An analysis on the candidate profile and pass rate of the pilot qualification examination for registered dietitians in Shanghai

Objective To investigate the candidate profile and pass rate of the 2016 pilot qualification examination for registered dietitians in Shanghai, and attempt to inform the improvement of the examination. Methods An analysis was conducted on the profiles of all the 193 qualified candidates in the signing-up system of the 2016 pilot examination. Questionnaire surveys were carried out to collect feedback from the candidates on the enrollment requirements of the examination. The pass rates were compared between subgroups divided by age, gender, education, major, workplace (as employee or intern), working years and academic rank. Results 81.3% of the candidates were aged between 20 and 29. Females accounted for 80.3%. The candidates had all received bachelor's degree, 75.6% from full-time undergraduate programs and 96.4% from programs of nutrition. 78.3% of the candidates rated the enrollment requirements of the examination as "reasonable" or "relatively reasonable" . The overall pass rate of the examination was 38.3%. The pass rate of the examinees working or doing internship in hospitals (45%) was significantly higher than that of others (24.5%)(P=0.012). Conclusions The overall pass rate is reasonable. Examinees working or doing internship in hospitals had a higher pass rate than those working in other places. The majority of the candidates had bachelor's degree of nutrition, which is in accordance with the requirement of similar exams in other parts of the world. Key words: Registered dietitian; Examination; Pass rate