As of 01/2025, I have officially passed the CNS exam and obtained the CNS licensure.
What is a CNS? It stands for Certified Nutrition Specialist. The CNS licensure is considered the most comparable to that of an RD, though there are distinct differences.
I chose this route because I wanted my nutrition training to be more tailored to an integrative or functional approach, and the CNS pathway allowed that. I already had the PA-C licensure, which is well recognized and respected. If I didn’t have the PA-C licensure, I would have instead gone the RD route (admittedly more nationally recognized and allows broader scope of practice than the CNS) and then supplemented with additional integrative/functional education.
For more on that difference, I found this blog post to be an excellent resource. The graphic below is referenced in the blog post.
I completed my nutrition Master’s in 2017, though admittedly I could have completed the CNS licensure with the PA-C degree. That said, I still don’t regret getting my Master’s in nutrition before PA school. I use it within my clinical practice daily.
I started thinking about the 1000 internship when I dropped my hours as a PA in 2023 (I dropped one clinical session, totaling 4 hours). It took me about a year and a half to complete total.
When I was nearing finishing the internship, I started studying for the CNS exam. I studied for about 3-4 months, often after work and on weekends. For context, I was working full time when studying. Although I dropped a session of PA work, I was interning with Indigo Wellness Group, and started my weekly newsletter. This was the equivalent of working full time, if not a touch more.
I do think I had a bit of a home court advantage with a medical background, but 3-4 months felt like a good amount of time.
The resources I found to be the most helpful were:
- The Nutrition and Herbal Collective CNS Prep Course – I spent about two months slowly going through this and making my study guide from it. And then one month just studying and reviewing the study guide.
- Questions from NutritionTestPrep.com – I would aim for completing ~250 questions per week. I liked this resource because there was a detailed explanation of why I got an answer right or wrong.
- CNS exam prep question of the day – I did this daily
- a variety of different Quizlets (if you just type in Certified Nutrition Specialist exam a variety of different ones comes up). Rather than scrolling social media, when I was on public transportation or had a moment of down time, I would scrolls through Quizlet questions.
I liked having a variety of different options to study from because if I got sick of studying in one way (ie reading my study guide), I would try test questions, or watch a video featured in the Prep Course, or go through a few flash cards on Quizlet.
With this studying method, I did well on the exam. I did not come close to failing.
I firmly believe in making study materials as accessible as possible, which is why I shared all of my study guides for PA school end of rotation exams for free.
I figured I would do the same for the CNS exam!
You can find my study guide below:
I by no means expect any compensation for this. Though if you find it to be helpful and have the means, you can become a paid subscriber for my Newsletter on Substack. The newsletter is $5/month for monthly subscribers, $50/annual, or you can leave a one time donation under the zesty bestie category. And you can cancel at absolutely any time!
As I’ve shifted away from influencing and using social media full time, I’ve rediscovered joy in the writing process. In the newsletter, called The Lemonade Stand, I write about topics ranging from life, work, burnout, relationships, nutrition, healthcare, and beyond. All things slowing down and savoring, and anything/everything else that’s adding color to some current conversations. It’s an opportunity for refreshing hydration, and a nod to both the confusion and clarity that comes from transitions.
The majority of the time, I am still a family medicine PA working in community health. But you can also find me over at Indigo Wellness Group, where I see clients as a CNS few hours per week.
