FSSAI 2024 Exam pattern and Syllabus

It’s important that any FSSAI aspirant tries to familiarize themselves with all the important details of the FSSAI 2024 Exam before making their preparations. Understanding more about the FSSAI syllabus and exam structure is quite important. It helps aspirants in setting up a solid foundation for your FSSAI Exam 2024 preparation. With the FSSAI notification 2024, set to be released anytime soon, the time to begin initiating your preparation promptly is important. The new notification will provide a lot of relevant details like FSSAI Eligibility Criteria, exam information, FSSAI Exam Date and so on. Along with understanding the syllabus, you need to have a set of reliable FSSAI exam books is essential, optimizing your study efficiency and conserving valuable time in the preparation process. Start your journey towards success by arming yourself with these essential resources. 

Interested candidates can refer to the last notification of 2021 for guidance on FSSAI exam syllabus and exam pattern. FSSAI clearly mentions the syllabus of CBT (Stage-1) for Technical Officer and Central Food Safety Officer (CFSO) and the syllabus for FSSAI CBT (Stage-2) was released after the commencement of CBT Stage-1 exam. Below, the syllabus of FSSAI exam has been provided in detail for reference. 

FSSAI Exam 2024 Syllabus (Stage 1)

In the FSSAI Stage 1 (Part A) exam, questions from General Intelligence, General Awareness, English language Comprehension and Computer Literacy was tested. In Part B of Stage 1 exam, evaluation of knowledge on subjects such as Indian and International Food Laws (An Overview), (FSSAI-Role, Functions, Initiatives), Principles of Food Preservation, Processing and Packaging, Principles and Basics of Food Chemistry and their role in Human Nutrition, Food Microbiology & General principles of Food Hygiene and General concepts of Food Analysis and Testing is conducted. Detailed FSSAI Syllabus for CBT Stage 1 provided below.

FSSAI Exam Syllabus Stage 1 (Part A)

SectionTopics
General Intelligence Analogies, Similarities And Differences, Space Visualization, Problem Solving, Analysis, Judgment, Decision Making, Visual Memory, Discriminating Observations, Relationship Concepts, Arithmetical Reasoning, Verbal And Figure Classification, Arithmetical Number Series, Non-verbal Series
General Awareness India And Neighbouring Countries Specially Pertaining to History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Polity Including Indian Constitution, Sports and Scientific Research
English language Comprehension Comprehension, One Word Substitution, Synonyms And Antonyms, Spelling Error, Spotting Errors in Sentences, Grammar – Noun, Pronoun, Adjectives, Verbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Use of ‘a’ ‘an” and ‘the’, Idioms and Phrases, Parts of Speech
Computer Literacy Knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Including Basic Commands, Google Doc, Emails, Commonly use Social Media Handles (Whattsapp, fb, Twitter)

FSSAI Exam Syllabus Stage 1 (Part B)

SectionTopics
Indian and International Food Laws (An Overview)
  • Food Safety and Standards Act of India, 2006: Provision, definitions and different sections of the Act and implementation.
  • FSS Rules and Regulations
  • Overview of other relevant national bodies (e.g. APEDA, BIS EIC, MPEDA, Spice Board etc.)
  • International Food Control Systems/Laws, Regulations and Standards/Guidelines with regard to Food Safety – (i) Overview of CODEX Alimentarius Commission (History, Members, Standard setting and Advisory mechanisms: JECFA, JEMRA JMPR): WTO agreements (SPS/TBT)
  • Important national and international accreditation bodies
FSSAI-Role, Functions, Initiatives (A General Understanding)
  • Genesis and Evolution of FSSAI
  • Structure and Functions of Food Authority
  • Overview of systems and processes in Standards, Enforcement, Laboratory ecosystem, Imports, Third Party Audit etc.
  • Promoting safe and wholesome Food (Eat Right India, Food Fortification, snf, Clean Street Food Hub, RUCO and various other social and behavioural change initiatives)
  • Training and capacity building
  • Role of State Food Authorities
Principles of Food Preservation, Processing and Packaging
  • Food Processing Operations, Principles, Good Manufacturing Practices
  • Overview of food preservation methods and their under lying principles including novel and emerging methods/principles
  • Overview of food packaging methods and principles including novel packaging materials/techniques
Principles and Basics of Food Chemistry and their role in Human Nutrition
  • Structure and functions of macro-and micronutrients
  • Role of macro and micronutrients in human nutrition
  • Over view of food additives with respect to their technological functions
  • Over view of anti-nutritional factors and their removal from foods
  • Over view of enzymes as food processing aids
  • Over view of nutraceuticals and functions foods
  • Overview of food contaminants and adulterants and their effects on human health
  • Food allergens and allergen city
  • Importance of diet in alleviating health risks, especially noncommunicable diseases
Food Microbiology & General principles of Food Hygiene
  • General principles of food microbiology and over view of food borne pathogens
  • Over view of sources of microorganisms in food chain (raw materials, water, air, equipment etc.) and microbiological quality of foods
  • Microbial food spoilage and Food borne diseases General principles and techniques in microbiological examination of foods
  • Overview of beneficial microorganisms and their role in food processing and human nutrition
  • General principles of food safety management systems including traceability and recall – sanitation, HACCP, Good production and processing practices (GMP,GAP,GHP, GLP, BAP, etc)
General concepts of Food Analysis and Testing
  • Fundamentals of field level and laboratory sampling with reference to importance of statistical tools
  • Over view of basic/classical methods of food analysis
  • Over view of modern analytical techniques including mass spectrometry and molecular techniques
  • Principles of Quality assurance and Quality control with reference to food analysis and testing

Following the completion of Computer-Based Test (CBT) 1, the official release of FSSAI syllabus and exam pattern for CBT 2 will be made by the authority. Stay informed with the latest updates by regularly visiting the official FSSAI website or utilizing our exam pages on FSSAI exam. Remaining informed ensures you are well-prepared for the subsequent rounds of the examination, enhancing your chances of success.

