RD exam cost and registration, step by step
The RD exam costs $250 per attempt as of Nov 13, 2026, charged to a credit card at booking. Booking opens only after CDR confirms your eligibility: Pearson VUE then emails an Authorization to Test, and you choose a test center and a date within 1 year.
Read against CDR: RD Exam Handbook for Candidates, April 2026 and 5 more documents listed under Sources · checked Nov 13, 2026
Eligibility, authorization, appointment
- CDR confirms that you meet the eligibility requirements. Part of this step is agreeing to the profession's ethics code and to non-disclosure of exam content.
- Your Authorization to Test (ATT) comes from Pearson VUE as an email; the table shows the usual delay.
- You book and pay on the CDR/Pearson VUE portal, through Pearson chat or by phone, choosing a center and an appointment.
- You sit the exam while the authorization is still valid. It runs 1 year and ends early if you fail to show up or come late, cancel too late, or lack valid ID. After that, you reauthorize online before booking again.
Authorization, centers and changes
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How to book | After CDR approves you, an Authorization to Test arrives from Pearson VUE by email, normally within 48 hours; you then book and pay on the CDR/Pearson VUE portal, by Pearson chat or by phone. From eligibility approval to the Authorization to Test usually takes less than a week. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| Authorization to test | One year from the Authorization to Test. It also ends when you take the exam, miss or arrive late for an appointment, fail to cancel in time, cannot show a valid ID or do not accept the non-disclosure agreement. After that you reauthorize with CDR online. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| When you can test | Year-round, within a one-year Authorization to Test | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1][2] |
| Where you test | More than 250 Pearson VUE centers, in the US and some other countries, by appointment all year. The April 2026 handbook covers center testing only; it offers no remote option. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1][2] |
| Test provider | Pearson VUE | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1][2] |
| Changes and cancellations | Changes or cancellations on the Pearson VUE portal 48 or more hours ahead are refunded; later changes, no-shows and late arrivals forfeit the fee | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| Ethics and confidentiality | Candidates sign on to the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics and accept a non-disclosure agreement covering the exam content | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
From CDR's April 2026 candidate handbook and exam overview, read Nov 13, 2026.
Test centers only, all year
Testing happens only in Pearson VUE centers, in the US and in selected locations abroad, on any open day of the year. The 2026 handbook describes center testing only and offers no at-home option, so plan the trip.
Changes and cancellations made on the Pearson VUE portal at least 48 hours ahead are refunded or move without charge. Anything later, and any missed appointment or late arrival, costs both the fee and the authorization.
Figures in this part: CDR handbook 2026[1]
What the RD exam costs
- The exam fee is $250 per attempt as of Nov 13, 2026, paid by card at booking and separate from Academy dues.
- The optional Test Bundle costs $350 and prepays one retake along with the first attempt. You add it at checkout when booking a full-price attempt; after a fail, you rebook with the voucher ID instead of paying. The extra over a single attempt is money spent on a retake you may never need.
- Without the bundle, you pay $250 again for every retake.
- Once you hold the credential, the yearly registration fee is $80, rising to $90 on June 1, 2027. Your first bill comes soon after you pass; the table has the deadlines.
| Line | Amount | When and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $250 | $250, paid by credit card when you book. The fee is separate from Academy membership dues and from the annual registration fee. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| Exam + retake bundle | $350 | $350 for the optional Test Bundle, which prepays one retake: the first attempt and a retake voucher bought together at checkout. If you fail, you reauthorize with CDR and book the retake with the voucher ID in place of payment, so nothing more is due for that sitting. The voucher works only for the exam it was bought for and cannot be refunded or transferred. Without a bundle, each new attempt costs the whole $250 again. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1][2] |
| Retake fee | $250 (prepaid in the bundle) | The full $250 exam fee, unless a Test Bundle has already prepaid the retake | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| Other fees | $20 | $20 to have an appeal reviewed. Moving an appointment at least 48 hours ahead costs nothing extra on the Pearson VUE portal. | RD Exam Handbook for Candidates [1] |
| Renewal or yearly fee | $80 | $80, rising to $90 on June 1, 2027. CDR bills the fee every year, due August 31; a $50 late fee applies in September, and the credential lapses on October 1 if it is still unpaid. New RDs get their first notice about 72 hours after passing; unpaid, it takes a $50 late fee after 90 days, and registered status ends after 120 days. | CDR: registration maintenance fees [3] |
A saffron date marks a value that changes on a date its body has already set. Prices as of Nov 13, 2026, from the candidate handbook, the exam overview and the registration-maintenance page.
Read before you book
Sources
- [1]CDR: RD Exam Handbook for Candidates, April 2026 (PDF) cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
- [2]CDR: RD exam overview (attempt limit, Test Bundle Voucher) cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
- [3]CDR: registration maintenance fees cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
- [4]CDR: RD exam test specifications, January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2026 (PDF) admin.cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
- [5]CDR: RD exam test specifications and study outline, January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2031 (PDF) cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
- [6]CDR: RD exam test specification comparison, 2022 vs. 2027 (PDF) cdrnet.org · checked Nov 13, 2026
Paying for and scheduling the RD exam
How much is the RD exam?
$250 per attempt as of Nov 13, 2026, or $350 for the Test Bundle, which also prepays one retake.
Can I take the RD exam online?
No. The current candidate handbook offers Pearson VUE test centers only, with no remote-proctored version.
How long is the Authorization to Test valid?
1 year from when it is issued, unless it ends sooner: on the day you test, after a missed appointment or a late cancellation, or if you cannot show valid ID.
When is the first annual fee due after passing?
The first notice arrives shortly after you pass, and a late fee applies if it stays unpaid for too long; the fee row of the cost table has the exact windows. After that, the fee is due once a year.