TheoryRegistered Dietitian Study Guide
Study for the Registered Dietitian with exam topics, practice questions, a free PDF, video walkthrough and timed mock exam links.
How to study for Registered Dietitian
- Read the topic list so you know what the exam is likely to cover.
- Answer the free practice questions and read every explanation.
- Download the PDF for offline review.
- Use timed mock exams when your untimed practice feels comfortable.
Topics to review
- Safe and effective care environment
- Health promotion and maintenance
- Psychosocial and physiological integrity
- Pharmacology, infection control and patient safety
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Q1Which anthropometric measurement is most commonly used to assess body fat distribution and cardiovascular disease risk?
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✓ Correct answer: Waist circumference
Waist circumference reflects visceral adiposity and is the most widely used anthropometric marker for cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk. BMI reflects total weight relative to height but does not distinguish fat distribution.
Q2Which laboratory value is considered the best single marker of long-term glycemic control in patients with diabetes?
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✓ Correct answer: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
HbA1c reflects average blood glucose over approximately 2–3 months and is the gold standard for monitoring long-term glycemic control. Fasting glucose and postprandial glucose are point-in-time measurements.
Q3The Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) classifies nutritional status into which categories?
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✓ Correct answer: Well-nourished, Moderately malnourished, Severely malnourished
SGA uses clinical judgment incorporating history and physical findings to classify patients as A (well-nourished), B (moderately malnourished), or C (severely malnourished). It does not use a four-tier system.
Q4A hospitalized patient has a serum albumin of 2.8 g/dL. Which factor most limits the interpretation of albumin as a nutritional marker in this patient?
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✓ Correct answer: Acute-phase response reduces albumin synthesis and increases its redistribution
Albumin is a negative acute-phase protein; inflammation, stress, and illness suppress its synthesis and cause fluid shifts that lower serum levels independently of nutritional intake. Its 20-day half-life makes it a poor marker of short-term nutrition changes as well.
Q5According to the 2012 ASPEN/AND consensus definitions, which combination of criteria is required to diagnose malnutrition in adults in the context of chronic illness?
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✓ Correct answer: Inadequate energy intake AND one of: weight loss, loss of muscle mass, loss of subcutaneous fat, localized fluid accumulation, or reduced grip strength
The 2012 ASPEN/AND consensus framework requires inadequate energy intake plus at least one of five physical findings: weight loss, loss of muscle, loss of subcutaneous fat, fluid accumulation, or diminished functional status. Lab values alone do not diagnose malnutrition under this framework.
Q6Which equation is most commonly used in clinical practice to estimate resting metabolic rate (RMR) in adults?
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✓ Correct answer: Mifflin-St Jeor equation
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation has been validated as the most accurate predictive equation for RMR in normal-weight and obese adults. Harris-Benedict was historically dominant but overestimates RMR in obese individuals.
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