How I Passed the RD Exam

Well guys, the day that I thought I would never see actually came and passed – I passed the RD exam and am now officially a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist!!! Clara Norfleet, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Wow. A week later and it still feels weird to be able to say that. 

Okay, okay, okay. I need to back up a little. I know I was a major slacker at keeping y’all UTD (up to date) on my community and food service management rotations, so I apologize! I know many future dietetic interns follow me and were interested in seeing the life of a dietetic intern…well, turns out the life of a dietetic intern is hectic. Work a full 8 hour work day (unpaid), then come home and work on assignments while also balancing a social life and managing daily workouts left little time for extracurriculars. As easy as it should’ve been to plug in a couple sentences at the end of each day about what I did, I just couldn’t make myself think about nutrition any more by the end of the day. If you are interested in hearing more about my community and food service rotations, I will happily draft up some posts highlighting each 🙂 Just say the word!

Since passing the exam, I’ve had a number of dietetic students and other interns email and message me asking how/what I studied to pass the exam. Am I allowed to say sheer luck??? Ha, kidding! It wasn’t easy, and I definitely put in my fair share of days and nights spent studying to pass that exam. It’s doable though! Today I’m sharing the tools that I used, and tips that I found helpful to pass the RD exam.

Tools I used

• DietitianExam.com: My internship program got a group discount for this online review program. IT was comprised of 40 something modules that reviewed information from each domain. A lecture would be presented first, then a practice quiz with 25 questions. There were also longer review modules comprised of 125 questions. I liked how this was broken down into modules as it made it feel more manageable. However, after using other review material, I found that the modules left out some information that I found important. If you’re looking for a more condensed version of study material, this is probably for you.
• Jean Inman: Ol’ Jean Inman. I’m pretty sure every dietetic intern knows her by name. Couldn’t tell you what she looks like, though. After completing the Dietitian Exam modules, I then went back and went through the Jean Inman Review Guide. All 200-something pages of it. It is DENSE, y’all. Seriously, I don’t think you’ll find a review guide more thorough than this one. Unlike Dietitian Exam, it isn’t broken down into modules, but rather typed up like a book with the different domains broken down, It also comes with like, 1000 practice questions. I don’t know the exact number, but it is a LOT. If it’s been a while since you took undergrad courses or you are looking for a more thorough review course, then I definitely recommend this one. You can also get it with a CD as well. 
• Notecards: I think I made over 700 notecards, and took a big bunch of them with me everywhere. I had a bunch in my purse, a bunch or two in my car (optimizing my time sitting in traffic and at red lights), as well as in my pool bag….maybe even by the toilet. They’re an easy tool to hammer facts in your brain. There are some pre-made notecard review products, but I learn better by writing it out….I’m pretty sure my hand is still cramped.

  

• Notes: The ol’ standard note taking. Like I said, I learn better by writing out the information, so I probably wrote out half of the material — that which I had trouble recalling, or needed extra study time with. I’d write it down, then go back and highlight major points as I read through it again. Worked for me, may or may not work for you. 
• Quizlet: You’d be surprised how many people have made online flashcards for the RD exam. UTILIZE THEM!! If I found myself with some free time without any of my study materials on me, I used the Quizlet app on my phone to flip through RD exam review. Genius.

Tips for you:

