The CDCP (Certified Dietary Compliance Professional) credential is designed for dietary managers, food service directors, and nutrition professionals working in healthcare and long-term care settings. The exam focuses on regulatory compliance — specifically CMS Conditions of Participation, F-Tag citations, nutritional assessment under MDS 3.0, therapeutic diet management, food safety under HACCP principles, and resident rights related to nutrition.
This free CDCP PDF gives you printable practice questions across all major exam domains. Work through it on paper, check your answers, and then shift to scored online practice tests to track your readiness before exam day.
The CDCP exam tests knowledge across five core domains, all focused on compliance and quality in healthcare food service and nutrition management.
CMS Conditions of Participation include a range of F-Tags directly related to nutrition: F692 (assisted feeding), F693 (therapeutic diets), F694 (parenteral and enteral nutrition), F695 (tube feeding), F700 (frequency of meals), F803 (menus and nutritional adequacy), and F804 (therapeutic diet menus). You must understand the CMS survey process including standard health surveys, focused surveys, and complaint investigations, as well as the scope and severity grid used to categorize deficiencies. Writing and implementing a plan of correction (POC) following a deficiency citation is also heavily tested.
The Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 — specifically Section K on swallowing and nutritional status — is a core focus. Key items include K0100 (swallowing disorder), K0200 (height and weight), K0300 (weight loss), and K0700 (nutritional approaches). You should understand the full Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process: assessment, care planning, implementation, and evaluation. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) in long-term care settings, and interdisciplinary team (IDT) meeting documentation are also tested.
CDCP candidates must know the major therapeutic diets used in long-term care: regular diet, consistent carbohydrate diet for diabetes management, renal diet restrictions, and cardiac diet sodium restriction. Dysphagia diets follow the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework — Levels 0 through 7: thin liquids, slightly thick, mildly thick, moderately thick, extremely thick, minced and moist, soft and bite-sized, and regular. You must understand the transition from older nectar-thick and honey-thick terminology (now IDDSI Levels 2 and 3) and proper preparation and documentation of texture-modified foods.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles apply directly to healthcare food service operations. CMS F-Tags in this area include F812 (food from approved sources), F813 (food storage), and F814 (refrigerator and freezer temperatures). You should understand the differences between cook/serve and cook/chill food production systems, proper hand hygiene protocols for food handlers, safe handling and labeling of therapeutic diet trays, and allergen management in the healthcare setting.
Residents have the right to make food choices, and dietary staff must understand how to honor preferences while balancing therapeutic diet requirements. The least restrictive diet approach is a key principle — unnecessary dietary restrictions should be avoided. Documentation of resident refusals is required, and staff must understand advance directives regarding artificial nutrition and hydration decisions. Culture change and person-directed dining practices are also within scope.
After reviewing the PDF, take your preparation further with interactive online practice. Our CDCP practice test includes scored quizzes with detailed answer explanations, covering CMS regulations, MDS 3.0, IDDSI textures, HACCP, and resident rights — giving you the domain-level feedback you need to focus your final study sessions.