Have a code? Free PDFs Order Now
For California REHS candidates

Pass the California REHS exam with confidence

A modern, all-in-one workbook built specifically for the CDPH Registered Environmental Health Specialist exam, with focused content review, exam-style practice, and a clear study plan in one streamlined resource.

324
Pages
17
Modules
566
Questions
Order Now

Comprehensive Second Edition · $45 paperback · or unlock 3 free PDFs

PassREHS — A Modern Workbook for the California REHS Exam
Why this workbook

Built for the California exam, by California REHS

Most national REHS materials treat California as one state of many. This one starts with the California content CDPH actually tests.

California-specific

Starts from California's regulatory framework: CalCode, CCR Titles 17 and 22. Federal material appears only where the exam covers it.

Written from the field

Scenarios come from real California county inspections: food, pools, body art, and housing, not from a textbook.

Every reference resolves

525 internal cross-references connect each question to the exact source section it was built from.

Diagnostic pretest

A 40-question diagnostic with a four-tier readiness rubric shows which modules need the most attention.

Citation index

60+ California statutes, regulations, and named acts indexed with the modules where each appears.

12-week study plan

A structured plan calibrated to your diagnostic score. Compress to six weeks or extend your runway.

Pricing

Choose the study set that fits you

Get the workbook on its own, add the Practice Companion or National Test Bank, or save with the complete bundle. All available now.

Workbook
The complete 324-page workbook
$45
  • 17 modules across the full CDPH scope
  • 566 practice questions with rationales
  • Two cumulative 100-question exams
  • Six California outbreak case studies
  • 12-week study plan & citation index
  • Practice quiz access code included
Order Now
Practice Companion
Extra practice exams & flashcards
$45
  • Three full-length practice exams
  • 300 original questions with rationales
  • Three themed flashcard sets (160 cards)
  • Critical values, citations & scenarios
  • Built for the final six weeks of prep
  • Practice quiz access code included
Order Now
National Test Bank
High-volume drilling, national scope
$29
  • 1,726 questions across 17 timed exams
  • Answer keys tagged by topic, not by module
  • General multi-jurisdiction reference bank
  • Best for volume drilling after core review
  • General reference edition, not CA-specific
  • Practice quiz access code included
Order Now
Best value · save $20
Complete bundle
Workbook + companion together
$70$90
  • Everything in the Workbook
  • Everything in the Practice Companion
  • One streamlined study system
  • Save $20 vs buying separately
  • Practice quiz access code included
Order Now

Prices shown for the Comprehensive Second Edition. The three study aids in the free-downloads section remain free; the Practice Companion is a separate paid volume of new exams and flashcards. The National Test Bank is a general, multi-jurisdiction reference volume, not a California-specific study aid on its own. Verify its figures against your current parent workbook and regulations. Every purchase includes a code for the interactive practice quiz. Already have yours? Enter it here.

Common questions

Frequently asked

The Comprehensive Second Edition (v2.2, 2026) covers the current CDPH examination scope and reflects California law as of the publication date. California rules amend often, so always check the current text of any cited section before relying on it for the exam.

The CDPH Study Guide is the authoritative scope reference and should be your primary source. This workbook builds on it with practice questions, scenarios, mnemonics, and cross-referenced rationales the CDPH guide doesn't provide.

The questions are calibrated to test the same competencies as the CDPH examination, in the same four-option format, grouped by module for targeted review. They are practice questions, not actual exam items, and CDPH does not publish the official pass point.

No. It's a general, multi-jurisdiction reference bank of 1,726 questions for high-volume drilling once you've worked through the California-specific content in the Workbook and Practice Companion. Some figures and agency names reflect the era the source material was compiled, so verify them against current regs rather than treating them as memorization targets.

The included twelve-week study plan structures the workbook for systematic prep alongside a working schedule. Strong starters can compress to a four-to-six-week intensive review. The diagnostic pretest in the front matter helps you decide.

