Frequently Asked Questions

General ManageFirst Program FAQ

What is ManageFirst?

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (NRAEF) ManageFirst Program is a competency based foodservice management development program designed to equip learners with valuable skills to be successful in both their academic program and later in their professional career. The ManageFirst program is based on the needs voiced by the industry and the educators who serve it. The program is designed to equip students with real-world skills necessary to excel in the restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industry. Content was developed from a detailed job task analysis which yielded a set of standardized skills and tasks that industry believes are most critical for success in the workplace. These skills are assessed via the ManageFirst program and exams, and students can achieve certificates per content area as well as a ManageFirst Professional Credential. Both the certificates and credential are recognized in industry as the standard; thus making the usage of ManageFirst in an academic program key to meeting the school's accreditation requirements.

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What is the Job Task Analysis?

To ensure the program was highly applicable and relevant to the dynamic and constantly evolving foodservice industry, the NRA conducted a rigorous 18-month Job Task Analysis. More than 400 academics, operators, hiring managers, and executives helped define the competencies critical for success in the industry.

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What information will previous ManageFirst users want to know about with the new Second Edition?

ManageFirst competency guides are now textbooks. In the previous edition, the essential content for each topic area was covered in the "competency guides." In this edition, we have increased the depth of content and instructor resources to make them textbooks.

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What are the program components of ManageFirst?

• Textbooks — an in-depth exploration of content on each topic, plus learning activities, case students, professional profiles, research topics, and more.
• Online Exam Prep — a digital study and practice tool for students to prepare for their ManageFirst exam with ManageFirst style questions and rationale provided.
• Exam — each textbook has a dedicated exam in either paper-and-pencil or online format. Exams are proctored by a faculty member.
• Certificate — each certificate is a step toward the ManageFirst Professional credential. Upon successfully passing each exam, the NRAEF awards a certificate to recognize a student's mastery of that topic.
• ManageFirst Professional credential — students can earn this level of achievement by passing all four Core Credential Topic exams, one Foundation Topic (an elective) exam, and provide documentation of 800 hours of industry-related work experience.

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What are the Core Credential topics of ManageFirst?

• Controlling Foodservice Costs
• Hospitality & Restaurant Management
• Hospitality Human Resources Management and Supervision
• ServSafe Food Safety and Sanitation

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What are the Foundation topics of ManageFirst?

• Hospitality & Restaurant Marketing
• Hospitality Accounting
• Customer Service
• Bar & Beverage Management
• Principles of Food & Beverage Management
• Nutrition
• ServSafe Responsible Alcohol Service

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What resources are available for Instructors who adopt ManageFirst?

• Detailed Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations and test banks for each textbook topic
• ManageFirst Online Exam Prep product that will allow students the ability to study and prepare for their ManageFirst Exam
• Exams and Exam Answer Keys
• Additional Activities & Program Updates

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Student FAQ

How does the ManageFirst Program help students?

Students who receive a ManageFirst certificate have demonstrated mastery of a key competency as defined by industry and academia. Students who have completed five competency areas successfully and demonstrate industry work experience can earn the new ManageFirst Professional^® (MFP^®) Credential.

Equipped with the right skills, certificates and a credential from the National Restaurant Association, students will be prepared to begin or advance their careers in the restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industry.

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How does a student earn a ManageFirst Program certificate?

Students earn a certificate for each exam passed. Because most ManageFirst Program topics and exams are aligned to several college (university or higher education) courses, the textbooks can be used to cover the content typically taught in one college course. For example, the Controlling Foodservice Costs guide is designed to align with a Cost Control or Operations Management course. Exams will cover content found in the associated textbook. For industry usage, exams and certificates act as great vehicles to measure results and provide employee recognition.

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How does a student earn the ManageFirst Professional^® (MFP^®) Credential?

To earn the ManageFirst Professional credential, students must pass four Core Credential Exams and one Foundation Exam. Students also will be required to document 800 hours of industry-related work experience through the ManageFirst Website.

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How does the industry-related work experience requirement for the ManageFirst Professional (MFP) Credential work?

In order to receive the ManageFirst Professional credential after passing all requisite ManageFirst exams, program participants need to document 800 hours of industry-related work experience.

Eligible credential candidates will be prompted by email to submit proof of this work experience electronically through the ManageFirst Web site. All submitted work experience information is subject to verification by National Restaurant Association.

Credential candidates will be asked to provide the following work experience information: company, supervisor contact name and phone number, work description, work dates and total hours worked at each company.

Once this information is received and approved by the National Restaurant Association, a credential will be mailed to the new ManageFirst Professional via traceable, signature-required mail, for receipt in approximately two to three weeks.

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How does a student receive a certificate?

Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of ManageFirst exams. Certificates will be mailed to the instructor or proctor who administered the exam. It is this person's responsibility to deliver the certificates to the students.

ManageFirst Professional credential earners will be sent their credential to their most recent address on record with National Restaurant Association.

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Instructor and Proctor FAQ

How do I register to instruct ManageFirst Program topics and/or proctor ManageFirst Program Exams?