• Schedule your exam soon after completing your internship. Seriously, while all of that knowledge is fresh on your brain and you’re still in the study/nutrition/student mode, take that exam and get it out of the way!! Apparently statistics show that the longer you wait, the less likely you are to pass. I completed my internship on May 2 and took my exam June 22. That gave me some time to take a little time off (roughly a week) before jumping in to study. I had some trips planned here and there, (and started my job!!), so while it sounds like a long time, it flew by. It worked for me, though. Additionally, schedule your exam for a time in the day that your attention is best. For me, that was mid-morning. Others that may be 8 am, or 8 pm. I had the option to choose what time, so the sooner you choose your date, the more likely the chance you’ll have a better selection of hours. 
• Study a little every day. Even if you don’t have time to sit down for 3-4 hours every day, do something to study, even if it’s running through some flashcards in traffic. 
• Don’t overstudy!!! I actually had to have people tell me this during my last few days of preparation. I was freaking out, trying to cram in everything “one last time”. Memorizing lab values, state programs, and management theories was about to drive me insane. Breathe! If you don’t know it, you don’t know it. It isn’t the end of the world. And honestly, you proooobably know more than you think you do. 
• Don’t stress out. I know that’s like, the worst advice to give. “Don’t stress out”??? Yeah, OKAY Clara. Really, though! Remind yourself that you’ve been studying this material for the last what, four or so years of your life? You KNOW this stuff!!! You sat through class after class of this information during undergrad, and you’ve spent a year (or two) working alongside preceptors to put it into practical application. You know much more than you think you do.
• READ. THE. QUESTION. ALL OF IT. The RD exam is one of those super annoying exams that has questions like “What is the BEST answer?” or “What is the first thing that should be addressed?”…Yeah, annoying. You sit there and look at all four answers thinking they’re all viable options. Well, turns out only one is right. Read the questions fully, and really pay attention to key words used to determine what the question is really asking. Use all of those critical thinking skills and clinical judgment you’ve built up over the years! 
• Know yourself. How do you study to perform your best on exams? Everyone is different! Know what works for YOU. Just because these tips worked for me doesn’t mean they’ll work for you. 

Other fun, useful tips for you:

• Schedule nights off! During your weeks of studying leading up to the exam, make sure you schedule a couple fun events or “days off” from studying to get your mind off of all things nutrition and dietetics related. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 
• Eat a good breakfast/lunch a few hours before, and then have a snack like…right before you walk in. The exam can take up to two and a half hours, and if you’re anything like me, you’d get hungry two hours in and lose the ability to fully pay attention. I knew that’d happen to me if I didn’t prepare, so I had breakfast around 6:30, then threw down a banana and almond butter 30 minutes before my exam.
• Give yourself plenty of time leading up to the exam. Common sense, right? Have everything set out the night before, know where you are going to take the exam, and wake up early enough to not feel rushed. 
• Dress well, test well. Ha! If that works for you. I opted to at least throw on jeans and a tank top to make myself feel more presentable and focused, but I also brought a sweatshirt because I knew I’d get cold. 
• Assume the “Power Stance”. I learned this tip sometime in college, and I will admit that as embarrassing as it is, I utilize every time I have a big presentation, exam, or event. Right before walking in, park yourself in front of a mirror and stare yourself in the eyes and say to yourself (either out loud or in your head) “You are competent, capable, and qualified”…or whatever you need to hear in the final moments going into the exam. I know, I KNOW. It sounds goofy, but I swear it can help to boost your confidence if you even half believe those words. 
• Pray!! I wouldn’t have made it through those grueling two months of studying and cramming without a heavy reliance on and faith in the Lord. I frequently reminded myself that He had a greater, wonderful, perfect plan for me, and that all things happen according to HIS will. Pray for peace, assurance, and belief in yourself that you can do this WITH Him. I immediately felt a sense of peace everytime I took my worries to Him.
• CELEBRATE! Seriously, you deserve it! Whether it’s getting a manicure, treating yourself to a large cone of ice cream (or green smoothie….whatever), a fancy dinner with friends/family, or even just spending the next day laying around doing NOTHING, make sure you treat yourself for enduring an completing such a long, tiring, and rewarding task. YOU DID IT. 
   

That’s it!! I hope this gave you a little more insight on how I passed the RD exam, and perhaps you are able to take away some tips of advice for when you take the exam as well. And hey, even if you don’t pass the first time around, it’s not the end of the world. You don’t have to tell future employers that you had to take it more than once, you aren’t a failure, and you will still be a Registered Dietitian. The exam is completely random and different from person to person, so the questions one person got, another person may not get any like it! 

What are some of your study tips for big exams?