Three companion PDFs: the Diagnostic Pretest, Critical Definitions Flashcards, and Exam Day Practical Guide. Enter your email in the unlock box above and the download links are sent to you right away.

The Comprehensive Second Edition launches in paperback. A PDF edition is on the roadmap. Sign up for updates below and we'll let you know when digital access is available.

Yes. County environmental health programs and college EH departments can email info@passREHS.com for group orders of 10+ copies. We offer educational discounts and can stage shipments ahead of trainee cohorts.

Yes. If you find an error (a typo, an outdated citation, an ambiguous question), report it to corrections@passREHS.com. The authors confirm each report and incorporate the fix in the next printing.

Contents

Seventeen modules covering the CDPH exam scope

Organized for working through over twelve weeks, or a fast review the week before exam day.

General Environmental Health, Statutes & Administration
Food Protection & CalCode
Communicable & Foodborne Disease
Dairy & Milk Science
Potable Water (Drinking Water)
Liquid Waste & Wastewater
Solid Waste Management
Hazardous Materials & Underground Storage Tanks
Medical Waste
Recreational Health (Pools & Spas)
Housing & Institutions
Vector Control & Pest Management
Air Pollution & Toxicology
Light, Noise, Radiation & Sampling
Disaster Response & Personal Protective Equipment
Body Art Facilities (AB 300)
Epidemiology Concepts & Calculations
Four appendices · two quick-reference sheets · glossary

Each module pairs essential concepts with practice questions that mirror the real exam: 566 questions total, plus two cumulative 100-question practice exams and six California outbreak case studies.

What's inside

Built to make the material actually stick

Complete content review, exam-style practice questions, and a structured study plan, built specifically for the California (CDPH) REHS exam. Every module pairs the must-know definitions and concepts with the memory aids that make them stick. Three short examples below.

Module 1 · §1.6

Misconduct: three categories

  • Malfeasance
    Doing something wrongful that you have no legal right to do.
    Requiring an operator to replace a sink that is fully code-compliant.
  • Misfeasance
    A lawful act performed in a wrongful or improper manner.
    Inspector uses the wrong test strip and erroneously closes a facility.
  • Nonfeasance
    Total omission or failure to perform a required duty.
    Observing hazardous waste dumping and failing to report or stop it.
Memory aid
MAL = BAD (Latin mal). MIS = MIStakenly. NON = doing NOTHING.
Module 2 · §2.1

FAT TOM: bacterial growth factors

  • F
    Food (nutrients)
    Proteins & carbs: meat, dairy
  • A
    Acidity (pH)
    Pathogens thrive pH 4.6–7.0
  • T
    Temperature
    Danger zone 41 °F – 135 °F
  • T
    Time
    Doubles every 15–30 min
  • O
    Oxygen
    Aerobic, anaerobic, facultative
  • M
    Moisture (Aw)
    Aw ≥ 0.85 is ideal for growth
Memory aid
Take away any one factor and you slow or stop growth. CalCode controls primarily attack Temperature and Time.
Module 4 · §4.1

Pasteurization methods

  • LTLT (Vat)≥ 145 °F · 30 min
    Sour cream, yogurt, small-batch products
  • HTST≥ 161 °F · 15 sec
    Common commercial fluid milk
  • HHST191–212 °F · 1–14 sec
    Specialty products
  • UHT≥ 280 °F · 2 sec
    Shelf-stable boxed milk
Key point
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) is the most heat-tolerant milk pathogen. Vat is calibrated to it: kill Q fever, kill everything less tolerant.

Every module pairs key tables with memory aids built specifically for the California REHS exam, plus scenarios, knowledge checks, and a critical-citations index.

Free preview

Start studying today: three free downloads

One to plan your study, one to drill the essentials, one for exam day. Enter your email below to unlock all three PDFs instantly.

Diagnostic

Diagnostic Pretest

A 40-question self-assessment with full answer key and a four-tier scoring grid. Take it first to find out exactly where you stand before committing weeks to a study plan.

