10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,036-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The CNS exam has 200 questions and runs 4 hours.
These 10 free CNS questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Nutrition Specialist blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A patient who had the terminal ileum surgically removed is at risk for a specific vitamin deficiency, even with adequate dietary intake and normal stomach function. Which vitamin is it?
Correct answer: D - Vitamin B12, which is absorbed in the terminal ileum with intrinsic factor
A patient with a thiamine (B1) deficiency will have impaired activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase. In which coenzyme form does thiamine act in this reaction?
Correct answer: B - Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)
A 58-year-old vegan presents with fatigue, paresthesia in both feet, and a macrocytic anemia. Serum folate is normal. Which single laboratory finding would MOST specifically confirm vitamin B12 deficiency rather than folate deficiency as the cause?
Correct answer: A - Elevated methylmalonic acid, which folate deficiency does not raise
A client self-supplementing with high-dose zinc for months develops a microcytic anemia and low neutrophil count unresponsive to iron. Chronic excess of zinc most directly causes a deficiency of which mineral?
Correct answer: C - Copper
Under the GLIM framework, a hospitalized patient is being evaluated for malnutrition. Which combination is the MINIMUM required to confirm the diagnosis?
Correct answer: C - At least one phenotypic and one etiologic criterion
A client stabilized on warfarin asks for dietary advice after being told to 'avoid vitamin K.' What is the MOST appropriate counseling?
Correct answer: C - Keep vitamin K intake consistent from day to day
A client taking several supplements is scheduled for surgery. Which combination poses the GREATEST concern for increased bleeding risk and should be reviewed with the surgical team?
Correct answer: A - Fish oil, ginkgo biloba, and garlic
Two years after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a patient reports fatigue and tingling in the hands. Because the surgery bypasses the duodenum and proximal jejunum, which combination of deficiencies is MOST characteristic and warrants lifelong monitoring?
Correct answer: A - Iron, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D
A patient with cirrhosis develops hepatic encephalopathy. Rather than severe protein restriction, current medical nutrition therapy favors adequate protein and consideration of which specific nutrient to support this population?
Correct answer: B - Branched-chain amino acids
A pregnant client asks which foods to avoid to protect her fetus from a foodborne pathogen that can cross the placenta and cause miscarriage or stillbirth. Which pathogen is the primary concern, and which food group is most implicated?
Correct answer: D - Listeria monocytogenes, linked to deli meats and soft cheeses
The CNS exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
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