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FOODSAFE Level 1 Practice Test 2026 – Free FOODSAFE Level 1 Questions

Original questions written from the official British Columbia handbook, with an explanation for every answer.

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  • 135 questions
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Practice test 1 · Question 1Score 0/0

A process-based food safety plan groups menu items by what?

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All FOODSAFE Level 1 practice tests

5 sets of 30 questions. Each set is fixed, so you can repeat it until you score 100%.

Exam facts

Key facts: FOODSAFE Level 1 (British Columbia Food Handler Certification)

Free FOODSAFE Level 1 practice tests for cooks, servers, dishwashers and anyone who handles food in British Columbia. Every question is original and explains the rule behind the answer, with a citation to the B.C. regulation or health authority guide it comes from. No sign-up, no limits, and your progress stays on your device.

Important: the FOODSAFE workbooks are sold separately and we never copy them. Our questions are written from B.C.'s Food Premises Regulation and free public guidance from HealthLinkBC, B.C.'s regional health authorities and the free resource sheets on foodsafe.ca, which set out the same food safety rules the course teaches.

What the test covers

Topics and question bank

Every question is tagged to one topic from the official handbook. Pick a topic to drill just that area.

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Sample FOODSAFE Level 1 questions

Tap a question to see the answer. The full interactive test is at the top of the page.
  1. 1A process-based food safety plan groups menu items by what?
    • A. Their colour
    • B. How they are prepared
    • C. Their supplier
    • D. Their menu price and portion size

    Process-based plans group items processed the same way: no-cook, cook–serve, cook–chill–serve and cook–chill–reheat–serve.

  2. 2What must a written sanitation plan identify?
    • A. Cleaners and sanitizers used, with their strengths
    • B. The brand and colour of uniforms staff must wear
    • C. The prices paid for each cleaning product
    • D. The names and phone numbers of regular customers

    Sanitation procedures must include cleaning and sanitizing requirements, the agents used with concentrations and uses, and any pesticides with their uses and storage.

  3. 3A cook burned her finger. What should she do before handling food?
    • A. Keep working without changes
    • B. Rinse it under the food tap
    • C. Wrap it in a kitchen towel
    • D. Treat and cover the burn

    Good hygiene controls include treating and covering cuts, burns and abrasions before handling food.

  4. 4A kitchen's only hand sink stops draining. What must the operator do?
    • A. Wait until the weekly cleaning day
    • B. Report it at the next annual inspection
    • C. Notify a health officer immediately
    • D. Have staff use the food prep sink

    Every operator must immediately notify a health officer of any circumstance on the premises that may cause a health hazard.

  5. 5What does the regulation say about storing unused items like old furniture in a food premises?
    • A. They may be stored if covered with a clean tarp
    • B. They may be stored at the back of the walk-in cooler
    • C. They may be stored if kept 15 cm off the floor
    • D. Items not needed there must not be stored

    An operator must not let equipment or materials that are not required for the operation of the premises be stored on the premises.

  6. 6What is the minimum internal temperature for a whole (not tenderized) beef steak?
    • A. 82°C
    • B. 54°C
    • C. 63°C
    • D. 74°C

    Whole cuts of beef need at least 63°C inside. Ground or mechanically tenderized beef needs 74°C.

  7. 7How do you confirm a sanitizer solution is at the right strength?
    • A. Taste a drop
    • B. Check its colour
    • C. Use test strips
    • D. Smell the solution

    Test strips must be used to verify that a sanitizing solution contains the correct concentration.

  8. 8What must a sanitation plan say about pesticides?
    • A. Only the price paid for each product
    • B. Which ones are used, for what, and how they are stored
    • C. Only the name of the pest control company
    • D. Nothing; pesticides are not part of the plan

    The written sanitation procedures must identify all pesticides used in the establishment, including their uses and storage requirements.

  9. 9How should washed and sanitized dishes be dried?
    • A. Stacked while still wet
    • B. Air dry on a clean surface
    • C. Wiped dry with a clean cloth tea towel
    • D. With a staff apron

    Drain and air dry dishes on a clean, non-absorbent surface; towels can recontaminate them.

  10. 10What does the regulation require of employees' appearance?
    • A. Disposable gloves worn on both hands at all times
    • B. Clean clothes and footwear, and hair kept out of food
    • C. A hair net, but only for staff members with long hair
    • D. A white uniform supplied by the regional health authority

    Employees must wear clean clothing and footwear, be clean and keep hair out of food.

