Prior to sitting for the exam, an applicant must complete pre-certification coursework for each of the primary program areas the applicant wishes to be certified.

The Food Protection Program pre-certification coursework is offered through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Regulatory Affairs’ Virtual University (ORAU). These FDA ORAU courses are only free to current government employees; there is a fee if you are not registered with an active government e-mail address that ORAU verifies. To view the list of courses and registration instructions, please review the FDA ORAU Instruction Guide.  Once we have received proof of your completion of the ORAU courses and your application is approved, you can sit for the Food Program Certification exam.

The Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) pre-certification coursework and exams are provided through a week long Accelerated Certification Training (ACT), provided at the Polk County Training Site for the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association, Inc (FOWA).  If you are not a state Department of Health (DOH) employee, there will be out of pocket charges for applicants attending the ACT. You may access upcoming OSTDS ACT dates using the following link: OSTDS ACT Training Schedule 2020. 

Study Guides

To view  practice questions and study materials prior to the exam date for certificaiton in Food Protection, go to Food Study Guide.

To view  practice questions and study materials prior to the course dates for certification in OSTDS, go to OSTDS Study Guide.