Completely free
No account walls, no upsell
Free exam prep for every test — 20,000+ exam pages and 2.4M+ practice questions.
Open free CP-FS Exam prep resources ↗Exam facts & prep options
Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS) Credential Exam
The CP-FS exam is the credentialing examination of the National Environmental Health Association for its Certified Professional – Food Safety credential, verifying advanced competency in retail and commercial food safety management and regulatory compliance; the current computer-based exam (blueprint as of June 1st, 2025) consists of 140 questions (120 scored, 20 unscored pilots) across seven content areas, is completed in two hours and 30 minutes, and is delivered at Pearson VUE test centers under a program coordinated through Professional Testing (PTI).
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions140 questions; 120 scored and 20 unscored pilot questions
Testing time2 hours 30 minutes
ScoringScaled passing score of 650 on a 0–900 scale; scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly (of the 120 scored items)
Exam feeUSD 225 NEHA member / USD 275 non-member examination fee, plus a USD 150 Pearson VUE test-delivery fee (a separate application fee of USD 105 member / USD 140 non-member is paid before testing; credential renewal every two years is USD 180 member / USD 345 non-member)
Prep options
Study resources for CP-FS Exam
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NEHA
- Category
- Food Safety
- Current version
- Current blueprint effective June 1, 2025 (CP-FS Credential Exam Content outline dated 'As of June 1st, 2025'; no version code beyond that date marker)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 0–900 scaled score (passing 650); the raw passing score is mathematically transformed so the passing scaled score equals 650
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE (test delivery), with the NEHA examination program coordinated through Professional Testing (PTI)
- Format
- Computer-based, delivered at Pearson VUE testing locations in the United States and internationally (one form, one sitting; no parts)
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at Pearson VUE test centers; appointments can be scheduled up to one business day in advance, seat availability is first-come first-served, and candidates must test within the window on their Authorization-to-Test email (NEHA applications are valid for one year and must be submitted at least four weeks before the planned exam date; the PTI ID is valid for one year)
- Results
- Unofficial scores shown immediately after the exam at Pearson VUE; official exam results emailed within five business days
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
One computer-based sitting of 140 multiple-choice questions whose 120 scored items are distributed across seven content areas: Developing food safety policies, procedures, and training 20% (24 items); Assessing food safety 33.33% (40); Reviewing establishment plans 11.67% (14); Investigating foodborne illness 15.00% (18); Performing recall activities 6.67% (8); Managing food defense practices 6.67% (8); Responding to emergencies 6.67% (8)
Where rules vary
A uniform U.S.-national professional credential exam owned by NEHA (a Colorado-based U.S. association) and taken by private-sector food safety managers and regulatory inspectors; the exam itself is the same nationwide and is delivered at Pearson VUE testing locations in the United States and internationally.
Eligibility
Eligibility requires one of: (1) a bachelor's degree in any subject; (2) an associate's degree plus a valid, unexpired food-manager certificate (CPFM, ICFSM, FSMCE, StateFoodSafety Manager Certification, SuperSafeMark, or ServSafe Food Protection Manager); or (3) a high school diploma or GED plus such a certificate; international education requires a third-party evaluation report
Retake policy
Candidates must wait at least 90 days from the initial test date before retaking the exam; a Retake Application with the examination fee and computer-test fee is required (transcripts need not be resubmitted) and the exam can be taken as many times as needed