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CDM, CFPP Credentialing Exam
The CDM, CFPP Credentialing Exam is the national certification examination for the Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional credential: a 160-item computer-based multiple-choice exam (140 scored, 20 unscored pretest) taken in 3 hours (180 minutes) at PSI test centers in the United States, covering five scored domains (Nutrition 20%, Foodservice 22%, Personnel and Communications 20%, Sanitation and Safety 24%, Business Operations 14%), with a historically ~70%-of-scored-items pass requirement set by modified Angoff study, for a USD 425 exam fee.
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Questions160 multiple-choice items, of which 140 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items
Testing time3 hours (180 minutes) of testing time; time to complete the practice test before the exam is not included in the 180 minutes
ScoringNo fixed published numeric cut score: historically about 70% of the 140 scored items has been required to pass, with the passing score determined by a modified Angoff standard-setting study; the score report states the exact number of items the candidate must answer correctly
Exam feeUSD 425 exam fee; exam fees are not transferable to other parties, are not refundable, and cannot be canceled; if eligibility requirements are not met within 90 days of paying online, a credit is issued less a USD 50 processing fee
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- ANFP
- Category
- Foodservice Management
- Current version
- Exam Content Outline effective 03-01-2025 (the blueprint for the corresponding current version of the CDM, CFPP Credentialing Exam; no separate exam version code is published)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- PSI
- Format
- Computer-based exam at PSI test centers, one question per page, preceded by a practice/tutorial section whose time does not count against the 180 minutes
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment only, Monday through Friday, at PSI test centers (more than 300 sites in the United States); PSI sends candidates an email with directions and check-in requirements
- Results
- Hard-copy score report (with the candidate's photograph) handed to the candidate by the Test Center Administrator at the test center on the day of the exam, indicating Pass or Fail; failing reports include a content-area breakdown; completing the post-exam survey is required to receive results
- Credential validity
- Candidates who pass must activate their certification within one year of the exam pass date, or the certification is terminated (ANFP Professional/Affiliated members passing with maintained membership are upgraded to Certified status automatically, with the initial certification fee waived once)
Exam structure
160 job-related, scenario-based multiple-choice items (one per page) across five scored domains: Nutrition 20%, Foodservice 22%, Personnel and Communications 20%, Sanitation and Safety 24%, Business Operations 14%; 20 of the 160 items are unscored pretest items; questions are based on two ANFP textbooks (4th editions, 2025) and the FDA Food Code (2022)
Where rules vary
National U.S. certification exam; delivery is at PSI test centers in the United States, and the credential is maintained under a single national CBDM program (no state-specific variants).
Eligibility
Must satisfy one of CBDM's five eligibility pathways before applying — Pathway I: ANFP-approved training program graduate; Pathway II: two- or four-year degree in foodservice management, nutrition, culinary arts, or hotel-restaurant management including at least one nutrition course and two foodservice-management courses; Pathway III: minimum 90-hour foodservice course plus two years of full-time non-commercial foodservice management experience; Pathway IV: military foodservice training (90+ hours) plus two years of non-commercial foodservice management experience; Pathway V: alternate two-/four-year degree plus five years of full-time non-commercial foodservice management experience. All coursework must be from an accredited post-secondary institution with grade C or higher, and CBDM must issue an eligibility notice before the exam may be scheduled
Retake policy
Candidates who do not pass (or choose to retake) must wait 90 days before rescheduling the exam; every retake requires a new exam application with fees for CBDM review and approval, and current eligibility requirements must be met again