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NASM NUTRITION CERTIFICATION
(EXAM) QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS 2026
SCOFF questionnaire - correct answer-Basic yet reliable set of
five questions that help assess whether an eating disorder exists.
Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
Do you worry that you have lost Control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than One stone (14 lbs) in a 3-month
period?
Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too
thin?
Would you say that Food dominates your life?
Scientific Method - correct answer-The process of formulating
explanations about the natural world and testing those
explanations with experiments and data.
1. Identify a Problem
2. Formulate a hypothesis
3. Design a study to test the hypothesis
4. Collect data
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5. Discard or change the hypothesis OR continue testing
Evidence-Based Practice - correct answer-A three-pronged
approach to working with clients, which consists of making
decisions based on the weight of the scientific evidence, field
observations, and individual client needs and preferences.
Prediction - correct answer-An expected outcome generated from
a hypothesis
Theory - correct answer-A hypothesis or set of hypotheses for
which a large body of high-quality evidence has been
accumulated.
Hierarchy of Evidence - correct answer-1. Systematic Reviews
2. Randomized Controlled Trials
3. Observational Research
4. Peer Reviews
5. Non-Peer-Reviewed Media, including anecdotes
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Anecdote - correct answer-an account of a person's experience or
event
Uncontrolled Variable - correct answer-A variable in an
experiment that a scientist makes no effort to manipulate or
account for.
Primary Research - correct answer-Original research where
scientists perform experiments and collect data - this is in contrast
to secondary research where scientists analyze data that has
already been collected or published elsewhere.
Observational Research - correct answer-Research in which a
researcher observes ongoing behaviors to determine correlation.
Correlation - correct answer-A relationship between two or more
variables.
Randomized Control Trial (RCT) - correct answer-A type of
scientific study/trial where participants are randomly assigned into
different groups - one or more will be the intervention to be tested
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and one will be the control group. Groups are randomized and a
control is used in an attempt to reduce potential bias in the trial.
Independent Variable - correct answer-The variable scientists
manipulate in an experiment.
External Validity - correct answer-The ability to generalize the
results of a study.
Systematic Review - correct answer-A review where scientists
systematically gather all research on a topic and evaluate it based
on predefined criteria and rules.
Meta-Analysis - correct answer-A statistical analysis of a group of
studies to assess the overall weight of the evidence.
Empirical - correct answer-Based on observation or experience.
NASM NUTRITION CERTIFICATION
(EXAM) QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS 2026
SCOFF questionnaire - correct answer-Basic yet reliable set of
five questions that help assess whether an eating disorder exists.
Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
Do you worry that you have lost Control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than One stone (14 lbs) in a 3-month
period?
Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too
thin?
Would you say that Food dominates your life?
Scientific Method - correct answer-The process of formulating
explanations about the natural world and testing those
explanations with experiments and data.
1. Identify a Problem
2. Formulate a hypothesis
3. Design a study to test the hypothesis
4. Collect data
, Page | 2
5. Discard or change the hypothesis OR continue testing
Evidence-Based Practice - correct answer-A three-pronged
approach to working with clients, which consists of making
decisions based on the weight of the scientific evidence, field
observations, and individual client needs and preferences.
Prediction - correct answer-An expected outcome generated from
a hypothesis
Theory - correct answer-A hypothesis or set of hypotheses for
which a large body of high-quality evidence has been
accumulated.
Hierarchy of Evidence - correct answer-1. Systematic Reviews
2. Randomized Controlled Trials
3. Observational Research
4. Peer Reviews
5. Non-Peer-Reviewed Media, including anecdotes
, Page | 3
Anecdote - correct answer-an account of a person's experience or
event
Uncontrolled Variable - correct answer-A variable in an
experiment that a scientist makes no effort to manipulate or
account for.
Primary Research - correct answer-Original research where
scientists perform experiments and collect data - this is in contrast
to secondary research where scientists analyze data that has
already been collected or published elsewhere.
Observational Research - correct answer-Research in which a
researcher observes ongoing behaviors to determine correlation.
Correlation - correct answer-A relationship between two or more
variables.
Randomized Control Trial (RCT) - correct answer-A type of
scientific study/trial where participants are randomly assigned into
different groups - one or more will be the intervention to be tested
, Page | 4
and one will be the control group. Groups are randomized and a
control is used in an attempt to reduce potential bias in the trial.
Independent Variable - correct answer-The variable scientists
manipulate in an experiment.
External Validity - correct answer-The ability to generalize the
results of a study.
Systematic Review - correct answer-A review where scientists
systematically gather all research on a topic and evaluate it based
on predefined criteria and rules.
Meta-Analysis - correct answer-A statistical analysis of a group of
studies to assess the overall weight of the evidence.
Empirical - correct answer-Based on observation or experience.
