Can You Take the Food Manager Exam in Chinese? Languages, Formats and Pass Marks Compared

Written & reviewed by Quibank Editor · Last reviewed 2026-10-26 · Editorial standards

Yes. As of October 2026, at least three accredited food protection manager exams can be taken in Chinese: ServSafe, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP) and StateFoodSafety. They differ in which Chinese script they use, which delivery formats carry it, and how they score you, so the language you read best should decide which program you book before you pay for anything.

This guide compares what each program publishes on its own pages, flags the places where those pages disagree with each other, and ends with a short sequence for picking an exam. It sticks to the exam itself; the content areas and how to study them are covered in our food manager exam podcast episode.

Start with the list your health department accepts

The FDA Food Code asks for a certified food protection manager who passed a test that is part of an accredited program, and no single company owns that credential. The Conference for Food Protection writes the standard and the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accredits the organizations that test against it. Indiana's health department listed ten accredited organizations in September 2023; Connecticut's own approved list, revised January 2023, names five. A state or county can accept fewer programs than ANAB accredits, so the list that binds you is your regulator's, not a vendor's.

One name has dropped off. Connecticut's list notes that Prometric stopped offering its manager exam on April 1, 2022, while passes from before that date still count there. If your current certificate says Prometric, you cannot renew with Prometric: plan to test with another accredited program before your certificate expires.

Which Chinese, in which format

The three programs do not offer the same Chinese, and the format you prefer can rule a program out:

ServSafe: the online exam, whether proctored remotely through ProctorU or taken at a Pearson test center in the US, is offered in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese. The paper exam comes as bilingual booklets (Chinese/English, Korean/English, Japanese/English, Spanish/English and French Canadian/English) plus English and large print.
NRFSP: exams in English, Spanish, Modern (Simplified) Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean. NRFSP's FAQ adds that its training is given mainly in English and Spanish, so you may sit a Chinese exam after an English course.
StateFoodSafety: its standard manager exam is listed in English, Spanish and Chinese; its Texas exam lists English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese.

If you read Traditional characters, NRFSP is the only program here that names a Traditional Chinese exam; ServSafe's computer-delivered Chinese is Simplified. Also note that ServSafe's own pages disagree: its Get Certified page still lists the online exam in English and Spanish only, while its FAQ and both help-center articles say Chinese is available online. Treat the help-center answer as current, and confirm the language on the product page before you buy an access code, because ServSafe's online products are non-refundable.

Three programs, three different meanings of '75'

ServSafe's manager exam has 90 questions, of which 80 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot items. ServSafe's own FAQ puts the pass mark at 70%, which it spells out as at least 56 of the 80 scored questions. Pearson VUE's ServSafe page, and many prep sites, still say 75. ServSafe is the issuer, so its 70% is the better-sourced figure, but the gap costs you nothing if you prepare to clear the higher one.

NRFSP requires a scaled score of 75, and its FAQ goes out of its way to say this is not a percentage and does not mean 60 of 80 correct: the scale is adjusted for how difficult your particular exam form is. Its August 2017 examinee bulletin, the version posted on NRFSP's site, describes 80 scored questions plus unmarked pilots and a two-hour limit.

StateFoodSafety's exam is 75 questions in two hours, and you pass at 750 of 1,000 points. It is also the one program of the three that publishes a content weighting: preventing food contamination 35%, worker health and hygiene 23%, equipment and utensils 15%, managerial responsibilities 12%, regulatory compliance and records 8%, facility design 7%. Its Texas version shifts weight toward contamination (41%) and away from management (9%), a reminder that state versions are not interchangeable.

The practical reading: whichever program you book, aim to score comfortably above 75% on realistic practice before test day. If management questions are where you drop points, drill the management systems and HACCP pool, since that is the layer a handler card never tested.

The English exam with a dictionary is a real option

Some candidates read English food-safety vocabulary well but find long English sentences slow. ServSafe allows a printed bilingual dictionary, English to your native language, but only if you take the exam in English. For online proctoring you must request it in advance from ServSafe's exam security team, which approves it as an accommodation, and ProctorU inspects the dictionary at check-in. An English-only dictionary is not allowed, and no notes, books or websites are permitted.

So the choice runs three ways: a Chinese computer exam, a bilingual Chinese/English paper booklet with a registered proctor, or the English exam with an approved dictionary. If the terms your kitchen uses every day are English ones, such as 'time/temperature control for safety' or 'cross-contact', the bilingual booklet lets you check the English wording whenever the translation reads oddly.

Retakes and renewal

ServSafe lets you sit the exam twice within 30 days; after a second failure you wait 60 days from your latest attempt, and every retest is a new purchase. ServSafe recognizes its manager certification for five years, and NRFSP's certification is valid for up to five years. Your jurisdiction or employer can require a shorter cycle, so put your regulator's renewal date in the calendar, not the vendor's.

A sequence for choosing your exam

Get your health department's list of accepted manager certifications and cross off anything not on it.
Pick the script you read fastest: Traditional points to NRFSP; Simplified opens ServSafe, NRFSP and StateFoodSafety.
Pick the format: online with a remote proctor, a test center, or paper with a registered proctor. Check that your language exists in that format.
Practice until you clear 75% with margin on the free food manager practice test, then book.

Try the free food manager practice test →