What our test looks like
The assessment is 30 multiple-choice questions covering the whole course: food safety law, foodborne illness, the FAT TOM conditions, the four types of contamination, personal hygiene, handwashing, cross-contamination, temperature and time control, storage, cooking and cooling, cleaning and sanitising, allergens, pests, and safe preparation and serving.
You need 75% to pass. There's no time limit, no booking, and no payment to sit it — you only pay AUD $29.99 if you pass and want the certificate issued. If you don't pass, you can go back over the modules you missed and try again for free.
- 30 multiple-choice questions, four options each
- Pass mark 75%
- Drawn from all 17 training modules
- No time limit and free unlimited retakes
- Free to sit — payment only if you pass and want the certificate
This comes up on the test — and the training that covers it is free to read.
Start the Free TrainingHow to pass first time
Nearly every question maps to a specific module, and the ones people miss cluster in the same few places: the exact boundaries of the temperature danger zone, how the 2-hour / 4-hour rule counts cumulative time, and the fact that cooking does not destroy allergens.
Read the modules rather than skimming for facts. Most people finish the whole course and the test in under an hour, and the reading is what makes the questions feel obvious rather than tricky.
Why other providers differ
There is no nationally set number of questions for a food handler test. The Food Standards Code requires businesses to ensure their food handlers have appropriate skills and knowledge, but it doesn't prescribe an assessment format, so every provider designs its own. That's why you'll see anything from 20 to 40 questions and pass marks between 70% and 100% depending on where you train.