Dietetic Internship Completion

Registration Examination, licensure and certification processes
In this Section

Completion of the Dietetic Internship requirements must be satisfactorily completed before the ACEND verification statement is provided. After verifying that all requirements have been successfully met, which include the internship rotations, seminar assignments, experiences and evaluations, and a strong e-portfolio rating, the internship director provides six verification statements to the intern and sends documentation to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) informing the CDR that internship requirements have been met. A copy of the verification statement, length of rotations and other documentation will be kept in the intern’s file. 

During the wrap-up sessions, the intern is provided with all necessary information and an Exit Packet to assist in the online Registration Eligibility application process.

Registration Eligibility Process

Candidates are eligible to take the Registration Examination on the basis of completing either an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Coordinated Program, Dietetic Internship Program, or Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway.

Dietetic Internship Program Candidate completed approved supervised qualifying experience as stipulated in the ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship Program. This supervised practice experience program provides the foundation knowledge and skills, as well as competencies for entry-level dietitians, through a minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised practice experience. The program follows completion of the ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics and a Baccalaureate Degree.

Examination Application: All candidates approved as examination eligible automatically receive an authorization to test email from Pearson VUE, the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s testing vendor. This email will explain the process to schedule your exam and create login credentials for Pearson VUE’s website. If you have not received your authorization to test email within 48 hours of receiving your CDR eligibility email, please contact Pearson VUE customer service at 888-874-7651. Candidates who established eligibility previously must request reauthorization to test. Candidates must contact the Commission on Dietetic Registration by email (ebutler@eatright.org), by telephone (312/899-4859) or online at cdrnet.org to request examination reauthorization. The request should include the candidate’s name and CDR identification number/Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics membership number. Candidates are initially authorized to test for one year (365 days) from the date they are processed as eligible. Please refer to the Authorization to Test section (page 8) for further information.  

Registering, paying, and scheduling for the exam must be completed on Pearson VUE’s secure website or by calling Pearson VUE. For questions regarding the online process, contact Pearson VUE at 1-888-874-7651 between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm Central Time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.  

Once eligibility to test has been certified by CDR, candidates will receive an Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE. The Authorization to Test email contains a personal CDR Candidate ID and dates of initial authorization. It also includes instructions regarding creating an account with Pearson VUE and the web address where the exam may be scheduled. A copy of this email should be kept in a secure location.

State Licensure/Certification

Once the intern has passed the RDN exam, the intern must then complete paperwork to become either licensed or certified in the state in which they plan to pursue employment. Each state requires different forms for this submission. It is best for each individual intern to research their state’s requirements. This information can be found on the state’s regulations and licensing website. For the state of Wisconsin the intern will submit paperwork to the internship program for proof of supervised practice hours. More information can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services website.