Food Safety & Hospitality
There are 19 food safety & hospitality credentials in the TestPrepPilot directory: 19 national certifications awarded by a single body.
Food manager and handler certification, alcohol service, culinary, sommelier and hotel credentials.
- Credentials
- 19
- Specialisms
- 1
- National
- 19
How do the main food safety & hospitality credentials compare?
Verified figures for 10 of the national food safety & hospitality credentials, drawn from each awarding body's published material. Fees change — confirm with the body before you book.
| Credential | Awarded by | Exam fee | Length | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook | American Culinary Federation | ~$150-$300 | Varies (written ~2 hours + practical) | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Certified Beer Server | Cicerone Certification Program | ~$75 | ~60 minutes | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Certified Cicerone | Cicerone Certification Program | ~$495-$695 | ~4 hours total | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional | Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals | $425 exam/application fee (2026). ANFP membership and credential activation are handled separately. | 180 minutes (3 hours) | Criterion-referenced cut score set by modified Angoff; historically ~70% of scored items (about 98 of 140). Reported pass/fail with domain feedback. |
| Certified Professional – Food Safety | National Environmental Health Association | Varies by location and currency — confirm on the official registration page | 3 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination | Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas | ~$395 | ~1.5 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Learn2Serve Alcohol Seller-Server Training | 360training | ~$10-$20 | 1-2 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| SCA Coffee Skills Program Professional Diploma | Specialty Coffee Association | $150-400 per module | 1-3 days per module | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| ServSafe Alcohol Advanced Certification | National Restaurant Association | $15-30 | 60 minutes | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| ServSafe Alcohol Primary Certification | National Restaurant Association | ~$15 | ~30 min | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
Which food safety & hospitality credentials lead to the highest published pay?
Ranked by the median annual wage published for the occupation each credential unlocks — the most recent figure per occupation, quoted from the source named in the guide (usually the BLS occupational series). A credential is the entry ticket to an occupation, not a pay guarantee: these are occupation medians, not starting salaries.
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Certified Professional – Food Safety
$66,860 median for food service managers (BLS, May 2024)
NEHA publishes no pass rate — the CP-FS exam is 125 questions in 3 hours, with the result reported as pass/fail
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ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
$66,860 median for food service managers (BLS, May 2024)
ServSafe publishes the format and the 75% passing standard, and reports that most candidates pass on the first attempt
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StateFoodSafety Certified Food Protection Manager
$66,860 median for food service managers (BLS, May 2024)
StateFoodSafety publishes the format and the 75% passing standard — and does not publish a cohort pass rate
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Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination
$65,310 median for food service managers (BLS, May 2024) — SOC 35-3031
The Court publishes no pass rate for the Introductory exam — what it publishes is the format (70 multiple-choice questions, 45 minutes) and the cut score (60%)
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ServSafe Workplace
Workplace-safety training is a compliance layer across foodservice: food service managers earned a $65,310 median in May 2024 (BLS OOH, SOC 35-3031), the occupation most often accountable for it
ServSafe Workplace has no published pass rate — and by design no national scored exam: the courses are completion-based training with provider-set assessments, and the ServSafe product documentation lists no exam for the Workplace suite
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WSET Level 1 Award in Wines
No dedicated occupation — but WSET Level 1 is the entry credential for wine service roles, where food service managers earn a May 2024 median of $65,310 and experienced sommelier-track staff earn well above it in fine dining
WSET does not publish pass rates — the Level 1 exam is a closed-book 30-question multiple-choice paper with a pass mark of 55%, and completion rates are high because the course teaches exactly what the exam asks
Food Safety & Culinary 19 credentials
- ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from American Culinary Federation
- Certified Beer Server Certified Beer Server — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Cicerone Certification Program
- Certified Cicerone Certified Cicerone — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Cicerone Certification Program
- Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional The NCCA-accredited credential for non-commercial foodservice managers — the CDM, CFPP is the federally referenced standard for directing healthcare and institutional foodservice.
- Certified Professional – Food Safety Certified Professional – Food Safety — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Environmental Health Association
- Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas
- Learn2Serve Alcohol Seller-Server Training Learn2Serve Alcohol Seller-Server Training — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from 360training
- SCA Coffee Skills Program Professional Diploma SCA Coffee Skills Program Professional Diploma — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Specialty Coffee Association
- ServSafe Alcohol Advanced Certification ServSafe Alcohol Advanced Certification — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- ServSafe Alcohol Primary Certification ServSafe Alcohol Primary Certification — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- ServSafe Allergens Certification ServSafe Allergens Certification — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- ServSafe Food Handler Certificate ServSafe Food Handler Certificate — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- ServSafe Workplace ServSafe Workplace — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from National Restaurant Association
- StateFoodSafety Certified Food Protection Manager StateFoodSafety Certified Food Protection Manager — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from StateFoodSafety
- TIPS Alcohol Server Certification TIPS Alcohol Server Certification — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Health Communications, Inc.
- WSET Level 1 Award in Wines WSET Level 1 Award in Wines — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Wine & Spirit Education Trust
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines WSET Level 2 Award in Wines — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Wine & Spirit Education Trust
- WSET Level 3 Award in Wines WSET Level 3 Award in Wines — Beauty, Food, Security & Recreation credential from Wine & Spirit Education Trust
Frequently asked questions about food safety & hospitality credentials
How many food safety & hospitality credentials are there?
There are 19 food safety & hospitality credentials in the TestPrepPilot directory: 19 national certifications awarded by a single body.
How much do food safety & hospitality exams cost?
Across the 10 national food safety & hospitality credentials we have verified fee data for, exam fees run from $10–$495. Renewal, membership and study-material costs are additional and vary by awarding body — each guide breaks out its own full cost table.
Do you need a certification to work in food safety & hospitality?
None of the 19 credentials in this field is a state-issued licence — all 19 are national certifications awarded by a professional body. That usually means the certification is not legally mandatory, but employers, insurers or clients may require it as a condition of the work.
Which food safety & hospitality credential should you start with?
Start with the one your target employer or state board names. The most widely recognised national options in this field are ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook, Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone — each has a full guide with eligibility rules, fees and a week-by-week study plan.
How often do food safety & hospitality requirements change?
Fees are revised most years and eligibility rules change whenever a state legislature or awarding body acts. Every guide on TestPrepPilot links to the primary regulatory source it was verified against, and the "Sources" section is the authoritative place to confirm current figures before you book.