FSSAI Exam Pattern 2024

FSSAI Exam Pattern 2024 for the post of Technical Officer and Central Food Safety Officer (CFSO) will be held in two stages. There will be no interview for both the posts. The weightage assigned for Stage 1 and 2 is 50% each. Based on the score on both stages, a final merit list will be prepared. For Stage 2, candidates in the ratio of 1:20 will be shortlisted. Exam Pattern for CBT Stage 2 will be released after the commencement of CBT Stage 1 (as mentioned in the official website). Please refer to the FSSAI exam pattern 2024 below for further details.

FSSAI CBT Stage 1 Exam Pattern 2024

FSSAI Computer Based Test (Stage-1) for both Technical Officer and Central Food Safety Officer exam will be of one and a half hour duration. A total of 120 multiple-choice questions will be asked. The exam format is divided into two parts i.e. Part A and Part B. Part A consists of General Aptitude and Computer Literacy whereas in Part B, questions from Functional Knowledge will be asked. Detailed FSSAI CBT Stage 1 exam pattern can be deduced from the table below.

Nature of TestTest NameNo. Of QuestionsMaximum MarksTime Duration
Part A – General Aptitude and Computer literacy
General Aptitude General Intelligence 10 40 Composite time of 120 minutes
General Awareness 10 40
English language Comprehensio 10 40
Computer Literacy Computer 10 40
Part B – Functional Knowledge Test
Indian and International Food Laws (An Overview) 20 80
FSSAI - Role, Functions, Initiatives ( A General Understanding) 20 80
Subject Matter Knowledge 40 160
Total 120 480 2 Hours

FSSAI CBT Stage 2 Exam Pattern 2024

FSSAI Exam Pattern for CBT Stage 2 has been released. There will be total 6 sections with an overall time limit of 180 minutes. Each section will have different maximum marks and accordingly, marks will be given for correct answers. Further details on the FSSAI CBT -2 online exam pattern is given below.

Sr. No.City NameSr. No.City Name
1 Ahmedabad 13 Kolkata
2 Bengaluru 14 Lucknow
3 Bhopal 15 Madurai
4 Bhubneshwar 16 Meerut
5 Chandigarh 17 Mumbai
6 Chennai 18 Patna
7 Dehradun 19 Ranchi
8 Delhi / NCR 20 Shimla
9 Guwahati 21 Srinagar
10 Hyderabad 22 Kochi / Ernakulam
11 Jaipur 23 Vijaywada
12 Jammu 24 Visakhapatnam

Marking Scheme

FSSAI follows certain criteria when it comes to the marks allotment. You will be given 4/2 marks for every correct answer, depending upon the maximum marks allotted to that section. 1/0.5 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer marked. This will again depend on the maximum marks allotted to that section. There will not be any deduction for an answer not attempted in the FSSAI exam 2024.

PaperBookAuthor/Publisher
Subjective Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Principles and Practices R. P. Srivastava and Sanjeev Kumar
Food Microbiology William C. Frazier and Dennis C. Westhoff adapted by N.M. Vanitha
Food Science B Srilakshmi
Food Safety Officer Examination (A subjective approach) Suresh Chandra and Durvesh Kumari
Objective A competition Book for Food Safety Officer Suresh Chandra, Durvesh Kumari and S. K. Goyal

Exam Language

No mention regarding the mode of languages is there in the FSSAI official notification. However, as per the previous papers of the FSSAI, the exam is more likely to be conducted in English Language only.

Free Mock Test

Besides preparing a good strategy for your FSSAI exam, it is equally important to practice online tests. Practicing FSSAI online mock tests will provide a detailed idea of the exam and also helps in analyzing your knowledge and performance. ixamBee provides free online mock tests for FSSAI exam 2024. It is advised to practice so that you can perform well on the D-day.

Recommended Books

It is extremely important to choose or pick the best material for yourself as one of the most important parts of any exam preparation is the study material. You will need a useful set of books to kick-start your preparation. You can also utilize ixamBee’s FSSAI Online Course while preparing for your exams. To save your time and make it easier for you, we have listed down some good books which will be helpful in your FSSAI exam preparation 2024.

PaperBookAuthor/Publisher
Subjective Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Principles and Practices R. P. Srivastava and Sanjeev Kumar
Food Microbiology William C. Frazier and Dennis C. Westhoff adapted by N.M. Vanitha
Food Science B Srilakshmi
Food Safety Officer Examination (A subjective approach) Suresh Chandra and Durvesh Kumari
Objective A competition Book for Food Safety Officer Suresh Chandra, Durvesh Kumari and S. K. Goyal