Food Safety Time & Temperature Control Practice Questions
Time & Temperature Control makes up 10 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest Food Safety practice test. Here are 10 of the 40 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Built on the FDA Food Code (2017 and 2022). Your local code may differ; check with your health department.
1. What temperature range does the Food Code define as the temperature danger zone for TCS food?
- A.45 F to 140 F
- B.41 F to 135 F
- C.50 F to 150 F
- D.32 F to 120 F
Answer: B. The temperature danger zone is 41 F to 135 F (5 C to 57 C), the range in which pathogens grow on TCS food. Ranges starting at 45 F or ending at 120 F are older or incorrect figures and leave food unprotected.
2. Within which temperature range do most foodborne bacteria grow fastest?
- A.135 F to 165 F
- B.0 F to 32 F
- C.41 F to 60 F
- D.70 F to 125 F
Answer: D. Bacteria grow fastest between 70 F and 125 F (21 C to 52 C), the middle of the danger zone, which is why cooling must pass through it quickly. They grow slowly near 41 F and do not grow at hot-holding temperatures of 135 F and above.
3. A prep cook leaves a tray of sliced roast turkey on the counter, and a probe now reads 75 F. How should the manager describe the turkey?
- A.It is in the temperature danger zone
- B.It is safe because it is below 135 F
- C.It is safe because sliced meat is not TCS
- D.It is safe until it reaches room temperature
Answer: A. At 75 F (24 C) the turkey sits inside the 41 F to 135 F danger zone, close to the fastest-growth range of 70 F to 125 F. Being below 135 F is the problem, not a safeguard, and cooked turkey is TCS food.
4. At 1 p.m. a steam table of mashed potatoes reads 128 F; the 11 a.m. check read 140 F. What should the manager do?
- A.Raise the unit setting and keep serving
- B.Stir in a fresh hot batch on top
- C.Reheat to 165 F and keep holding
- D.Discard the mashed potatoes right away
Answer: C. The potatoes have been below 135 F (57 C) for less than 4 hours, so they may be reheated to 165 F (74 C) for 15 seconds and returned to hot holding. Discarding is required only if the time is unknown or over 4 hours; turning up the unit or adding fresh food does not correct the temperature.
5. What is the minimum temperature at which hot TCS food must be held under the Food Code?
- A.145 F
- B.155 F
- C.135 F
- D.125 F
Answer: C. Hot TCS food must be held at 135 F (57 C) or above. 125 F is still in the danger zone, while 145 F and 155 F are cooking temperatures, not holding limits.
6. Sliced tomatoes sit in the cold well of a salad bar. What is the highest temperature at which they may be held?
- A.41 F
- B.45 F
- C.50 F
- D.38 F
Answer: A. Cut tomatoes are TCS food and must be held at 41 F (5 C) or below. 45 F is an older limit some people remember, and 38 F is acceptable but is not the maximum the Food Code allows.
7. At minimum, how often should staff check the internal temperature of TCS food in hot or cold holding?
- A.Once per shift
- B.Every 6 hours
- C.Every 8 hours
- D.Every 4 hours
Answer: D. Held TCS food must be checked at least every 4 hours so that food out of temperature can be found before it must be discarded. Checking every 2 hours leaves time for corrective action; once per shift or every 6 to 8 hours is too infrequent.
8. A food handler finds potato salad at 50 F in a cold-holding unit, and nobody knows when it was last checked. What should be done?
- A.Cool it back to 41 F within 2 hours
- B.Throw the potato salad away
- C.Stir in crushed ice and recheck in an hour
- D.Move it to a colder unit and keep serving
Answer: B. The salad is above 41 F (5 C) for an unknown length of time, so it may have been in the danger zone for more than 4 hours and must be discarded. Rechilling is an option only when you know the food has been out of temperature for less than 4 hours.
9. A cook roasts whole chickens for dinner service. What minimum internal temperature must the thickest part of each chicken reach?
- A.155 F for 17 seconds
- B.165 F for 15 seconds
- C.145 F for 15 seconds
- D.130 F for 112 minutes
Answer: B. All poultry must reach 165 F (74 C) for 15 seconds (the 2022 Food Code also allows less than 1 second at 165 F). 155 F for 17 seconds applies to ground meats, not poultry.
10. A kitchen makes ravioli stuffed with ground beef and ricotta cheese. What minimum internal temperature must the cooked ravioli reach?
- A.155 F for 17 seconds
- B.145 F for 4 minutes
- C.135 F, with no hold time
- D.165 F for 15 seconds
Answer: D. Stuffed foods such as stuffed pasta must reach 165 F (74 C) for 15 seconds because the stuffing insulates the center. The 155 F standard for the ground beef alone is not enough once it becomes a stuffing.
Practice all 40 time & temperature control questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free Food Safety training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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