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ServSafe Manager book and other study guides

The official ServSafe study guide is the ServSafe Manager Book, now in its 9th edition, and it costs $54.99 as of October 2026. It isn’t free, and there’s no official free PDF of it. The free source behind every food manager exam is the FDA Food Code, which you can download from FDA.

Free practice test

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

The ServSafe Manager Book

The 9th edition is the current one in ServSafe’s store, in English and Spanish. You can also buy it with an exam: the book and a paper exam answer sheet cost $75.99, and the book and an exam voucher $73.99. If you pick up an older edition, such as the 7th, it may not match the latest Food Code updates.

ServSafe’s online course covers the same material in about 8 hours, in English, Spanish and French Canadian.

ServSafe: Manager training and exam products (books, answer sheets) ↗

The FDA Food Code, free

The FDA Food Code is the model rulebook for restaurants and food stores. It’s where the temperatures, sick-worker rules and cleaning steps on the exam come from. FDA released the 2026 edition this year.

It’s long and written like law, so don’t read it cover to cover. Use it to check the key sections: chapter 2 for managers and staff health, chapter 3 for food temperatures and handling, and chapter 4 for cleaning and sanitizing.

FDA Food Code 2026 (PDF) ↗FDA: Summary of Changes in the 2026 Food Code ↗

What changed in the 2026 Food Code

The core temperatures didn’t change. Cold holding is still 41°F, hot holding 135°F, and cooking temperatures are the same.

Some things did change. The model code now says the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager, apart from low-risk operations. There are new rules on food defense, disinfecting, employee illness policies and cleaning up after vomiting or diarrhea. Exam providers update their questions on their own schedules, so your exam may not cover every 2026 change yet.

Free practice tests and PDFs

You’ll find lots of "ServSafe practice test PDF" downloads and flashcard sets online. They aren’t from ServSafe, and many are based on old editions. Check any answer that doesn’t match the Food Code.

Our 20-question practice test is free and original, written from the 2026 Food Code.

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Everything else, in one place

OverviewFood manager certification examQuestions and pass markHow many questions are on the ServSafe Manager exam, and what score do you need?CostHow much does ServSafe Manager certification cost?Online examCan you take the ServSafe Manager exam online?Practice testFood manager practice testWhere to learnWhere to study for the food manager exam
Sources: ServSafe, FDA and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.