How Much Does the RD Exam Cost? $250 Fee, Retake and Renewal Costs

The Registration Examination for Dietitians, the exam behind the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential, costs $250 per attempt as of October 2026, according to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). You pay the full $250 by credit card on Pearson VUE’s scheduling site when you book your appointment, after CDR has approved your eligibility. If you want a built in safety net, CDR sells an optional Test Bundle Voucher for $350 total: one full price attempt plus a discounted retake that costs $100 instead of $250. A retake without the voucher costs the current exam fee, which is $250 today. Canceling or rescheduling at least 48 hours ahead is free, but you forfeit the fee if you fail, arrive late, or do not show up. The exam fee is separate from the cost of keeping the credential: CDR charges an annual registration maintenance fee of $80 for RDs as of October 2026, scheduled to rise to $90 on June 1, 2027. The exam itself is computer adaptive, with 125 to 145 questions and a three hour testing limit, delivered at Pearson test centers.

What the $250 Exam Fee Covers

The $250 fee buys one exam appointment at a Pearson VUE professional test center. CDR’s candidate handbook says the entire fee must be paid by credit card at the time you register for the appointment, and you receive a confirmation email once payment succeeds. If that email never arrives, CDR’s handbook says you have not successfully scheduled. As of October 2026, the same handbook lists the dietetic technician exam at $160, so make sure you are booking the dietitian exam, not the DTR exam. For the exam blueprint, see our guide to what is on the RD exam, and for pass rate data, see how hard the RD exam is.

The appointment is 3.5 hours long: a 20 minute tutorial, up to three hours of testing, and a 10 minute post exam survey. The test is computer adaptive and delivers between 125 and 145 questions, which include 25 unscored pretest items. Registration, payment, and scheduling all happen through Pearson, not through CDR. Your fee does not include study materials, and CDR states that buying a prep product is not required to sit for the exam.

Fees at a Glance

Fee or Charge	Amount	When It Applies
RD exam fee	$250	Every attempt, paid at scheduling
Test Bundle Voucher	$350 total ($250 exam plus $100 voucher)	Optional upgrade at checkout; one full price exam required per voucher
Retake using the voucher	$100 (already paid with the bundle)	Only for an authorized retake after an unsuccessful first attempt
Retake without the voucher	Current exam fee, $250 today	After reauthorizing with CDR
Cancel or reschedule	No fee	Online, at least 48 hours before the appointment
Late arrival, no show, or failing score	Fee forfeited, no refund	Per CDR’s handbook
Annual registration maintenance	$80 for RDs; $90 scheduled June 1, 2027	After you pass, due each year by August 31
Late maintenance payment	$50 added ($130 total for RDs)	Payments made September 1 to September 30

Fees per CDR’s 2026 RD Handbook for Candidates, test bundle voucher page, and registration maintenance page, as of October 2026.

Is the Test Bundle Voucher Worth $100?

You buy the Test Bundle Voucher as an upgrade while registering for your first attempt, and the total is $350 instead of $250. The arithmetic is simple. If you pass the first time, the extra $100 is gone: CDR states the voucher is nonrefundable, and no refund is given if the first exam is passed. If you need a second attempt, the voucher brings that attempt down to $100, so two attempts cost $350 in total instead of $500, a saving of $150.

The voucher has rules worth reading before you buy. You must pick the voucher that matches the exam you are taking, because the RD and DTR vouchers are different products. It cannot be transferred to another person. It only applies to an authorized retake, which means you must first contact CDR to reauthorize, then use the voucher ID in place of payment when you reschedule. A missed appointment counts as a used attempt. Whether it makes sense depends on how confident you are, and the retake waiting rules are covered in our guide to what happens if you fail the RD exam.

Canceling, Rescheduling, and Refunds

You can change or cancel on Pearson’s website at no charge as long as you do it at least 48 hours before your appointment. A refund is available when you cancel online within that window. Phone changes follow a stricter rule: CDR’s handbook says the call must be placed at least 48 business hours ahead. Refunds are not provided if you fail the exam or do not arrive. Candidates who arrive late are not seated and forfeit the fee, and a candidate who becomes ill in the final 48 hours must email CDR with supporting documentation, since Pearson requires a physician’s note to cancel without penalty.

Your authorization to test lasts one year. If it expires before your appointment, you must cancel on Pearson’s site, receive the refund, reauthorize with CDR, and pay another exam fee. Booking inside your authorization window protects you from paying twice.

Costs After You Pass

Passing does not end the fees. CDR requires all RDs to pay an annual registration maintenance fee, which is $80 as of October 2026. CDR’s registration maintenance page says a second increase to $90 is scheduled for June 1, 2027. Newly credentialed RDs receive a fee notice by email about 72 hours after passing, and their verification waits until the initial fee is paid. If a new RD does not pay within 90 days, a $50 late fee applies, and registration is terminated after 120 days.

For established RDs, payment is due each August 31, a $50 late fee applies from September 1 to 30, and the credential lapses October 1 if payment has not been received. Recertification runs on five year cycles that end May 31, and RDs need 75 continuing education units per cycle, including one in ethics or health equity. CDR also lets practitioners pay five years of fees at once at the start of a cycle; its recertification page does not list a dollar amount for that option, so confirm it on cdrnet.org before budgeting.

Costs the Exam Fee Does Not Include

The fee covers only the appointment. Eligibility comes first: since January 1, 2024, CDR requires a graduate degree plus ACEND accredited coursework and supervised practice for people establishing eligibility, and those program costs are separate from the exam. CDR publishes a free study outline and practice exam questions with rationales at cdrnet.org/study. Travel to one of the more than 250 Pearson test centers is also on you. Candidates who need testing accommodations apply through Pearson before scheduling.

The cheapest exam is the one you pass on the first appointment. Start practicing now with an RD practice test built around the dietitian exam’s four content domains, or try a free RD practice test to see where you stand before you pay the $250 fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the RD exam cost?

As of October 2026, the Registration Examination for Dietitians costs $250 per attempt, paid by credit card on Pearson VUE’s scheduling site. CDR also sells an optional $350 Test Bundle Voucher covering two attempts.

How much does it cost to retake the RD exam?

A retake costs the current exam fee, $250 as of October 2026, unless you bought the Test Bundle Voucher. With the voucher, the retake costs $100, and the two attempts total $350.

Can I get a refund on the RD exam fee?

Yes, if you cancel online at least 48 hours before your appointment. CDR does not refund the fee if you fail, arrive late, or do not show up, and the Test Bundle Voucher is nonrefundable.

What does it cost to keep the RD credential after passing?

CDR charges an annual registration maintenance fee of $80 for RDs as of October 2026, scheduled to rise to $90 on June 1, 2027. A $50 late fee applies to payments made September 1 to 30.

Sources

• CDR, RD Handbook for Candidates (2026)
• CDR, RD Exam Overview
• CDR, Test Bundle Voucher
• CDR, Registration Maintenance Fees
• CDR, Recertification Information
• CDR, RD Exam Eligibility Requirements

Med Preps is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Registered Dietitian, RD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and RDN are credentials and marks of the Commission on Dietetic Registration. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For educational and exam preparation purposes only. Not a substitute for formal clinical training.