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Free CNSC Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free CNSC practice test to study every exam domain.

The CNSC exam has 250 questions and runs 4 hours.

These 10 free CNSC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Nutrition Support Clinician blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Nutrition Assessment 31% of exam

Question 1

A 58-year-old man is admitted with a 3-month history of reduced intake. He has lost 9% of his usual body weight, shows temporal and clavicular muscle wasting, and has mild pedal edema. His serum albumin is 2.6 g/dL. Which finding should be used to support a diagnosis of malnutrition under the AND/ASPEN 2012 consensus criteria?

  1. The low serum albumin, which confirms protein depletion
  2. The muscle wasting, weight loss, and fluid accumulation
  3. The albumin combined with the weight loss
  4. The edema alone, as it reflects visceral protein loss
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - The muscle wasting, weight loss, and fluid accumulation

Question 2

A dietitian is documenting a malnutrition diagnosis and wants to cite the appropriate defining characteristics. Which of the following is NOT one of the six characteristics used in the AND/ASPEN 2012 consensus framework?

  1. Loss of subcutaneous fat
  2. Reduced grip strength
  3. Low serum prealbumin
  4. Fluid accumulation
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Low serum prealbumin

Question 3

A clinician is applying the GLIM framework to diagnose malnutrition. According to GLIM, a diagnosis requires:

  1. One phenotypic criterion and one etiologic criterion
  2. At least two phenotypic criteria
  3. A positive screen plus a low serum albumin
  4. Any three of five phenotypic and etiologic criteria combined
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - One phenotypic criterion and one etiologic criterion

Question 4

A patient on long-term home parenteral nutrition develops a progressively altered sense of taste, thinning hair, and a slow-healing perianal skin rash. Which micronutrient deficiency is MOST consistent with this presentation?

  1. Selenium
  2. Copper
  3. Zinc
  4. Vitamin A
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Zinc

Question 5

A 104-kg man with a BMI of 34 is admitted to the ICU with sepsis. Indirect calorimetry is unavailable and his ideal body weight is 70 kg. Which daily protein target is MOST appropriate under the 2016 SCCM/ASPEN critical care guidelines for a patient with obesity?

  1. Approximately 84 g/day
  2. Approximately 105 g/day
  3. Approximately 140 g/day
  4. Approximately 210 g/day
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Approximately 140 g/day

Question 6

A nutrition support team is determining energy needs for a critically ill, mechanically ventilated patient. Which method is considered the gold standard for estimating energy requirements in this setting?

  1. The Harris-Benedict equation with a stress factor
  2. Indirect calorimetry (measured resting energy expenditure)
  3. A weight-based estimate of 25-30 kcal/kg/day
  4. The Penn State predictive equation
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Indirect calorimetry (measured resting energy expenditure)

Domain 2: Clinical Management 57% of exam

Question 7

A patient with a nonfunctional GI tract requires parenteral nutrition. The pharmacist calculates the final admixture osmolarity at 1,050 mOsm/L. Which venous access is appropriate for administering this formulation?

  1. A peripheral IV in the forearm
  2. A midline catheter
  3. A central venous catheter
  4. A peripheral IV rotated every 24 hours
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - A central venous catheter

Question 8

A 70-kg patient is receiving a parenteral nutrition formula providing 250 g of dextrose per day as the sole dextrose source. What is the approximate glucose infusion rate?

  1. 1.7 mg/kg/min
  2. 2.5 mg/kg/min
  3. 3.6 mg/kg/min
  4. 4.8 mg/kg/min
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 2.5 mg/kg/min

Question 9

While reviewing a compounded parenteral nutrition order, the clinician is MOST concerned about which incompatibility that can produce a life-threatening precipitate?

  1. Calcium and phosphate
  2. Sodium and chloride
  3. Magnesium and potassium
  4. Dextrose and amino acids
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Calcium and phosphate

Question 10

A patient is started on parenteral nutrition that includes a lipid injectable emulsion. Which laboratory value is MOST important to monitor specifically to assess tolerance of the lipid component?

  1. Serum ammonia concentration
  2. Serum albumin concentration
  3. Serum lactate concentration
  4. Serum triglyceride concentration
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Serum triglyceride concentration

The rest of the CNSC blueprint

The CNSC exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:

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