To register as a ManageFirst Program Instructor and/or Proctor:

1. Read the ManageFirst Program Exam Administration Handbook
2. Download, print out and complete the ManageFirst Program Instructor and Proctor Application. Be sure to print legibly when completing the forms. Downloading this PDF file requires installation of Adobe^® Acrobat^® Reader^®.
3. Submit your completed application by fax or mail.
• Fax to: Exam Administration at 866-665-9570 or 312-583-9853. Immediately after faxing, call to verify that your fax was received. Phone 800-765-2122 (312-715-1010 in the Chicagoland area), ext. 6703.
• Mail to:
  National Restaurant Association
  Attn: Exam Administration Department
  175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1500
  Chicago, Illinois 60604-2814

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How can my students purchase the ManageFirst Competency Guides?

Students may purchase the ManageFirst guides through the standard higher education channels: from Pearson, through their college bookstore, or through online retail distributors (e.g. Amazon).

Industry organizations interested in purchasing ManageFirst Program materials should contact LeeAnne Fisher with Pearson at LeeAnne.Fisher@pearsoned.com or call 317-428-3163.

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What is the exam scoring and posting process?

To obtain scores and certificates for any ManageFirst course, an instructor needs to simply provide class, course and contact information on the Exam Information Form.

Mail the Exam Information Form with the completed Exam Answer Sheets to:

National Restaurant Association
Attention: Exam Administration Department
175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60604-2814

Utilize a traceable shipping service (i.e. UPS, Federal Express, Airborne)

If an instructor or proctor gives an online exam, Pass/Fail results are immediate. Percent scores are posted to a secure section of the Instructor/Proctor Services area of the Web site, once the proctor confirms all exams have concluded testing and officially grades the class.

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How quickly will I receive the students' test scores?

Paper-and-Pencil Exam scores: within 3-4 business days of receipt of your class answer sheets, the National Restaurant Association will grade and post your class scores. Scores will be accessible by logging in to the IRC area of our Website and will be emailed to the ManageFirst Instructor if there is a valid email address on file.

Online Exam scores and certificates: Pass/Fail results for online exams are immediate. Percent scores are posted to our Web site once the ManageFirst Instructor or Proctor confirms all examinees have concluded testing and officially grades the class.

Certificates will be received by the ManageFirst Instructor/Proctor within 1-5 business days from the posting of scores to the Web site.

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How can I review the ManageFirst Program?

Academic Instructor Review Copies or Instructor Support Materials

• Instructors, for textbook review copies:
• Contact your Pearson representative
• Contact Faculty Field Services at 800-526-0485 or email managefirst@pearson.com
• Instructors, to download ManageFirst PowerPoint^® presentations, the computerized test generator, instructor's manual or to gain access to the online Exam Prep component, please visit Pearson's Instructor Resources Website.

Corporate, Government and Special Sales (Consultants, Corporations, Training Centers, VARs and Corporate Resellers) Orders and Inquiries

• Phone 317-428-3083
• Contact your Pearson representative
• Email managefirst@pearson.com

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Exam Ordering and Administration FAQ

What is the time frame for availability of the First Edition and Second Edition ManageFirst exams?

First Edition exams will remain live until October 1, 2012; with the exception of Nutrition, which will remain live until the ManageFirst Programs Exams for this title goes live on 10/22/12, and Menu Marketing and Food Production, which will remain live until 01/07/2013. (These titles were not revised for the Second Edition, but content was combined into other titles in the series.)

ManageFirst Programs Exams (to be used for First Edition and Second Edition during this time period) will go live on October 1, 2012; with the exception of Nutrition, which will go live on October 22, 2012. The ManageFirst Programs Exams will remain live until January 7, 2013 or until the new Second Edition Exams go live.

Second Edition Exams will go live on Monday, January 7, 2013, with the exception of our two new titles: Principles of Food & Beverage Management and Bar & Beverage Management, which will go live on December 5, 2012.

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How and when do I order the ManageFirst Program Exams and Answer Keys?

Registered ManageFirst Program Instructors and Proctors have access to the exams via secure log in to the Instructor Resource Center. You may download or print the ManageFirst exams and Answer Keys at your convenience. It is suggested that ManageFirst Instructors download exams as close as possible to the exam administration date to ensure that the most current and updated exam is used.

Note: ServSafe^® Food Safety and ServSafe Alcohol^® are both stand alone programs in addition to being part of the ManageFirst Program. Please refer to the ServSafe Exam Administration Handbook for information on ordering the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Exams and the ServSafe Alcohol Exam Administration Handbook for information on ordering ServSafe Alcohol Exams.

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How do I administer ManageFirst Program Exams?

Detailed instructions on administering these exams are available in the ManageFirst Program Exam Administration Handbook.

Note: ServSafe^® Food Safety and ServSafe Alcohol^® are both standalone programs in addition to being part of the ManageFirst Program. Please refer to the ServSafe Exam Administration Handbook for information on administering the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Exams and the ServSafe Alcohol Exam Administration Handbook for information on ordering ServSafe Alcohol Exam.

For further assistance please email certification@restaurant.org or phone Exam Administration Department at 800-765-2122 (312-715-1010 in the Chicagoland area), ext. 6703.

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