Unlocks with your email
 Flashcards

Critical Definitions Flashcards

137 term-definition pairs from Appendix B, formatted four-up per page and double-sided. Print on cardstock, cut along the guides, and carry the stack with you anywhere.

Unlocks with your email
 Exam day

Exam Day Practical Guide

What to bring, what to expect, what to leave behind, the two-pass strategy, and what to do if you don't pass the first time. Four pages of practical, calming preparation.

Unlocks with your email

Unlock all three free PDFs

Enter your email and we'll send the download links right away, plus one note when the full workbook launches.

One email to unlock the downloads, plus a launch notice. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

✓ Check your inbox. Your three free PDFs are on the way.
New: interactive study tool

Take the practice quiz online

451 questions from the Practice Companion, right in your browser. Drill by module with instant feedback and full rationales, or run a timed Exam Simulation that mirrors real pacing. Try a free sample now, no purchase required.

Drill Mode

Study by topic

Pick one of the 17 modules or mix them all. See the correct answer and the rationale immediately after every question, so a miss becomes a study target instead of a mystery.

Exam Simulation

Timed & graded

90 seconds per question, the same pacing the Practice Companion uses for its own full-length exams. A full score breakdown by module when you finish, plus a one-click retake of everything you missed.

Try the free sample

25 questions, no purchase required. Full access, all 451 questions, topic filtering, and Exam Simulation, is included with every Workbook, Practice Companion, National Test Bank, or Bundle purchase. Already have a code? Enter it here.

Who it's for

If you're sitting for the California REHS exam, this is for you

EH Trainees

Recent graduates in EHS Trainee roles getting ready for a first attempt at the exam.

Career Changers

Moving into environmental health from public health, biology, chemistry, or a related field.

Repeat Candidates

Came up short the first time and want a tighter, California-focused review for the retake.

Out-of-State REHS

Coming in for California reciprocity, where the gap is the California law, not the science.

EH Program Instructors

California EH faculty looking for a current supplement to their course materials.

County Training Programs

County EH departments who want a clear study reference for trainee onboarding.

About the authors

Paracelsus, former California REHS

P
Paracelsus
Former Registered Environmental Health Specialists
“The dose makes the poison.” The principle behind most of the science the REHS exam tests.

Paracelsus is the collective pen name of a group of former Registered Environmental Health Specialists and environmental health supervisors with firsthand experience inspecting food, water, housing, and recreational facilities across California, and training the next generation of REHS professionals.

Together, they have run inspection programs in retail food, public pools and spas, body art facilities, detention facilities, and housing, and have mentored REHS candidates from the trainee phase through the certification exam.

The pen name honors the Renaissance physician and toxicologist who first articulated that “the dose makes the poison.” It's the resource the authors wish had existed when they first took the exam.

From the field

What candidates are saying

★★★★★

"The diagnostic pretest alone saved me weeks — I knew exactly which modules to focus on instead of re-reading everything."

SC
Sarah C.
EHS Trainee
★★★★★

"Finally a guide that leads with CalCode and Title 22 instead of generic national content. The cross-references are gold."

MW
Marcus W.
Out-of-state REHS, reciprocity
★★★★★

"Coming from a biology background with no field experience, the module structure made the material genuinely approachable."

JR
Jessica R.
Career changer
Contact & updates

Questions, corrections, or just want to stay in the loop?

We're a small group of former California REHS. Reach out directly. One of us reads every message.

General inquiries

Questions about the workbook, the Practice Companion, the exam, or anything else.

info@passREHS.com

Corrections & errata

Found a typo, an outdated citation, or an ambiguous question? Let us know and we'll fix it in the next printing.

corrections@passREHS.com

Get study tips and updates

The workbook, Practice Companion, and bundle are all available now. Order above. Drop your email for study tips, correction notices, and news on future editions.

✓ You're on the list.