ServSafe Manager Online Course & Proctored Exam (2026)

You can earn ServSafe Manager certification without leaving home. ServSafe sells its 8-hour online course together with an online-proctored exam for $179.00, or the online-proctored exam on its own for $99.00, and the proctor who watches you by webcam is supplied by ProctorU. Proctoring is included only when you book your exam session more than 72 hours ahead; booking later adds a rush fee, according to ServSafe's online exam instructions.

What you can buy online, and what each includes

These are the three online products on ServSafe's catalog pages (prices checked September 27, 2026). All three lead to the same ANAB-accredited Food Protection Manager Certification: 90 questions, 2 hours, valid for 5 years.

The course is optional. ServSafe sells the exam without it, so the $80 difference between the two online bundles buys the course and nothing else. The $38.99 access code is not a cheaper way to test from home, because you still have to arrange and pay a proctor.

What it costs, depending on when you book

ServSafe's instructions say ProctorU proctoring is included when you schedule “more than 72 hours in advance.” Booking closer to the exam adds a ProctorU fee: $8.00 for “Take It Soon” (24 to 72 hours ahead) and $12.00 for “Take It Now” (less than 24 hours ahead). Added to ServSafe's prices, that gives these totals:

A retake is priced the same way. ServSafe's retest policy requires a new exam purchase for every attempt, so a second online attempt costs another $99.00, plus a rush fee if you book it inside 72 hours.

How to take the exam online, step by step

1. Buy the exam and keep the access code. ServSafe's instructions tell you to save the exam access code from your purchase confirmation email; you need it on exam day.
2. Create a ProctorU account. ServSafe says it should appear pre-populated as your institution.
3. Schedule the session. In your ProctorU account, choose Schedule New Session, and book more than 72 hours out to avoid the rush fee.
4. Install the Guardian browser and test your computer. ServSafe requires ProctorU's Guardian browser and says to test your equipment on the desktop or laptop (PC or Mac) you will use. Chromebooks, tablets and smartphones are not supported.
5. Log in about 20 minutes early. Use the Guardian browser, have a government-issued or school photo ID ready, and sit at a clean desk in a private location. You then have 2 hours for the exam.
6. Get your result. Online results usually arrive almost immediately after you submit, with an official notification by email. ServSafe's instructions say a passing candidate can print the certificate straight away, while its FAQ notes the certificate can take up to 24 hours to become available.

The rules while you test

• A desktop or laptop computer (PC or Mac) with a web camera, a microphone and a strong internet connection.
• A private room with no one else in it, and your face, chin to forehead, in the camera's view the whole time.
• No food or drink, and no study materials: ServSafe lists books, notes, websites and calculators as not allowed, so the online exam is not open book.

The exam itself is the same one given in person: 90 questions, 80 of them scored, and a pass at 70 percent, which ServSafe defines as at least 56 of the 80 scored questions correct. It is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese-Simplified and French Canadian.

Rescheduling, no-shows and retakes

ServSafe's instructions allow you to reschedule up to 2 hours before the session, but they also say a fee applies if you do not show up or if you cancel less than 24 hours before it. So a change inside that 24-hour window is possible but not free.

If you do not pass, ServSafe's retest policy allows two attempts within 30 days. After a second failed attempt you must wait 60 days from that attempt, and no more than four attempts are allowed in any 12-month period.

Will your health department accept it?

The certificate is the same ANAB-accredited credential whichever way you test, but acceptance is decided by each jurisdiction, which is why ServSafe's product pages tell buyers to check that the online exam is accepted in their area first. Texas is one that states it: the Department of State Health Services says ServSafe certificates meet the training and testing requirements of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 438.

For the exam's full format, all four ways to buy it and the passing rule, see the ServSafe Manager exam page. Before you pay for a proctored session, the free ServSafe Manager practice test includes a 90-question mock exam timed at 2 hours, the same length as the real one.