r/dietetics • u/PostEmotional8453 • 5d ago

CNSC exam ‘26

I am about to take it this weekend and am SOOOO nervous. I do work in an acute care facility and we do A LOT of PN (compounded)/EN. I am also on our facility’s Enteral Access Team (only 4 of us are trained at my ~800 bed hospital). I have read through most of the ASPEN 4th edition core curriculum text book, but I still don’t feel like I am prepared enough.

Any words of encouragement? Your girl is flippin’ out!

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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u/Confident_Mind_2865 4d ago

You know more than you realize! Make sure you know signs and symptoms of vitamin deficiencies. As soon as you sit down at the computer write down any equations you’ve memorized so you don’t have to remember them later. Go with your gut on questions you get stuck on and move on, the time goes by fast!

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u/NutritionN3rd 5d ago

I'm nervous too! I take it tomorrow. I just can't wait to be done and just sleep and do nothing for a bit haha.

We got this!!

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u/tribalrasta 2d ago

How’d you do!

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u/NutritionN3rd 2d ago

I thought it was easy (but some too easy that I felt almost anyone could guess it correctly) and some where I wasn't so sure. I definitely got through with more than enough time but went back to recheck answers. It wasn't bad! I definitely felt prepared! I just hope I did well enough to pass!

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u/NewResolution2775 4d ago

With that experience you’re gonna crush it! Where were you when I was posting about TPN! Seems like you’re expert level already! Just pending official initials.

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u/PostEmotional8453 4d ago

Thanks! Fingers crossed. Any questions you have in the future feel free to message me!

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u/Evening_Pride_1276 20h ago

Just took it this morning and I’m neutral on how I did 😅 there were definitely some questions I went back and forth on, but some were really easy. A lot of research, ethics and peds compared to last time I took it. And now… we wait 🫠

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u/CaliforniaDietitian MS, RD, CNSC 14h ago

Agreed! Lots of med questions too. I feel like there’s so many equations I memorized that I didn’t need. Definitely felt a little harder than 5 years ago.

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u/Evening_Pride_1276 12h ago

I think it was harder too! I agree with the med questions. I had some that I knew, but a few I didn’t recognize. I’m just hoping I did well enough to pass 😬

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u/what-the-fiber 3d ago

I agree with the above reply - with your experience, you’ll definitely crush it! I took it twice so far and both times I feel like having full time (32-40 hrs/week) of inpatient clinical care and extensive EN/PN experience in the form of day to day practice was really helpful. From there, I basically only studied the core curriculum chapters I wasn’t as familiar with, some equations I didn’t do frequently, such as research and ethics and pediatric topics. Made a bunch of homemade flash cards and have used those twice lol - vitamin/mineral deficiencies don’t change.

I have heard that the exam has gotten harder.. I’m due for CNSC renewal in spring 2027. Lmk what you think of the exam!!

👍🏼👍🏼 you got it

0

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