Georgia Food Handler Practice Test (2025)

Forty real-world questions with instant scoring and explanations.

Culinary staff reviewing safe food handling steps during practice test session

Welcome to your free 40-question Georgia food handler practice test. This quiz mirrors the real exam by covering personal hygiene, time & temperature, cross-contamination, cleaning & sanitizing, and Georgia-specific rules drawn from GA Food Code 511-6-1. You’ll receive instant feedback with code citations and explanations. Set aside about 30 minutes, answer each question, and press Submit to see your score and grade—then review the answer key for targeted study tips.

Personal Hygiene & Illness (Q1–8)

Q1. When must food employees wash their hands?

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.03(5)(c)

Q2. How long should hands be scrubbed with soap and warm water?

Food Code Ref: 2-301.12

Q3. Employees with which symptom must be excluded from the establishment?

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.03(4)

Q4. Jewelry is restricted to which of the following?

Food Code Ref: 2-302.11

Q5. After using the restroom, employees should wash hands and then:

Food Code Ref: 2-301.14

Q6. Single-use gloves must be changed at least every:

Food Code Ref: 3-304.15

Q7. Which illness requires a medical clearance before returning to work?

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.03(4)(j)

Q8. Hand antiseptics may be used:

Food Code Ref: 2-301.16

Q9. Ground beef must be cooked to at least:

Food Code Ref: 3-401.11

Q10. Hot-held TCS foods must be kept at or above:

Food Code Ref: 3-501.16

Q11. Cold-held TCS foods must stay at or below:

Food Code Ref: 3-501.16

Q12. Cooling from 135 °F to 70 °F must occur within:

Food Code Ref: 3-501.14

Q13. Leftovers cooled last night are at 48 °F this morning. Action?

Food Code Ref: 3-501.14

Q14. Turkey gravy reheated for hot holding must reach:

Food Code Ref: 3-403.11

Q15. Using Time as Public Health Control, food must be discarded after:

Food Code Ref: 3-501.19

Q16. A probe thermometer should be accurate to ±

Food Code Ref: 4-203.11

Q17. Raw chicken should be stored:

Food Code Ref: 3-302.11

Q18. Cutting boards must be cleaned and sanitized every:

Food Code Ref: 4-602.11

Q19. Which utensil is acceptable for serving ready-to-eat ice?

Food Code Ref: 3-304.11

Q20. Color-coded knives and boards are used to:

Food Code Ref: 3-302.11

Q21. After handling raw seafood, an employee must:

Food Code Ref: 2-301.14

Q22. Food allergens are best controlled by:

Food Code Ref: 3-602.12

Q23. The safest way to thaw frozen meat is:

Food Code Ref: 3-501.13

Q24. Which food must be date-marked?

Food Code Ref: 3-501.17

Q25. Chlorine sanitizing solution for food-contact surfaces should be:

Food Code Ref: 4-501.114

Q26. The three-compartment sink order is:

Food Code Ref: 4-603.16

Q27. Utensils stored in hot water between uses must be at least:

Food Code Ref: 3-304.12

Q28. How often should wiping cloth buckets be checked for proper ppm?

Food Code Ref: 4-302.14

Q29. Dish machine final rinse temperature (plate surface) must reach:

Food Code Ref: 4-501.112

Q30. Quaternary ammonium sanitizer is ineffective below:

Food Code Ref: 4-501.114

Q31. Which surface is considered a food-contact surface?

Food Code Ref: 1-201.10

Q32. Sanitizer test strips should be:

Food Code Ref: 4-302.14

Q33. Georgia requires a Certified Food Protection Manager on duty when:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.03(5)(a)

Q34. Hands-free hand sinks are required in new GA builds starting:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1 update 2023

Q35. HACCP records must be kept for at least:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1 deviation

Q36. Self-service condiment bars in GA must use:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1 deviation

Q37. Mobile food unit freshwater tank minimum per employee:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.04(7)

Q38. Employees must be trained on a vomit cleanup SOP under GA code by:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1 update 2025

Q39. Georgia cooling log requirement applies to:

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1 deviation

Q40. Inspection scores below ___ trigger re-inspection within 10 days.

Food Code Ref: 511-6-1-.10

Your Results

A score of 75 % or higher is recommended before taking the official exam. Review explanations below and revisit our certification guide for deeper study.