About the test

About the FOODSAFE Level 1 (British Columbia Food Handler Certification)

FOODSAFE is a food safety training program of the Province of British Columbia, developed with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the regional health authorities. Level 1 is the entry course for food service operators and front-line workers such as cooks, servers, bussers, dishwashers and deli staff. It covers foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing and serving food, and cleaning and sanitizing. Level 2 is a separate course for owners, managers and chefs.

B.C.'s Food Premises Regulation requires every operator of a food service establishment to hold a FOODSAFE certificate or an equivalent, and at least one certified employee must be on site whenever the operator is away. The regulation does not require every employee to be certified, but many employers ask for it, and it helps when applying for jobs.

You can take Level 1 in a classroom (about 7 to 8 hours), by videoconference, online through Open School BC, or by distance education with go2HR. The FOODSAFE FAQ lists a passing grade of 70 per cent for all three formats. The online course costs $69 and its exam is offered in English only; classroom fees vary by provider, and classroom exams are available in English, French and many bilingual versions. The number of exam questions and the time limit are not published on foodsafe.ca, so our mock exams use a 50-question practice standard.

Certificates are valid for five years. If yours is still valid, you can renew online through the FOODSAFE Level 1 Refresher, which has an 80 per cent passing grade; once a certificate expires you must take the full Level 1 course again. Paper certificates come from your regional health authority, and since February 2, 2026 the online courses issue digital certificates.

This site is independent. It is not affiliated with FOODSAFE, the Province of British Columbia or any health authority, and our practice tests do not give you a certificate. Only an approved FOODSAFE Level 1 course and exam do that. Use our questions to learn the rules well enough that the real exam feels familiar.

Study plan

How to prepare

  1. 1Learn the key temperatures first: 4°C or colder and 60°C or hotter for potentially hazardous food, −18°C for frozen food, 74°C for cooking and reheating, and the 4°C to 60°C danger zone.
  2. 2Memorize the two-stage cooling rule: 60°C to 20°C within 2 hours, then 20°C to 4°C within the next 4 hours.
  3. 3Know the hand washing steps: remove jewellery, wet, lather for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with a single-use towel and turn off the tap with it.
  4. 4Understand the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, and the common sanitizer strengths: about 200 ppm bleach for surfaces, 100 ppm chlorine for 10 seconds or 200 ppm quats for 30 seconds in the three-sink method.
  5. 5Read section 23 of the Food Premises Regulation until you can explain critical control points, critical limits and corrective actions in your own words.
  6. 6Take one topic test at a time and read the explanation for every question you miss. Each one names the regulation section or guide it comes from.
  7. 7When you score 40 or more out of 50 on two different mock exams, you are well above the 70 per cent passing grade.
  8. 8Ask your course provider ahead of time if you want a workbook or exam in another language; the online exam is English only.

FAQ

FOODSAFE Level 1 test questions people ask

How many questions are on the FOODSAFE Level 1 exam?

The FOODSAFE website does not publish the number of exam questions, and classroom, online and distance versions may differ. Our mock exams use 50 questions as a practice standard, drawn from all ten topics.

What is the passing score for FOODSAFE Level 1?

The FOODSAFE FAQ lists a passing grade of 70 per cent for the online, classroom and distance Level 1 courses. The online Level 1 Refresher requires 80 per cent.

How much does FOODSAFE Level 1 cost?

The online course through Open School BC costs $69. The distance education package from go2HR is listed at $115 including the workbook and shipping. Classroom fees vary by provider.

How long is a FOODSAFE certificate valid?

Five years from the date it is issued; the expiry date is printed on the certificate. You can take the online Refresher before it expires; after it expires, you must take Level 1 again.

Is FOODSAFE required to work in a restaurant in B.C.?

The Food Premises Regulation requires the operator of a food service establishment to hold FOODSAFE or an equivalent, and at least one certified employee must be present when the operator is away. It does not require every server, but many employers do.

Can I take FOODSAFE in another language?

The online course and exam are English only. Classroom workbooks come in English and French plus several bilingual versions, classroom exams are available in English, French and many bilingual combinations, and go2HR's distance exam is offered in ten languages. Our practice questions are in English and French.

Are these the real FOODSAFE exam answers?

No. The FOODSAFE exams are not published, and sharing real answers would be cheating. Every question here is original, written from B.C. law and free health authority guidance. Learning the rules is what gets you through any version of the exam.

What topics are on the FOODSAFE Level 1 exam?

FOODSAFE describes Level 1 as covering foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, and cleaning and sanitizing, plus worker safety. Our ten topics cover these food safety areas plus food safety plans and pests.

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