To become a registered dietitian or pursue a related career, you may need to pass a dietitian exam. To study for a dietitian exam, you will most likely need to take nutrition and health courses and possibly earn a degree. Enrolling in an exam preparation class and using study materials that cover specific content on the exam, such as the diagnosis of nutrition-related illnesses, may also be beneficial. The exam’s administering organization may provide study materials for each dietitian exam content area, but you can also buy review handbooks and manuals.
Taking college classes can help you pass a test that assesses your dietetics knowledge. Food selection, nutrition, biology, and food service systems are typically covered in courses offered by a local college or online. Such courses are usually included in nutrition science degree programs, but whether you need a degree depends on the type of exam you’re taking. To become a registered dietitian in some jurisdictions, for example, a person must pass a national examination, which often requires a bachelor’s degree.
In addition to attending college classes, you can study for this type of exam by visiting the testing organization’s website. Frequently, the organization in charge of testing aspiring dietitians provides helpful hints and tips, as well as an overview of the topics covered on the exam. These websites frequently offer study guides and practice tests that are specific to the concepts covered on the exam. Concepts such as food and nutrition sciences, nutrition screening and assessment, counseling and research, food service systems, and nutritional management are common examples. You may be able to obtain study materials for free, or you may be required to purchase them from the testing organization or a website to which it directs you.
Handbooks and manuals are frequently available from dietitian certification organizations, dietitian education programs, and bookstores. These study guides go over the content areas that are typically covered on certification exams in detail. For example, dietary guidelines for people in a specific country, food service management, menu labeling, sustainability, waste management, and world religion and food practices, as well as other concepts covered on a dietitian exam, are usually covered in books like this.
Exam preparation classes may also be beneficial as you prepare for the dietitian exam. Workshops and seminars designed specifically for exam preparation, for example, can help you focus on the topics that will be tested and reinforce your knowledge in those areas. They usually cover nutrition principles, nutritional care for individuals and adults, food program management, and food service concepts. You can find such courses by contacting local community and four-year colleges or searching the website of the exam’s sponsoring organization.