Understanding Your Score

The real Georgia food handler assessment generally requires a minimum 70 %–75 % pass mark. Aim higher—consistent 85 %+ practice scores translate to confident, fast test-day performance. Review weak areas by revisiting targeted resources: missed hand-wash questions? Run the 20-second timer tool. Unsure about sanitizer ppm? Skim our sanitizing guide. For temperature lapses, print the cold-holding chart. Use spaced repetition, flashcards, and on-the-job demos to lock in knowledge before attempting the official ANSI-accredited course exam.

Exam-Day Success Strategies

Walking into the testing center—or launching the proctored online session—without a game plan is the fastest way to drain your mental bandwidth. Treat exam day like a culinary service: mise en place first, execution second. Pack two forms of valid ID the night before and print a backup copy of your registration email. If you are testing on a laptop, verify that browser pop-ups are enabled and that your webcam and mic function in the exam’s equipment checker. A dead battery mid-exam counts as a failed attempt, so plug into a power outlet rather than relying on battery percentages.

Time management mirrors line work—budgeting minutes is as critical as holding temps. You have roughly 60 seconds per question if you factor in review time. On your first pass, answer the “easy wins” instantly, flag tougher scenarios, and move on. This approach prevents getting stuck on a single Norovirus question while 20 other items sit untouched. After the first sweep, revisit flagged questions armed with a clearer mind. Georgia’s test software usually highlights unanswered items in a side panel—use it.

Read every answer choice before locking in a response; many options look correct until you notice a hidden temperature or time detail. When two answers seem plausible, recite the Food Code principle aloud—hearing it often surfaces the right choice. For math-based cooling questions, jot quick calculations on the provided scratch sheet; mental math under stress breeds mistakes. Finally, review your entire answer sheet. A stray click can move a radio button, and unmarked items auto-score as wrong.

Boost your confidence with a pre-exam ritual: five minutes of paced breathing reduces cortisol, sharpening recall. Bring a sealed bottle of water—dehydration mimics fatigue—and arrive 15 minutes early to handle check-in paperwork. Follow these strategies and your practice-test gains will translate into a passing certificate you can proudly display next to the Georgia Food Handler Certification poster in your kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most providers use a 40-question multiple-choice exam aligned with FDA Model Food Code and Georgia deviations. Some county health departments accept 30-question versions if they meet ANSI criteria, but you should prepare for 40 to be safe.

Georgia accepts any ANSI exam with a minimum 70 % pass mark. Providers often recommend 75 % to give learners a safety buffer. Your certificate will not list score—only pass/fail—but inspectors may ask how you prepared.

No. Questions here are original scenarios that mirror content domains—hand-washing, cooking temps, cross-contamination, GA-specific rules—but the wording will differ. The goal is skill mastery, not memorization of fixed questions.

Most platforms allow unlimited retakes, but some charge a small re-exam fee after three attempts. Check the provider’s policy before purchase. See our cost guide for details.

Yes—Georgia adopts the FDA Model with state-specific deviations (hands-free sinks, 180-day HACCP logs, etc.). Our glossary and code summary highlight these differences so you’re ready for local inspections.

During the official exam you won’t have a chart, so commit key temps to memory: 165 °F poultry, 155 °F ground meats, 145 °F seafood, 135 °F holding, 41 °F cold storage. Use mnemonic cards or our printable checklist.

The certificate follows you—not the employer—until its printed expiration date (typically 3 years). New employers must keep a copy on file. If lost, request a PDF reprint from your training provider.

Yes. Major ANSI providers offer Spanish audio or subtitles. Georgia accepts Spanish certificates as long as the course is ANSI-accredited. Some also provide Korean or Simplified Chinese—verify during sign-up.

No personal notes are permitted. Online and in-person proctors supply a blank scratch sheet for quick math or process sketches and collect it afterward to prevent content leaks. Rely on memory aids you created during study sessions such as the hand-washing timer tool. Using unauthorized notes can void your attempt and may require paying another exam fee, so leave laminated cheat sheets at home.

Georgia exam vendors follow ANSI ID rules: one government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or state ID) plus a second ID with your name (debit card, employee badge). Names must match your registration exactly—nicknames trigger rescheduling fees. Online candidates also complete a real-time face match with their webcam. If you recently changed your name, bring legal proof and notify the provider in advance. See the requirements page for accepted ID examples.

If your webcam drops or internet lags, pause immediately—most systems allow a short reconnection window before auto-fail. Contact the proctor via built-in chat or phone; they document the incident and may issue a one-time restart code. Keep screenshots of error messages and a note of the timestamp. Once connected, the exam continues where you left off, but repeated disruptions can invalidate results. Reduce risk by testing your connection 30 minutes early and closing streaming apps. For a step-by-step prep checklist, review our exam guide.

Related Resources