Ohio Food Handler Practice Test

Ohio has no card for every worker. Instead, operations licensed after March 1, 2010 need a certified person in charge (Level One) on every shift, and risk level III and IV kitchens need a manager with Level Two certification. This free practice test mixes questions on Ohio's rules (who needs which certification, how long each lasts, and what inspectors check) with the food safety questions every approved course covers.

Want to review away from the screen? "Food Handler Card Audio Cram," our own roughly 57-minute audio session from Kanti Press, walks through the same topics as this test, so you can study on the bus or the walk to work.

Ohio questions and answers

Take the test first: this section gives the answers away. Here is every Ohio-specific question in the test, with the rule behind it. The rest of the test comes from our core bank, and Food Handler Test Questions and Answers lists all of those.

1. 1At an Ohio food operation first licensed after March 1, 2010, who must hold Person in Charge (Level One) certification?

   1. At least one person in charge on each shift
   2. Only employees under 18
   3. Every employee who handles food
   4. Only the owner

   Answer: A. At least one person in charge on each shift

   Ohio Administrative Code 3701-21-25 requires a certified person in charge on each shift at operations of every risk level first licensed after March 1, 2010. Line employees who are never in charge need nothing under state law. Review this in the Ohio guide

2. 2Which Ohio operations must have an employee with Manager Certification in Food Protection (Level Two)?

   1. Every operation, including coffee kiosks
   2. Risk level III and IV operations
   3. Only restaurants with more than 50 seats
   4. Only risk level I operations

   Answer: B. Risk level III and IV operations

   Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-02.4 requires risk level III and IV operations to have at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility who holds manager certification. Review this in the Ohio guide

3. 3Can someone with Ohio manager (Level Two) certification serve as the certified person in charge on a shift?

   1. Yes; manager certification counts in place of Level One
   2. No; they also need Level One
   3. Only after a year on the job
   4. Only at risk level I operations

   Answer: A. Yes; manager certification counts in place of Level One

   Manager certification satisfies the person-in-charge rule, so a Level Two holder doesn’t need Level One as well. Review this in the Ohio guide

4. 4Who approves the providers of Ohio’s Person in Charge (Level One) courses?

   1. The Ohio Department of Health
   2. The National Restaurant Association
   3. The FDA
   4. Each restaurant

   Answer: A. The Ohio Department of Health

   Courses must come from a provider approved by the Ohio Department of Health, which publishes the list. A national course that isn’t ODH-approved doesn’t count. Review this in the Ohio guide

5. 5How long is Ohio Person in Charge (Level One) certification valid under state rules?

   1. 5 years
   2. The state sets no expiration
   3. 1 year
   4. 3 years

   Answer: B. The state sets no expiration

   The Ohio Department of Health doesn’t set an expiration date. Some providers print one, and some employers or health districts ask for a refresher. Review this in the Ohio guide

6. 6Does an Ohio Department of Health manager (Level Two) certification expire?

   1. Yes, after 3 years
   2. Yes, after 5 years
   3. Yes, every year
   4. Not currently, though the accredited exam certificate behind it has its own expiration

   Answer: D. Not currently, though the accredited exam certificate behind it has its own expiration

   ODH manager certifications don’t currently expire. The five years you often hear about belongs to the accredited exam certificate, such as ServSafe Manager. Review this in the Ohio guide

7. 7Under Ohio’s food code, when must a person in charge be present?

   1. Only during inspections
   2. During all hours of operation
   3. Only when raw meat is being cooked
   4. Only during the lunch and dinner rush

   Answer: B. During all hours of operation

   The Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code requires a person in charge on site during all hours of operation. The license holder is the person in charge or names one. Review this in the Ohio guide

8. 8How must an Ohio person in charge show food safety knowledge at an inspection?

   1. Only by showing a national food handler card
   2. Only by passing a written test at the health district
   3. Only by showing 2 years of work history
   4. By having no critical violations and by correctly answering the inspector’s questions

   Answer: D. By having no critical violations and by correctly answering the inspector’s questions

   Ohio’s code requires both, where the FDA Food Code accepts either one. Note that Ohio says critical violations, where the FDA Food Code says priority. Review this in the Ohio guide

9. 9Since September 1, 2024, what is the official name of the Ohio certification many people still call Level One?

   1. Manager Certification in Food Protection
   2. Ohio Food Handler Card
   3. Person in Charge (PIC) Certification
   4. ServSafe Food Handler

   Answer: C. Person in Charge (PIC) Certification

   Ohio Administrative Code 3701-21-25 now names the two credentials Person in Charge Certification and Manager Certification in Food Protection. The old Level One and Level Two names are still common. Review this in the Ohio guide

10. 10What must Ohio operations give customers about unpackaged food made with major allergens?

    1. A verbal warning only
    2. A waiver for the customer to sign
    3. Nothing unless a customer asks
    4. Written notice of the major-allergen ingredients, for example on a menu or brochure

    Answer: D. Written notice of the major-allergen ingredients, for example on a menu or brochure

    Ohio’s updated food code, effective September 5, 2024, requires written allergen notice and counts sesame as a major food allergen. Review this in the Ohio guide

How the real Ohio exam works

There's no state-run exam for Level One, now officially Person in Charge certification: you take a course from a provider approved by the Ohio Department of Health, and it ends with the provider's own final exam. Level Two, now officially Manager Certification in Food Protection, is a manager credential: an ODH-approved course finished within one year of a proctored, accredited food protection manager exam, after which you apply to ODH for the state certificate. Our Ohio Food Handler Certification: Who Actually Needs Level One walks through each step, with sources.

Want more practice away from the screen? The Food Handler Practice Exam Pack has 100 questions on the core food safety rules every state tests, as four printable exams of 25 with an answer key at the back. It doesn't cover state-specific rules; this page's test does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Ohio Level One test?

No. Each ODH-approved provider writes its own final exam. This practice test covers Ohio's rules and the food safety topics those courses teach.

Does a national food handler certificate count in Ohio?

Only if the course is on the Ohio Department of Health's approved provider list. A certificate from an unapproved provider doesn't satisfy Ohio's person-in-charge rule, however good the course is.