RD Exam Practice Test

RD Exam Management & Leadership Practice Questions

Management & Leadership makes up 6 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest RD Exam practice test. Here are 10 of the 24 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.

Updated 2026-11-10 by the Tigertest team. Based on the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians test specifications. Original questions; 50 per test, weighted like the real exam. Not affiliated with the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

1. 1. Which management function compares actual results with the plan and corrects any gaps?

   • A.Planning
   • B.Controlling
   • C.Organizing
   • D.Staffing

   Answer: B. Controlling sets standards, measures performance against them and takes corrective action. Planning sets the goals in the first place; organizing arranges the people and resources to reach them.

2. 2. A department head spends most of her time on long-range strategy and seeing how units fit together. Which skill is she mainly using?

   • A.Human relations skill
   • B.Clerical skill
   • C.Technical skill
   • D.Conceptual skill

   Answer: D. Katz's model says top managers rely most on conceptual skill, seeing the organization as a whole. First-line supervisors lean more on technical skill, and human skill matters at every level.

3. 3. A foodservice director lets an experienced, self-directed team set its own schedule with little input. Which leadership style is this?

   • A.Laissez-faire
   • B.Transactional
   • C.Autocratic
   • D.Bureaucratic

   Answer: A. A laissez-faire leader hands decisions to the group and stays in the background. It suits skilled, motivated teams but leaves a new or struggling team without direction.

4. 4. A manager assumes staff dislike work and must be closely supervised. Which theory describes this view?

   • A.Herzberg's two-factor theory
   • B.Ouchi's Theory Z
   • C.McGregor's Theory X
   • D.McGregor's Theory Y

   Answer: C. Theory X assumes people avoid work and need control; Theory Y assumes they seek responsibility and can direct themselves. Herzberg's theory is about what satisfies and dissatisfies, not about supervision.

5. 5. Under Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of these is a motivator rather than a hygiene factor?

   • A.Pleasant working conditions
   • B.Clear company policy
   • C.Recognition for achievement
   • D.Salary and benefits

   Answer: C. Herzberg's motivators (achievement, recognition, the work itself, growth) build satisfaction. Hygiene factors such as pay and working conditions only prevent dissatisfaction when they are adequate.

6. 6. A clinical nutrition manager delegates calorie counts to a dietetic technician. Who remains accountable for the outcome?

   • A.The manager who delegated
   • B.The attending physician
   • C.The facility's administrator
   • D.The technician alone

   Answer: A. Delegation passes authority and responsibility for the task, but accountability stays with the person who delegated. That is why delegated work is still checked.

7. 7. Two cooks keep arguing over oven time. The supervisor helps them find a schedule that meets both their needs. Which conflict style is this?

   • A.Avoiding
   • B.Accommodating
   • C.Compromising
   • D.Collaborating

   Answer: D. Collaborating looks for a solution that fully satisfies both sides. Compromising has each side give something up; accommodating gives one side what it wants.

8. 8. In Lewin's change model, staff are shown why a new tray system is needed before it starts. Which stage is this?

   • A.Evaluating
   • B.Unfreezing
   • C.Moving
   • D.Refreezing

   Answer: B. Unfreezing creates readiness by showing that the current way must change. Moving is the change itself, and refreezing makes the new practice the norm.

9. 9. Which chart shows each task of a project as a bar along a timeline?

   • A.Control chart
   • B.Gantt chart
   • C.Pareto chart
   • D.Fishbone diagram

   Answer: B. A Gantt chart lays out tasks against time so overlaps and deadlines are visible. A Pareto chart ranks causes by frequency, and a fishbone diagram groups possible causes of one problem.

10. 10. A patient tray accuracy audit finds most errors come from two of ten causes. Which tool displays this best?

    • A.Flow chart
    • B.Scatter diagram
    • C.Gantt chart
    • D.Pareto chart

    Answer: D. A Pareto chart ranks causes from most to least frequent, showing the vital few (the 80/20 pattern) to fix first. A scatter diagram shows whether two variables are related.