Module 13 of 13
Final Review
The four pillars of food safety, the numbers you must memorize, a full-course recap and what to expect on the final assessment.
4 lessons · about 14 minutes
Learning objectives
- Summarize the four themes that connect every module.
- Recall the key temperatures and time limits from memory.
- Self-assess readiness for the final assessment.
- Know the assessment format, passing score and certificate process.
13.1The Four Pillars of Food Safety
3 minEverything in this course reduces to four themes. If you can explain these four, you can reason through most exam questions.
- Food safety comes down to four themes: personal hygiene, preventing cross-contamination, controlling time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitizing.
- Personal hygiene — clean hands, clean attire, no jewelry, no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, and reporting illness.
- Cross-contamination — separate raw from ready-to-eat by space, equipment and time.
- Time and temperature — keep TCS food out of 41°F to 135°F, and never exceed the time limits.
- Cleaning and sanitizing — clean first, then sanitize at the right concentration and contact time.
- Allergen awareness cuts across all four and is treated as its own discipline in modern food safety.
13.2Numbers You Must Remember
4 minMost missed exam questions are number questions. Review this list until you can recite it without hesitating.
- Danger zone: 41°F to 135°F. Cold holding: 41°F or below. Hot holding: 135°F or above.
- Cooking: 165°F poultry, stuffing, reheated TCS food · 155°F ground meat · 145°F whole cuts, fish, shell eggs for immediate service · 135°F plant foods for hot holding.
- Cooling: 135°F → 70°F in 2 hours; 70°F → 41°F in 4 more hours (6 hours total).
- Reheating: to 165°F within 2 hours. Handwashing: scrub 10-15 seconds, ~20 seconds total, water at least 100°F.
- Ready-to-eat TCS food: maximum 7 days at 41°F or below. Danger-zone limit: discard after 4 hours.
- Sanitizers: chlorine 50-99 ppm, quats ~200 ppm, iodine 12.5-25 ppm. Dishmachine final rinse: 180°F. Freezer: 0°F or below.
13.3Full Course Recap
4 minA one-line reminder of what each module was really about — use it to find the topics you should re-read.
- Modules 1-2 — why food safety matters, the four hazard types, FAT TOM, the Big 6 and TCS foods.
- Modules 3-4 — personal hygiene, attire, jewelry and nails, correct handwashing and glove use.
- Modules 5-7 — cross-contamination, time and temperature control, and safe storage including receiving, storage order and FIFO.
- Modules 8-10 — cleaning and sanitizing, allergens and cross-contact, and pest prevention.
- Modules 11-12 — employee health reporting, restriction vs. exclusion, and regulations, inspections and HACCP.
- If any of these lines feels unfamiliar, go back to that module before taking the test.
13.4What to Expect on the Final Assessment
3 minThe assessment is multiple choice and draws from every module in the course.
- The final assessment covers all modules with a passing score of 70%.
- There are 20 multiple-choice questions, with no time limit — read each one carefully.
- You can retake the final assessment as many times as you need until you pass.
- Passing unlocks the option to purchase and download your personalized Food Safety Training Certificate.
- Keep applying what you learned every shift — food safety is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time test.
Key takeaways
- Food safety comes down to four themes: personal hygiene, preventing cross-contamination, controlling time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitizing.
- Memorize the core numbers: danger zone 41°F-135°F, cooking 165/155/145°F, cooling 2 + 4 hours, reheating 165°F in 2 hours.
- The final assessment covers all modules with a passing score of 70%.
- You can retake the final assessment as many times as you need until you pass.
- Passing unlocks the option to purchase and download your personalized Food Safety Training Certificate.
- Keep applying what you learned every shift — food safety is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time test.