1|Page
NASM Nutrition Exam | Verified Q&A
with Rationales | Multiple Choice &
Direct Answers | NASM Nutrition
Certification Prep | Grade A
Exam Structure:
Subject: NASM Nutrition Exam
Source: NASM Nutrition Exam Study Guide – Questions and Answers (Verified by
Expert)
Format: Multiple Choice & Direct Answer with Rationales
1. Scientists perform a study tracking 10,000 people over a 10-year
period. They look at their sugar intake at the beginning of the study
and then see who develops diabetes over the study duration. Which
term best describes this study?
A) Case-control study
B) Cohort study
C) Randomized controlled trial
D) Cross-sectional study
Correct Answer: B) Cohort study
Rationale:
1. A cohort study follows a group (cohort) over time to see how exposures
affect outcomes.
2. This study design is observational, not interventional.
3. Cohort studies can be prospective (forward-looking) or retrospective.
2. With which client would it be most appropriate for the Nutrition
Coach to work?
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A) Client with eating disorder diagnosis
B) Client with kidney failure on dialysis
C) Client with issues with consistent weight loss
D) Client requiring tube feeding
Correct Answer: C) Client with issues with consistent weight loss
Rationale:
1. Nutrition coaches work with generally healthy individuals on lifestyle
and behavior change.
2. Medical conditions (eating disorders, kidney failure, tube feeding)
require registered dietitians.
3. Weight loss plateaus or inconsistency is within coach scope.
3. Which term describes the phenomenon when a group does not
represent the population a scientist is intending to study?
A) Sampling error
B) Confounding bias
C) Selection bias
D) Measurement bias
Correct Answer: C) Selection bias
Rationale:
1. Selection bias occurs when study participants are not representative of
the target population.
2. Leads to invalid conclusions.
3. Can be reduced by random sampling.
4. What foods tend to have a higher thermic response than others?
A) High-fat foods
B) High-carbohydrate foods
C) High-protein foods
D) High-fiber foods
Correct Answer: C) High-protein foods
Rationale:
1. Thermic effect of food (TEF) is energy used for digestion and
absorption.
2. Protein has the highest TEF (20-30% of calories consumed).
3. Carbohydrate TEF ~5-10%, fat TEF ~0-3%.
NASM Nutrition Exam | Verified Q&A
with Rationales | Multiple Choice &
Direct Answers | NASM Nutrition
Certification Prep | Grade A
Exam Structure:
Subject: NASM Nutrition Exam
Source: NASM Nutrition Exam Study Guide – Questions and Answers (Verified by
Expert)
Format: Multiple Choice & Direct Answer with Rationales
1. Scientists perform a study tracking 10,000 people over a 10-year
period. They look at their sugar intake at the beginning of the study
and then see who develops diabetes over the study duration. Which
term best describes this study?
A) Case-control study
B) Cohort study
C) Randomized controlled trial
D) Cross-sectional study
Correct Answer: B) Cohort study
Rationale:
1. A cohort study follows a group (cohort) over time to see how exposures
affect outcomes.
2. This study design is observational, not interventional.
3. Cohort studies can be prospective (forward-looking) or retrospective.
2. With which client would it be most appropriate for the Nutrition
Coach to work?
, 2|Page
A) Client with eating disorder diagnosis
B) Client with kidney failure on dialysis
C) Client with issues with consistent weight loss
D) Client requiring tube feeding
Correct Answer: C) Client with issues with consistent weight loss
Rationale:
1. Nutrition coaches work with generally healthy individuals on lifestyle
and behavior change.
2. Medical conditions (eating disorders, kidney failure, tube feeding)
require registered dietitians.
3. Weight loss plateaus or inconsistency is within coach scope.
3. Which term describes the phenomenon when a group does not
represent the population a scientist is intending to study?
A) Sampling error
B) Confounding bias
C) Selection bias
D) Measurement bias
Correct Answer: C) Selection bias
Rationale:
1. Selection bias occurs when study participants are not representative of
the target population.
2. Leads to invalid conclusions.
3. Can be reduced by random sampling.
4. What foods tend to have a higher thermic response than others?
A) High-fat foods
B) High-carbohydrate foods
C) High-protein foods
D) High-fiber foods
Correct Answer: C) High-protein foods
Rationale:
1. Thermic effect of food (TEF) is energy used for digestion and
absorption.
2. Protein has the highest TEF (20-30% of calories consumed).
3. Carbohydrate TEF ~5-10%, fat TEF ~0-3%.
