Free RD Exam Practice Test (Registered Dietitian Exam)
Registered dietitian exam practice questions written to CDR’s outlines, with an explanation for every answer.
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which factor is a motivator rather than a hygiene factor?
459 original questions · timed 145-question practice exams on the 2026 and 2027 outlines · 34 calculation questions in their own drill
RD exam practice questions by content area
Every question is tagged to a domain on both CDR outlines, so the same practice serves exams before and after January 1, 2027. Each content area has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Food Science and Food Composition
38 questions
Starch, gluten, egg, milk, meat and sugar cookery, browning reactions, pigments, emulsions, leavening, preservation, additives and food labeling claims.
Human Nutrition and Life-Cycle Needs
48 questions
Vitamins and minerals, digestion and absorption, energy, DRIs, macronutrients and fiber, pregnancy, lactation, infant and child feeding, aging and sports nutrition.
Nutrition Education and Counseling
38 questions
Stages of change, motivational interviewing, behavior change theories, learning domains and objectives, teach-back, health literacy, group education and program evaluation.
Research and Evidence-Based Practice
31 questions
Study designs, hypotheses and errors, p-values, central tendency, statistical tests, sensitivity, relative risk, IRB review, consent and the Evidence Analysis Library.
Screening, Assessment and Nutrition Diagnosis
56 questions
Screening tools, anthropometrics, malnutrition criteria, the nutrition-focused physical exam, labs, drug-nutrient interactions, energy and fluid needs and PES statements.
Medical Nutrition Therapy and Nutrition Support
96 questions
Diabetes, heart, kidney, liver and GI disease, cancer, critical care, wounds, bariatric surgery, inborn errors, dysphagia, and enteral and parenteral nutrition.
Community and Public Health Nutrition
40 questions
WIC, SNAP, school meals, CACFP and Older Americans Act programs, national surveys, dietary guidance, levels of prevention, needs assessment and program planning.
Management, Ethics and Professional Practice
60 questions
Management functions and theories, leadership, human resources law, budgets and FTEs, quality improvement, marketing, the Code of Ethics, scope of practice, HIPAA and billing.
Foodservice Systems and Food Safety
52 questions
Food Code temperatures, cooling, HACCP, foodborne illness, menus, standardized recipes, forecasting, purchasing, inventory, production, service systems and sustainability.
RD Exam Calculations
34 questions across every area
RD exam math across the outline: IBW, BMI and weight change, energy and fluid needs, tube feeding and PN, carbohydrate counting, FTEs, food cost, yield and statistics.
Practice Exam: 2022-2026 Outline
145 questions · 3 hours
For exams through December 31, 2026. 120 scored questions in the four domains’ weights (25, 54, 25, 16) plus 25 unscored pretest questions, one way like the real exam.
Practice Exam: 2027 Outline
145 questions · 3 hours
For exams from January 1, 2027. 120 scored questions in the new domains’ weights (28, 26, 48, 18) plus 25 unscored pretest questions.
Want a quick check across everything first? Take the free mixed drill: ten questions from all nine areas. Changing outlines? Read what changes on January 1, 2027.
Ready for a full exam?
145 questions in 3 hours, one way like the real exam, on the 2026 or the 2027 outline, scored by domain, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe RD exam at a glance
Answer RD exam practice questions written to CDR’s published outlines, read the explanation for every answer, then take a timed practice exam that works like the real one: one question at a time, no going back, scored by domain.
The Registration Examination for Dietitians is the national exam for the registered dietitian (RD or RDN) credential, set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. It is computer adaptive and given year-round at Pearson VUE test centers. The 2022-2026 outline applies through December 31, 2026, and a new 2027-2031 outline applies from January 1, 2027.
- Exam
- Registration Examination for Dietitians (the RD exam), developed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Passing earns the RD credential, which can also be written RDN
- Format
- Computer adaptive and variable length: 125 to 145 multiple-choice questions with four options each, of which 100 to 120 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions you cannot tell apart
- Time
- 3 hours from the first question, in a 3.5-hour appointment that adds a 20-minute tutorial and a 10-minute survey. If you answer fewer than 125 questions in 3 hours, the exam is scored as a failure
- Navigation
- One question at a time: you must answer each question to continue, and you cannot skip, go back or change an answer. An on-screen calculator is provided
- Content through Dec 31, 2026
- 2022-2026 outline: Principles of Dietetics 21%, Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups 45%, Management of Food and Nutrition Programs and Services 21%, Foodservice Systems 13%
- Content from Jan 1, 2027
- 2027-2031 outline: Fundamentals of Dietetics Practice 23%, Community and Public Health Nutrition 22%, Human Nutrition and Medical Nutrition Therapy 40%, Food Science and Food Systems 15%
- Scoring
- Scaled from 1 to 50; you pass with a scaled score of 25. The number of correct answers needed varies with the difficulty of the questions you get. Your printed score report, given at the test center, includes content-area subscores for information only
- Fee
- $250, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule. An optional $350 test bundle covers the first attempt plus a voucher for a discounted retake ($100)
- Retakes
- Retest 46 days after an unsuccessful attempt, after reauthorizing with CDR. Candidates who establish eligibility on or after January 1, 2027 have a lifetime limit of eight attempts
- Eligibility
- A graduate degree plus ACEND-accredited coursework (DPD, CP or GP) and supervised practice (DI, ISPP, CP or GP), verified by CDR. Authorization to test lasts one year
- Where and when
- Year-round by appointment at more than 250 Pearson VUE test centers
- Pass rates
- January to June 2026: 68.1% of 1,350 first attempts by graduates of ACEND programs passed. Of 3,411 examinees whose one-year window from their first attempt ended in 2025, 83.9% passed within that year
Where the exam fits in becoming a registered dietitian
- Earn a graduate degree and complete ACEND-accredited coursework (a DPD, coordinated program or graduate program) and supervised practice (a dietetic internship, ISPP, coordinated program or graduate program).
