How to Study for the RD Exam

Wondering how to study for the RD exam and how to pass the RD exam? Use these tried-and-true RD exam tips for studying!

If you’re wondering about test prep for the RD test, use my tips on how to study for the RD exam. They’re the ones that I used myself to become a dietitian!

Here’s a photo of one of my favorite dietitian moments: making homemade Cheerios in the General Mills Betty Crocker kitchen!

My, how time flies! My five-year RD-aversary was yesterday, on September 24. So what better timing to write a post about how I passed my registered dietitian exam and how life has changed oh so much since then.

Here’s the story of how I passed my registered dietitian test and became an MS, RDN. Plus, I’m sharing my best tips on how to pass the RDN exam on your first try!

RDN exam prep tips

Have questions about how to pass the RD exam? I’ve got you! I’ll start with how I passed my RDN test!

Here’s what I consider to be the best RD exam study material. These are the materials that I used myself when I was studying for the RD exam.

• Jean Inman’s Review Course
• Review of Dietetics by Mary Abbott Hess
• Visual Veggies Study Guide

And now, read on for my top 10 tips on how to study and get prepared!

1. Give yourself enough time

Wondering how hard it is to pass the RDN exam? It’s hard. Really hard.

But preparing for it and passing it is very doable. After spending six years in night school to finish my DPD classes and then seven months in my dietetic internship, I wanted to be an RDN as soon as possible.

But I scheduled my RDN exam about four weeks after finishing my internship. I studied full time, and this was just enough time for me.

Other people told me they needed anywhere from two weeks full time to six months part time, so it all depends on how much time you have, as well as your study habits.

2. Make a study schedule

I’m a big scheduler, and I used this to my advantage when it came to how to study for the RD exam. I use my Google calendar (you can also use a paper planner!) to mark down every task I need to do in a day–and I block out chunks of time to complete them.

So I did the same thing when creating a schedule to study for my exam. I determined what days I’d be covering which domains, and which RD exam practice questions I was slated to take.

You could even make a registered dietitian exam syllabus. My schedule for that month was eat, sleep, study, and go to Pilates!

3. Start with the most challenging domain

I have a natural interest in food science but not one in food service management. So with my Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) prep, I started with the domains that I needed the most help in, such as nutrition care.

I wanted to get to everything, but my theory was that if I ran out of time, then I’d be shorting the material I was already somewhat comfortable with.

4. Get helpful study materials

I had many RD study materials, including a RDN exam model question paper with answers and a RD study guide for the registered dietitian exam! 

So when it comes to how to study for the RD exam, here’s what I did.

I used a mix of Jean Inman’s printed and audio study materials, the Review of Dietetics from Hess & Hunt (aka the Hess and Hunt Review of Dietetics), Visual Veggies RD Hanging with Nutrition, Visual Veggies RD Practice Exam, and the Registered Dietitian Exam Prep app.

The Inman guide is expensive, but you can usually buy a used copy from a classmate or on ebay. And the Inman materials are by far the best registered dietitian exam study guide.

From what I’ve seen, there are only small differences between the previous and current version of the Inman study guide, so you can save a few dollars by buying not-the-newest version.

And the RD exam questions it contained were incredibly helpful. It’s very comprehensive but not too overwhelming. It was my most essential study tool.

When it comes to studying for the RDN exam, I used the Hess & Hunt guide as a more in-depth reference when needed, but given my study schedule I found that I didn’t have time to use it very enough.

I also think there’s absolutely no shame in getting registered dietitian exam tutoring if you need it. Hire a registered dietitian exam tutor if you think the one-on-one attention will help you!

5. Make studying fun

I liked the audio version of Jean Inman because it allowed me to mix up how I studied. I uploaded it to my phone and listened to it while I was putting on make-up in the morning.

I’d also play it while taking a study walk for an hour or two every day.

Then I played the hangman-style game on RD Hanging with Nutrition when I needed a break from studying that was for the registration examination for dietitians. It was a fun dietitian studying guide for the CDR exam.

6. Start testing yourself early

When it comes to how to study for the RD exam, testing yourself early for the RD exam with registered dietitian exam questions is one of the most helpful things you can do, and this is also the major thing I would have started on earlier.

