistant spores that
survive cooking. When cooked food (especially meats, gravies)
is cooled slowly or held at improper temperatures, spores
germinate and multiply rapidly, causing illness. Staphylococcus
produces heat-stable toxins but doesn't form spores; Norovirus
is a virus; Shigella doesn't form spores and is destroyed by
proper cooking.
, Page |4
4. A food handler with a sore throat and fever should be
excluded from working with food primarily because they may
transmit:
A) Hepatitis A virus
B) Streptococcus pyogenes or other respiratory pathogens
C) Clostridium botulinum
D) Vibrio vulnificus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Symptoms like sore throat with fever may indicate
strep throat or other infections transmissible through
respiratory droplets or hand contact. FDA Food Code requires
restriction or exclusion of food employees with these symptoms
to prevent contamination of food.
5. A hospital cafeteria receives a shipment of raw chicken
breasts. The receiving manager notes the internal temperature
is 45°F. According to FDA Food Code requirements and
Salmonella risk assessment, which corrective action must be
taken immediately?
A) Accept the shipment and place chicken directly into freezer
storage
B) Reject the shipment because temperature exceeds 41°F cold
holding requirement
