This CDM cheat sheet compresses the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM, CFPP) credentialing exam into a printable rundown of the numbers and rules CBDM tests most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free CDM toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
CDM exam at a glance
- Questions: 160 multiple-choice (140 scored + 20 unscored pretest)
- Time: 3 hours (180 minutes), computer-based
- Passing score: Set by modified Angoff; historically about 70% of scored items
- Cost: Exam fee varies for ANFP members vs. non-members — check the current CBDM Candidate Handbook
What’s on the CDM cheat sheet
- Sanitation & Safety (24%) — the danger zone, cook and cooling temps, HACCP and critical control points, the Big 6, and clean-then-sanitize rules — the single largest area.
- Foodservice (22%) — menu planning and forecasting, standardized recipes, recipe conversion and AP/EP yield math, and purchasing-to-inventory (FIFO, par levels).
- Nutrition (20%) — the four-step Nutrition Care Process, the CDM-vs-RDN scope split, 4-4-9 macronutrient energy, and high-yield therapeutic and texture-modified diets.
- Personnel & Communications (20%) — staffing, training, performance management, leadership styles, communication, and conflict resolution.
- Business Operations (14%) — operating vs. capital budgets, food cost percentage and cost control, break-even, and continuous quality improvement.
How to use it in your final week
- Lock the time-temperature numbers cold: 165°F poultry, 155°F ground meat, 145°F whole cuts/seafood, the 41°F–135°F danger zone, and two-stage cooling (135°F→70°F in 2 h, then 70°F→41°F in 4 h).
- Front-load Sanitation & Safety (24%) and Foodservice (22%) — together nearly half the exam and home to the most-tested facts and recipe math.
- Rehearse the two formula families out loud: RCF = desired yield ÷ original yield, EP = AP × yield %, and food cost % = cost of food sold ÷ food sales.
- Read the sheet the morning of the test for a final pass, then pair each review with a short timed practice set to keep your 3-hour, 160-question pacing (about 68 seconds per item) sharp.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your CDM practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
CDM cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the CDM cheat sheet is 100% free to download as a PDF, with no sign-up required. It's part of Career Employer's free CDM toolkit alongside the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
It condenses the most-tested CDM, CFPP facts into a fast reference: the time-temperature numbers (cook temps, the 41°F–135°F danger zone, two-stage cooling), HACCP, recipe conversion and AP/EP yield math, the four-step Nutrition Care Process, high-yield therapeutic diets, and the food-cost formula — organized by CBDM's five weighted content areas.
No — the sheet is a review and last-week cram layer, not a substitute for working scenario questions. The passing score is set by a modified Angoff study (historically about 70% of the 140 scored items), so use the sheet to lock in numbers and the practice test to build readiness across all five areas.
It's built from the CBDM content outline effective March 1, 2025, plus the FDA Food Code and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and we review it against those official sources regularly.
Click the download button (or the preview card) at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark this page so you can find it again in the final week before your exam.
References
- 1.Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM). “Exam Content Outline (Effective March 1, 2025).” cbdmonline.org, 2025. ↑
- 2.Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP). “CDM, CFPP Credential Overview.” anfponline.org. ↑
- 3.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Food Code.” fda.gov. ↑
- 4.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Nutrition Care Process.” eatrightpro.org. ↑
- 5.Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM). “Credentialing Exam FAQs.” cbdmonline.org. ↑
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