I waited until I’d studied a good amount to start testing myself, but I wish I’d started on day one—since I didn’t get close to completing all the review questions. You can start with completing a certain number of questions each day.

I took many a registered dietitian practice exam! I used the questions provided by Jean Inman.

I also used the interactive questions on RD Practice Exam and Registered Dietitian Exam Prep. RD Practice Exam was really helpful because I got feedback on all the different answer choices.

7. Test yourself on the go

I liked having the Registered Dietitian Exam Prep on my phone because it allowed me to answer study questions when I had a few moments waiting for a train or a doctor’s appointment.

The RD practice exam questions it contains are very helpful. It was a useful registered dietitian study guide. I also mixed up where I studied, going to different coffee shops every day to get out of my apartment.

8. Study how you’ve always studied

If you’ve gotten this far, you know what works for you and what doesn’t. I know that a study schedule is ideal for me and that I need to get out of the house to make the most out of my time.

I also use a highlighter to highlight absolutely every word of importance and make lots of notes with colored pens! So do what works for you, and you’ll do great.

9. Pack a fueling test-day breakfast

This is a no-brainer for anyone studying nutrition, but sometimes stress makes your forget important things!

I scheduled my RD test for first thing in the morning and took a Greek yogurt parfait with me. I had a few minutes to relax outside, eat breakfast, and review my notes prior to the test.

And honestly, I looked at all the possible test centers and chose a PSI exam center in an area that I thought would have a decent view out the window!

10. Celebrate!

I had to head out of town the same day I took my registered dietitian exam, so I celebrated with a Jamba Juice smoothie and a chair massage on the way home. Then I went to Europe for a month-long celebration!

Make sure you treat yourself for all your hard work. I’m glad I took a vacation before I started working, since there’s no way I could take a month off right now. Celebrate that RDN exam pass rate that you just contributed to! 

Becoming a nutritionist  

Now that I’m an RDN and have completed the path to becoming a registered dietitian, I’m living my dream as a media dietitian. That sounds so cheesy, but it’s so true. I love what I do. 

I have a part-time virtual private practice in the New York City area, focusing my nutrition counseling in plant-based eating, weight management, and general wellness.

I’ve also have my online shop with meal plans and portion-controlled recipe e-books so that anyone can access my healthy-eating tools.

I also write a lot of nutrition-focused articles for websites and magazines like ReadersDigest.com, WeightWatchers.com, Shape.com, Women’s Health, and Runner’s World. I’ve written more than 1,000 articles and completed more than 1,000 media interviews! 

And I work with brands I love to do spokesperson work and recipe development. I also have a media coaching business, which allows me to work with RDs and other health professionals to help them get their writing published and be more comfortable with the media.

And I co-run the Master the Media Coaching Program, which helps other RDs get their names in the news, as well as the Media Mastery Facebook group!

My business has grown so much that I’ve even hired a social media virtual assistant! Bottom line: All that studying for the RDN exam is SO worth it!  

I completed my nutrition degree programs at New York University and Utah State University. My education in nutrition even includes some master’s degree classes.

While I don’t have a degree in nutrition, but I do have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Visual Art Studies from the University of Florida, as well as a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Becoming an RDN requires the completion of a dietetic internship from one of many accredited programs, 1,200 supervised practice hours and the passing of the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s dietetic registration exam.

To maintain the RDN credential, a registered dietitian must complete 75 continuing-education hours every five years. 

The bottom line

When it comes to how to study for the RD exam, you have lots of RD exam study tips at your fingertips. If you follow these strategies, you will be in good shape for passing the RDN exam.

More dietitian resources

If you found this post on how to study for the RD exam helpful, you might also find these posts helpful.

I often get asked about how my second career path as a media dietitian, so I put together these primers just for you!

• How to Make a Career Change to Become a Dietitian
• The Best Thing About Becoming a Registered Dietitian? For Me, It’s Being a Media RD

Disclosure: I received the Visual Veggies software to review but was not compensated for my time. So you’ll see a Visual Veggies review here!

What are your best study tips for how to study for the RD exam? What’s your RD exam study schedule? What are your top RDN exam tips? Share your tips that you used for how to pass the RD exam.