- Your program director verifies completion with CDR. Within a week you receive an Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE, valid for one year.
- Schedule and pay ($250) with Pearson VUE, then take the exam at a test center. You get your score report before you leave.
- After passing, check your state’s licensure or certification rules, which are separate from the CDR credential.
- Keep the credential by completing 75 continuing education units every 5 years in CDR’s Professional Development Portfolio.
How to use this RD exam prep
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all nine areas.
- Drill your weakest areas, starting with medical nutrition therapy and nutrition assessment, the largest share of either outline.
- Take the calculations drill until energy, fluid, tube-feeding, FTE and food cost math feels quick: you have about 74 seconds per question on the longest exam.
- Take the full practice exam for your outline under the real 3-hour clock, then drill your two lowest domains and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the RD exam?
Between 125 and 145. The exam is computer adaptive: everyone answers at least 125 questions (100 scored and 25 unscored pretest), and the computer can continue to a maximum of 145 (120 scored and 25 pretest). Every question has four options, and the pretest questions look the same as the scored ones.
How long is the RD exam?
3 hours from the first question. The appointment is 3.5 hours, including a 20-minute tutorial and a 10-minute survey. If you answer fewer than 125 questions in 3 hours, the exam is scored as a failure, so pacing matters: 145 questions in 3 hours is about 74 seconds each.
Can you go back on the RD exam?
No. You must answer each question to move on, and you cannot skip, review or change earlier answers. Our full practice exams work the same way.
What score do you need to pass the RD exam?
A scaled score of 25 on CDR’s 1 to 50 scale. CDR does not publish a percentage of correct answers, because the number needed depends on the difficulty of the questions each candidate gets. Our results show your percent correct overall and in every domain, not a pass line.
What is the RD exam pass rate?
CDR reports that 68.1% of 1,350 first attempts by graduates of ACEND-accredited programs passed from January to June 2026. Of 3,411 examinees whose one-year window from the first attempt ended in 2025, 83.9% passed within that year.
Is the RD exam changing in 2027?
Yes. A new outline takes effect on January 1, 2027, with four new domains: Fundamentals of Dietetics Practice 23%, Community and Public Health Nutrition 22%, Human Nutrition and Medical Nutrition Therapy 40%, and Food Science and Food Systems 15%. The content is largely the same; it is grouped differently, with more weight on nutrition science and MNT and less on foodservice. We have a practice exam for each outline.
How much does the RD exam cost?
$250, paid when you schedule with Pearson VUE. CDR also offers a $350 test bundle that includes the first attempt and a voucher for a discounted retake.
How soon can I retake the RD exam?
After 45 days: CDR lets you retest 46 days after an unsuccessful attempt, once you reauthorize. Candidates who establish eligibility on or after January 1, 2027 can take the exam at most eight times.
Does CDR have official RD exam practice questions?
Yes. CDR posts a free set of sample questions with rationales on its study page, along with the study outlines. The questions on this site are original practice written to CDR’s published outlines; they are not CDR questions.
What about the DTR exam?
The Registration Examination for Dietetic Technicians is a separate CDR exam: 110 to 130 questions (80 to 100 scored and 30 pretest), a $160 fee and its own outline. This site covers the RD exam only.
Ready for test day?
145 questions in 3 hours, one way like the real exam, on the 2026 or the 2027 outline, scored by domain, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- CDR: RD Exam Candidate Handbook 2026 (format, timing, scoring, fee, retest wait)
- CDR: RD Exam Overview (lifetime attempt limit from 2027, test bundle)
- CDR: Study resources, both test specifications, the 2022 vs 2027 comparison and CDR practice questions
- CDR: 2027-2031 RD Test Specifications and Expanded Study Outline (PDF)
- CDR: RD Examination Eligibility Requirements
- CDR: RD Exam Pass/Fail Statistics
- CDR: Exam FAQ (four options, no review, calculator)
- CDR: Professional Development Portfolio (75 CPEUs every 5 years)
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to CDR’s 2022-2026 and 2027-2031 RD test specifications; they are not CDR exam questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or Pearson VUE. RD and RDN are credentials of CDR and marks of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Follow current guidelines and your state’s scope of practice in patient care.